CAN I GET AN AMEN?

It’s a little befuddling to see an evangelical like Franklin Graham kick many of the biblical tenets he preaches to the curb when it comes to his shameless embrace and defense of Trump.

Graham along with other evangelicals says he believes God put Trump in the White House – that’s a dangerous premise for zealots to adopt as it blinds them to the everyday reality and destructive nature of this presidency.

On the one hand believers will tell you Satan was cast down upon the earth and is running amok – at times cloaking himself in sheep’s clothing to beguile and mislead.

So powerful is this demonic being that none are above being misled – none, like Jim Bakker, Peter Popoff, Jimmy Swaggert, Bob Larson, Robert Tilton, and a cast of other equally laughable characters – but wait, all that’s necessary is to publicly confess, shed a few crocodile tears, possibly ascend to an elected office, or quote a non existent verse in “2” Corinthians and it’s all good.

Then of course there are what amounts to “special dispensations” when all that is needed is to say Well he/they have denied it.

In the midst of their religious fervor they’ve likewise claimed the anti christ to be any number of people from former soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachov to a host of others – that birthmark on his forehead thing.

Evangelicals – this is the group that’s produced shameless scam artists and fake healers like erstwhile Trumpian handmaiden of the Lord Paula White promoting their personal self enrichment “prosperity doctrine”.

In historical context religion greatly influenced culture and still does in many ways, yet there seems to be a reversal taking place wherein culture is taking control of religion – that may or may not be a good thing depending on perspective but I submit if this cultural influence is leading to a wholesale corruption of the basic tenets in coddling and defending an administration like the current one then one of those “revivals” evangelicals carry on about is due along with a general housecleaning.

Graham etal need to retire to their “prayer closet” and rather than blandly tweak and cherry pick whatever scripture they believe supports the positions they take think about “dusting off their bibles” and “wash your spirit clean”.

Evangelicals love to go on about a war on Christianity, this while they zealously participate with an administration conducting a war against the very fabric of this nation.

Like I said, befuddling when you ask the most basic of questions like how many “prosperity doctrine” scams and bogus “healings” does a person get to run before people say enough?

How many mega millions mansions and jets need to be purchased before the “flock” say hey wait a minute ?

If you look at the historical Jesus here’s a man who never ventured far, lived humbly, and yet his message has spanned the globe – imagine what Jesus could have done if he wore a Versace suit, flew around in a corporate jet, owned a fleet of Bentleys, and had millions of dollars rolling in annually.

Imagine what he could have achieved had he sucked up and pandered to the Caesar of his time in the same way evangelicals do in this day and age…… Can I get an Amen?

Now maybe I’m wrong but does it seem like Christianity has adopted the almighty dollar as a core tenet – that the Golden Rule has segued into get as much as you can before others do?

These prosperity doctrine evangelicals would have you believe their god is a major investment firm, pony up some money and it’s a sure fire way to receive cash dividends – fail to do so and you’re sol.

If you follow any of the links number 3 will have you rolling on the floor- Green towels, miracle spring water, and your own personal prayer package Oh my.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/24/politics/graham-evangelicals-support-trump-don-lemon-cnntv/

http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trumps-spiritual-adviser-paula-white-suggests-people-send-her-salary-775228

http://dustoffthebible.com/Blog-archive/2012/07/25/the-worst-tbn-product-scams-of-all-time/

https://rezinate.wordpress.com/2017/09/01/honor-killings-infanticide-and-other-controversies/

IDIOCRACY AND BOTS

 

Sean Hannity of Fox Fake News has said on at least one occasion that he isn’t actually a journalist but more or talk show host, one of the few times he’s actually spoken something credible and I personally am willing to give credit where credit is due.

A “talk show” host along the lines of Morton Downey jr and Jerry Springer – but Hannity one ups both Downey and Springer to take credit for being a bot as well as a propagandist.

Perhaps the administrations chief propagandist – and that’s saying something when you consider the competition like Huckabee Sanders and the “reverend” Franklin Graham as he performs his daily ritual of Trump absolution … “ we have all sinned” – yup, problem is some just make a career of it.

It’s a sad commentary how “talk show hosts”, preachers, and a segment of society turn themselves into human pretzels to avoid obvious truths – a case in point is the manner in which some are attempting to portray Dear Leaders reception at the Davos conference in Switzerland.

To hear them tell it the Swiss reacted as if it was the second coming, what they failed to mention were the boos – but as difficult a path as it must have been Trump did a decent job of sticking to the prescribed script his minions had prepared for him.

