The current rhetoric surrounding the issue as to whether the United States is a republic or a representative democracy has been sparked by those intent on dividing our people as a distraction from other, far more important issues and continues to be stoked by well-intentioned Americans whose passion has simply been misguided by nefarious forces. When the Founding Fathers came together to form what has become the most successful form of government for a free people in the history of our planet, they had no template to draw from and few sources to try and cobble together a new government to replace the failed Articles of Confederation.
Few expected this new document to last forever, most notably Ben Franklin, one of the few Americans of the time with an international reputation. On Monday, September 17, 1787, during the last day of the Constitutional Convention, Ben wanted to give a short speech to the Convention prior to the signing of the final draft of the Constitution. Too weak to actually give the speech himself, he had fellow Pennsylvanian James Wilson deliver the speech. It is considered a masterpiece.
The following is as reported in Madison's notes on the Convention for Monday, September 17, 1787.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Mr. President
I confess that there are several parts of this constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them: For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information, or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise. It is therefore that the older I grow, the more apt I am to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more respect to the judgment of others. Most men indeed as well as most sects in Religion, think themselves in possession of all truth, and that wherever others differ from them it is so far error. Steele a Protestant in a Dedication tells the Pope, that the only difference between our Churches in their opinions of the certainty of their doctrines is, the Church of Rome is infallible and the Church of England is never in the wrong. But though many private persons think almost as highly of their own infallibility as of that of their sect, few express it so naturally as a certain french lady, who in a dispute with her sister, said "I don't know how it happens, Sister but I meet with no body but myself, that's always in the right — Il n'y a que moi qui a toujours raison."
In these sentiments, Sir, I agree to this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such; because I think a general Government necessary for us, and there is no form of Government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered, and believe farther that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic Government, being incapable of any other. I doubt too whether any other Convention we can obtain, may be able to make a better Constitution. For when you assemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men, all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish views. From such an assembly can a perfect production be expected? It therefore astonishes me, Sir, to find this system approaching so near to perfection as it does; and I think it will astonish our enemies, who are waiting with confidence to hear that our councils are confounded like those of the Builders of Babel; and that our States are on the point of separation, only to meet hereafter for the purpose of cutting one another's throats. Thus I consent, Sir, to this Constitution because I expect no better, and because I am not sure, that it is not the best. The opinions I have had of its errors, I sacrifice to the public good. I have never whispered a syllable of them abroad. Within these walls they were born, and here they shall die. If every one of us in returning to our Constituents were to report the objections he has had to it, and endeavor to gain partizans in support of them, we might prevent its being generally received, and thereby lose all the salutary effects & great advantages resulting naturally in our favor among foreign Nations as well as among ourselves, from our real or apparent unanimity. Much of the strength & efficiency of any Government in procuring and securing happiness to the people, depends, on opinion, on the general opinion of the goodness of the Government, as well as of the wisdom and integrity of its Governors. I hope therefore that for our own sakes as a part of the people, and for the sake of posterity, we shall act heartily and unanimously in recommending this Constitution (if approved by Congress & confirmed by the Conventions) wherever our influence may extend, and turn our future thoughts & endeavors to the means of having it well administred.
On the whole, Sir, I can not help expressing a wish that every member of the Convention who may still have objections to it, would with me, on this occasion doubt a little of his own infallibility, and to make manifest our unanimity, put his name to this instrument.”
What is lost on many in this debate is the reality of the circumstances surrounding the crafting of our federal government. We are unique. There is no other society like us. The best minds of the time, coming from a diverse array of circumstances, bound together by the single necessity of preventing their hard-won freedoms from being lost to the growing anarchy fostered as a result of the limited power of the Articles of Confederation, established a system of government that has become the beacon of freedom to the masses yearning to breathe free from around the globe and throughout history. The living quality of the document has been the true genius of its nature. A brief examination of the history of its amendments leaves no doubt as to the significance of the Constitution’s ability to adapt to the evolution of our political process while simultaneously providing a fixed point of justice for our citizens to be judged.
The United States is a representative democracy, but its system of government is much more complex than that. It is not a simple representative democracy, but a constitutional republic in which majority rule is tempered with a respect for the rights of political minorities. The Constitution of today is far different from the Constitution of 1787, yet it is still the rock upon which our freedoms rest.
Before we get caught up in the false debate over names consider this list and ask yourself, "What is in a name?":
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Islamic Republic of Iran
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
People's Republic of China
Republic of Cuba
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Syrian Arab Republic
Republic of Colombia
Republic of Uganda
Somali Republic
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Republic of Iraq
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Whether to use the label "representative democracy" or "republic" is not what is significant. As bullets fly around Libya and the people of Iran, Egypt, Tunisia, and other nations struggle to obtain what we take for granted; the real name we should all remember is that we are "Americans." We may not agree on the manner in which we believe government should work but surely, we can all agree that the system works as well as those who cast their ballots every single Election Day makes it work.
To deny that fact is to deny what is undeniable. Elections matter and have consequences. Those who win power make policy; at least until they offend enough that the voters replace them with their opponents. At which time, the cycle begins again. God bless the United States of America because until the day we go to meet our Lord, America is the closest to heaven on Earth as man has ever been able to fabricate.