Trump is demonstrably ignorant but among his staffers and advisors the light is coming on as mid term elections loom on the horizon that the message of hate and mysogyny needs to be toned down a little.

To that end Trump is making an attempt to get all warm and fuzzy about DACA – next thing he’ll be claiming those Mexican “rapists” he went on about love him and he “probably” has as good a relationship with them as he alluded he “probably” does with his separated at birth counterpart Kim Jong Un.

Mexico is going to pay for the wall – right, that’s why Trump and congress, small c as it’s populated by small people, persist in trying to get tax payers to foot the bill.

I’ve given up trying to understand the mentality of Trump bots and supporters who never heard a lie they didn’t like and if there aren’t enough emanating from the White House not adverse to making up a few of their own, for some it’s actually become a career choice.

Idoicracy, as in the movie of the same name, has become a reality, but you know what’s really interesting is that Fox funded the movie, then when seeing the results did what they always do – sought to distance themselves from a timely social commentary.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/watch-sean-hannity-gets-brutal-052307026.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-booed-world-leaders-152508629.html?.tsrc=jtc_news_index

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/25/trump-mueller-fired-order-report-370807

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/01/26/mueller-trump-obstruction-of-justice-russia-216532

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiocracy

 

KING LOUIE AND THE BANDAR-LOG

 

There’s been an air of inevitability that would it come to this – that ignorance at some point would become increasingly difficult to deny and as they say the chickens would come home to roost.

I have about as much use for the cast of characters from Trump to Bannon and the more servile minions such as Huckabee Sanders, Conway and Ryan ad infinitum ad naseum as I would Ebola.

All, all, of the above are a national disgrace who if they lived in another country like Russia or China would be packed off to a gulag or re education camp – or more pointedly if they lived in a country with an informed and minimally intelligent electorate would never hold office or any governmental position.

Even so I’m willing to give Bannon credit and author Michael Wolff  a shout out for pulling back the curtain on the would be autocrat of dementia land, the knuckle dragging ape who would be king.

True to form threats, denials, disjointed tweets, and letters of cease and desist are flying through the ether, panic is sitting in as rats abandon the ship and the Bandar-log frantically turn to Fox Fake News for reassurance.

Hannity must be apoplectic as evangelicals drop to their knees fervently denouncing the “deep state” and a Satan who surely dwells in their very midst  authoring their words as they pay homage to their Caesar rendering not what is Caesar’s but the alleged birthrights said to be associated with democracy – the birthright of their own children.

The below quotes are words spoken by former Senator and presidential candidate Barry Goldwater:

“Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they’re sure trying to do so, it’s going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can’t and won’t compromise. I know, I’ve tried to deal with them.
…..
The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom…. I’m frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in ‘A,’ ‘B,’ ‘C,’ and ‘D.’ Just who do they think they are?… I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of “conservatism.”

“I think every good Christian ought to kick Falwell right in the ass.”

Chaos is the order of the day and has been since the 2016 election cycle began, global allies are turning away in embarrassment and disgust, the environment and working class are being raped and pillaged as a fool behaving like some newly pubescent child boasts about whose is bigger and gloats that he and his rich friends just became richer following the passage of “tax reform”.

The rich and corporations who have taken in this fool as something of a foster child solely for the purpose of associated stipends.

An avowed though severely myopic “counterpuncher” swinging blindly with zero skills lacking the mental acuity of orangutans rumored to be in the family tree.

Where are those who chided me about giving the man a chance, those who falsely claimed the presidency would change Trump, that he would grow into the job, and those who insist to this day that dysfunction is a vehicle for greatness as they are forced to confront their worse nightmare of having to cast their lot either with Trump or Bannon after having embraced both  and in doing so not only facilitated being hosed but everything that is wrong?

A rhetorical question no doubt as they remain mired in attempts to understand how to read, write, and that 2+2 really does equal 4 rather than an alternative number.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/top-20-revelations-trump-fire-211420077.html

https://www.axios.com/how-michael-wolff-did-it-2522360813.html

MAMMON – MIRACLES – AND PIPELINES

It’s a rare day when credit can be given to the current administration for telling the truth – one might even go so far as to liken such an occurrence to a miracle of biblical proportions.

An event on an epic scale like the parting the of the Red Sea or a man by the name of Noah building an ark and then gathering two of every living thing to ride out a global flood along with his family.

And yet a miracle has occurred, and since it is among a demographic that seeks to couch all things in a god fearing code of family values to avoid the comparisons is impossible.

The nature of this miracle? The administration and it’s minions have long declared the XL Keystone Pipeline to be a jobs creator – not only a national boon but a state by state boon for each it passes through.

Lo and behold such has become the case as oil spills become routine and jobs in the form of cleanup crews are created.

Now how good is that? And surely evidence as deranged evangelicals proclaim that not only the president but his elected and appointed cronies have been raised up by the lord himself to carry out his will.

The god fearing no longer need to read their bibles for inspiration or guidance, they need only heed the words of the ever growing number of those insisting they have been “anointed” and speak for the lord.

Evidence of this anointing can be founding in every drop of crude spilled upon the land as oil has historically been portrayed as the vehicle of anointing, not to mention the unctuous nature of these self styled prophets and messengers whose god is none other than Mammon spoken of in the book of Luke contained within the bible.

The bible is riddled with rogues, scoundrels, thieves, liars, and your all around neer do wells, and that has become the provenance for coddling the like in theses times.

Don’t believe that? Then name a time when when all of the above including sexual predators were held in the same high esteem by a political demographic among Christians as they are now – when they would have been allowed to run for an elected office or occupy one.

Yeah, I know – it would require nothing short of a miracle to be able do so.

The nature of environmental degradation is far from a local or national issue, it is global in scope – what happens anywhere impacts the environment everywhere, there is a cumulative effect that cannot be escaped.

But then maybe it’s just me – maybe I haven’t been “saved”, maybe I don’t understand “the lord’s will” in the same way I don’t understand why anyone would litter where they’ve been with beer bottles or anything else.

 

THE COMMON WELFARE

 

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

 

I think to begin with an essential premise to understand is that all governments and their agencies lie.

They always have, and if the past is prologue there’s no reason to believe they won’t continue to.

For all the discussions about rights and the Constitution what is often ignored are a few simple words in the Preamble and they are to “promote the general welfare”.

That’s a very broad an inclusive statement – it can be assumed taking note of the remaining words that the general welfare includes the pursuit of justice, domestic tranquility, and providing a common defence against enemies both foreign and domestic while insuring the “Blessings of Liberty”.

In this promotion no mention is made of creating a caste system where any are favored above another – nowhere does it state that the wealthy or corporations are more deserving.

And yet it cannot be denied a caste system does exist – that corporations and the wealthy have the greater influence, receive special attention, and are routinely attended to by both political parties.

As long as such inequities exist the common welfare and domestic tranquility will amount to little more than words penned long ago.

Government and a majority of politicians have always been corrupt, but the bar has been so lowered that some demographics seem to believe this to be an acceptable norm – they in fact appear to revel in it.

And to what end? Do rhetoric or blatant lies possess a greater substance than truthfulness and the common welfare of all citizens?

Is it a “Blessing of Liberty” or an example of “justice” for people to work for substandard wages while the wealthy with influence and lobbyists literally make millions?

Does passing out ethics waivers to bring individuals into an administration or increasing the number of swamp denizens serve the common welfare?

Are Elders blessed when they don’t receive a cost of living adjustment for years in the midst of politicians giving themselves one? Is “justice” to be found in that?

If you believe so then you should support both the Republican Party and this administration because that is what they stand for.

This and nothing more, not “family values”, not justice and equity, not leaving no child behind, not clean water nor clean air and food, not consumer protections or regulations holding Wall Street and the banking industry accountable, nor a healthcare system that every over “civilized” nation has.

The current administration is the predictable culmination of an erosion of ethics in government and by extension voters who have served to enable the decline by ignoring their responsibility to hold elected officials accountable in lieu of swearing a loyalty oath to the party of their choice.

Whatever integrity the Republican party had went out the window when they allowed Evangelicals the influence they have – Evangelicals who thump their bibles and support a man who is the very antithesis of the principles they claim to live their life by……. which in my opinion makes them as fraudulent as Trump is.

Barry Goldwater a former long serving Republican senator warned of this, Eisenhower warned of the industrial/military complex and corporate greed.

Acceptance is an embrace, a surrender, to an in your face arrogance and dystopian belief that a lie has a greater value than the truth – that a bankruptcy prone pathologically lying real estate developer is in actuality a political savant.

That it’s acceptable to kick everyone else but the wealthy, robber baron corporations and their CEOs to the curb.

I submit there is really nothing new in any of this – it is a matter of degrees, and having gone down that path the nation has turned against itself, a nation in the midst of an ideological civil war the toll of which is yet to be determined, and in so doing cannibalizing itself and the very precepts it claims to hold dear above all others.

 

ANA NAVARRO AND A WANNABE SUPER HERO

Cracks are beginning to appear in the Neanderthal thinking wall as evidenced by Ana Navarro’s linked video, and that can only be a good thing

I’m liking this woman although I may not agree with all the positions she takes as a conservative – a woman who has more guts in her little finger than all the GOP pols and a large number of their supporters put together.

Including all those god fearing family values individuals of “evangelical” bent.

What will be the response of those who gutlessly fawn and pander? Who haven’t the courage to admit they made an error in judgment?

They’ll sputter and fume, maybe even refer to this as fake news, a witch hunt, or some “deep state” conspiracy – but that’s like a judge telling a jury to disregard something they’ve already heard.

I don’t see how this can possibly pass without the Orange Sphincter as Bill Maher has characterized Trump going on yet another incoherent maniacal tweet storm – otherwise referred to as music to the ears of Trumpkins.

What’s really needed here is an intervention either by Trump’s family or Congress – an intervention in the form of Trump being committed for psychiatric evaluation – of course a sabbatical in Leavenworth could be a secondary option.

A puzzling question related to Trump’s election is how could so much as a single woman have voted for this idiot, or having done so defend him in any manner?

As to why men voted for him? Guns, putting women in “their place”, racism, flag waving, “patriotism”, make America  great hats made in China, Mexicans, gays, muslims, blacks, ndns, Asians, etc etc, and most likely an unwillingness to do the math……. but then one could conceivably argue if you don’t understand two plus two equals four math tends to go out the window.

What I’d really like to know is how can a parent who it’s reasonable to assume teaches their children not to lie look them in the eye if they support Trump?

How can a parent with a daughter(s) do likewise?

On what possible basis does a christian support this man or claim “the lord” has hand selected him?  Take a look, they said the same of Cruz, Rubio, Carson, etc.

Remember when Rick Perry said after diligent prayer and due consideration “the lord” told him to run for the presidency? Remember how his supporters jumped on that bandwagon?

Apparently “the lord” has a very low batting average or he’s being given a bum rap and his adherents live in a world entirely of their own making – so much for Genesis and their book huh?

What is the implication in that, that they haven’t a clue when it comes to their own book, do they prefer to ignore their own words or would they be so bold as to say “the lord” was wrong?

No wait – it was the devil interfering right?

If they want to attempt floating that idea then they might also ponder if a “satanic” influence is what got Trump elected?

Too far fetched to be worthy of consideration? No more so than claiming Trump is “the lord’s” boy doing his work in my opinion.

So yeah, Ana Navarro kicked some ass and took some names – as they say “ you go girl”. In the process she shamed every ass kissing sycophant man or woman in Congress and the Senate.

Marginalize this idiot, take up Navarro’s call to action – if the Orange Sphincter refuses to act like a president or his mental illness obstructs his ability to do so then give him a coloring book, some crayons, and ignore him.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/video/cnns-ana-navarro-calls-trump-174947741.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9e4o5xefWo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD1e0BNNifk

WHITE PRIVILEGE AND SAVAGES

The term “white privilege” can be a little misleading at times as more and more from that particular demographic descend into poverty, but the truth is and will remain as I have continually stressed throughout the existence of this blog that the impact of policies and the direction this country takes will have a far greater impact on the nations than others.

When you’re on the bottom rung of disenfranchisement and not perceived as a voting or campaign contributions bloc of significance that is the reality, a reality history has verified time and time again.

It isn’t mere coincidence that Trump is enamored of one the worst presidents this country has ever had, that being Andrew Jackson.

Andrew Jackson who was also known as the “ndn killer” defied a Supreme Court order prohibiting his personal agenda to murder, steal, seize land, and drive indigenous people from their homeland.

Betsy DeVos, Trump’s hand picked crony in the assault on public education is tasked with being an advocate for education, for students.

As such her position includes providing input into such budgetary considerations – perhaps if our schools became charter schools or embraced the bullshit evangelical approach DeVos caters to and we all wrapped ourselves in the blood stained flag she genuflects to our children might be worthy of consideration – the “great white father” might toss a bread crumb or two their way.

It’s increasingly obvious that as nations we can expect nothing from conservatives or the current administration.

Nothing in the way of a level playing field for our children – nothing in the way of being secure from the ramped up resource and land grab.

Nothing with a twist this time around- a twist that will encompass a great many of those who voted for this current administrational aberration when they discover as the quality of education, healthcare, and the environment they experience declines that they likewise aren’t included in this concept of white privilege.

During the five hundred plus years of occupation our children have been as much a target as our women and our men have – they were ruthlessly slaughtered, compared to vermin, stolen and taken to “boarding schools” where they were beaten for speaking their language, sexually assaulted, and “civilized”.

They are no less vulnerable now, all that has changed are the weapons of choice…… and we were labeled as “savages”?

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-native-children_us_5942f2e1e4b01eab7a2c88f9?section=us_politics

ELMER GANTRY – TRUMP – AND THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL

 

I’ll begin this blog by apologizing if I’ve misled anyone into believing Elmer Gantry was a fictional character in a Hollywood movie – in previous blogs I’ve made reference to Gantry associated with televangelists, religious zealotry, and evangelicals.

You can imagine my surprise and embarrassment to learn Gantry is very much alive and in fact was the featured speaker at “Liberty” University commencement activities.

http://www.thewrap.com/donald-trump-commencement-speech-liberty-university/

JESUS IN WINGTIPS

Televangelists are a shameless lot, the generation of vipers and wolves in sheep clothing their book speaks about.

I can easily envision Trump and White as a current version of Jim and Tammy Faye Baker.

The combination of a “beautiful person” and a multi faceted “diamond” – how good is that?

At the core of this so called prosperity doctrine is increasing the wealth of the “messenger”, it’s a scam pure and simple – shady is putting it mildly.

Not only does god want you to be rich but White and Trump do as well – I don’t know but I suspect if that is the way of it it was omitted from the Sermon on the Mount – or maybe Jesus was checking out his wingtips and Rolex and failed to mention it during his delivery.

Good thing for evangelicals they have “messengers” like White to set the record straight.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/12/28/shady-pastor-to-pray-with-trump-at-inauguration.html

THE BATTERED WOMAN SYNDROME AND ZEALOTRY

I suspect the demonstrations immediately following Trump’s election are only the tip of the iceberg.

That as he moves forward with his agenda to gut regulations endangering not only the environment but food safety as well and further alienate foreign nations demonstrations on the scale of the Viet Nam era protests will become commonplace, and law enforcement newly emboldened by Trump’s election will become increasingly aggressive in their response.

Woe to the working and middle class who will assume the burden of unwarranted tax breaks gifted to the wealthy and corporations.

Woe to the disenfranchised who will be further isolated – the damage this man and his conservative cohorts can do even if Trump is a one term president will have a profound effect that could take years, even decades to overcome.

There is nothing great about Trump nor anything great in the direction he seeks to take the nation.

They will stack an already increasingly dysfunctional Supreme Court with second rate nominees who will have little concern for the actual rights of individuals, the environment, or the welfare of the nation.

Rulings like Citizens United will become the norm as the nation careens down the path of Fascism and Corporate empowerment in a further display of Republican ideology characterized by elected officials within the party declaring things like raped women don’t get pregnant due to some biological mystery only Republican pols understand.

The real mystery is that among women who voted the majority went with Trump in what can only be likened to as a display of the battered women syndrome.

In doing so they have voted for a dominant male centric patriarchy and effectively kicked the advances the feminist movement and their sisters have achieved under the bus.

It is a rejection of equal pay for equal work, opportunity, women’s health, maternity leave, and ultimately an attack upon the right of women to say No.

There’s going to be a lot of blame to go around, some of it will require Evangelicals who “prayed” and felt “led by the lord” to facilitate a train wreck to take ownership.

I suggest if they believe in the power of their form of prayer they drop to their knees or enter their “prayer closet” for the next four years in an attempt to unravel the harm they facilitated and forget the mea culpa of it’s all going to be “the lord’s will” when in fact it was their will and unbridled, misguided zealotry.

As to men who voted for all this – well, what can be said other than they probably believe John Wayne actually ran around sweeping women off their feet and killing bad men and Indians?

Men who talk tough, are always ready to defend the honor of the country with military responses at the slightest perceived insult or provocation and equate their personal value with how many guns they own and a shirt that says America love or it leave it – they call themselves patriots, militias, white nationalists, god fearing, conservative, family values oriented, and by god they are the undisputed head of their household.

https://gma.yahoo.com/thousands-across-us-protest-president-elect-donald-trump-020435266–abc-news-topstories.html#

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/king-democratic-party-deserves-blame-electing-trump-article-1.2866238