Kevin C Shinn
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Attacks On Teachers and Unions
As a money manager, I'm not very good. Every year, I spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on my students. I buy them meals, shoes, clothes, classroom supplies, and other assorted items as needed. Both of my parents were teachers and I never really considered doing anything else with my life as a career.
The Democratic Party has been asleep at the wheel and Republicans have seized the initiative to swing the pendulem back in favor of the wealthy in this country and strip what little gains working class people have made via the labor union movement in our nation. Unions are being hammered at every level and the average citizen is oblivious to the significant assault this current wave of attacks are going to have on the standard of living for the average American. For years, non-union workers have benefited from the coattails of union members and the rights won for them in hard-fought battles in every field.
The Republican Party continues to reveal itself at every turn as the bastion for the wealthy, the racist, and the anti-intellectuals. They are effectively turning back the clock to the 1920s. The question is whether or not the Democratic Party will regain it's backbone and go to work actively and ferociously defending the rights of the average working class man and woman in this country.
Our future depends upon it.
The Democratic Party has been asleep at the wheel and Republicans have seized the initiative to swing the pendulem back in favor of the wealthy in this country and strip what little gains working class people have made via the labor union movement in our nation. Unions are being hammered at every level and the average citizen is oblivious to the significant assault this current wave of attacks are going to have on the standard of living for the average American. For years, non-union workers have benefited from the coattails of union members and the rights won for them in hard-fought battles in every field.
The Republican Party continues to reveal itself at every turn as the bastion for the wealthy, the racist, and the anti-intellectuals. They are effectively turning back the clock to the 1920s. The question is whether or not the Democratic Party will regain it's backbone and go to work actively and ferociously defending the rights of the average working class man and woman in this country.
Our future depends upon it.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Call For Sanity and a Stop to Religious Zealotry
Glenn Beck is a TV personality who is in pursuit of the almighty dollar. One of the main problems our nation is suffering from is too many people relying on the opinions of people from the entertainment industry. Beck writes specifically to stir people in to actions that will line his pockets with gold and not to solve problems. Shame on those who fall for his silliness.
There is simply no doubting the fact that many of our Founding Fathers had a strong belief in a greater power and prayed for divine guidance. Just as today the overwhelming majority of Americans identify themselves as religious people. According to the United States Census Bureau of the 300 million people in this country, over 228 million identify themselves as being associated with a religion. The largest single religious affiliation is Catholics with just over 57 million adherents followed by Baptists with just over 36 million followers. Methodists/Wesleyans make up over 11 million followers. There are dozens and dozens of different religious groups in our nation and hundreds of variations on each group’s beliefs. Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mennonites, Christian Science, and host of others are collected under the banner of Christianity. Nearly nine million Americans list themselves as something other than being a Christian.
In general, it can easily be claimed that as a nation the majority of our population declare to be Christians but as with most things in life it is when you get to the details that the issues become more difficult. The divide between Catholics and Protestants has been a major split between Europeans since Martin Luther. Look at the split between the second largest groups of Christians the Baptists. Pick any small community, much less larger ones, and if you wait 15 minutes you’ll see another Baptist church spring up somewhere usually after having a falling out among the membership of an existing church. Those who try to stir up our emotions through the use of religion deserve a special place in hell for their deceit and their manipulations which detract from the true meaning of our religious faith. We are all sinners who find salvation through the cherished gift of our savior Jesus the Christ. When we start mixing the earthly realm of men with our spiritual works we are failing horribly as a light on a hill whose mission is to draw the souls of men to the path of our own redemption. How can I convince you that Jesus is our passageway to deliverance if I am condemning you for your political views?
The Founding Fathers had lived under the tyranny of a system built on the belief that God willed some men to be rulers and other to be chattel. Responding to the unjust taxation of a foreign government placed upon them following the French and Indian wars they rebelled against the government because they wished to be heard. No taxation without representation meant exactly what it said. They did not mean no taxation from those who they elected a few months ago and who they would be voting on again shortly. They purposefully created a republic in which there was a careful balance of power between the varying branches so that no central power could rule as a tyranny. BUT, they also did not trust the will of the people who they feared could have their emotions inflamed by charlatans’ like Glenn Beck so they made certain that the Senate, not the House, would be elected by the elites from their states as a way to check the passions of the mob.
We are all Americans who love our country no less than the next. But love of country and the love of our God, however we may define that God, does not mean that we cannot, nor will not have disagreements over political issues. Not all people benefit the same from all proposals. It is that very reality that leads to the failure of communism as a form of government. It is why our Founding Fathers were so brilliant in hindsight. They knew that people will always act out of self-interest and they created a system that worried more about keeping the actions of our elected officials in the open and allowing the people the power to remove corrupt officials as they were discovered.
Looking for proof that our Founding Fathers wanted to establish a theocracy is like looking inside the magician’s hat for the bunny. You may think it is there but upon closer inspection you realize that it was all an illusion.
There is simply no doubting the fact that many of our Founding Fathers had a strong belief in a greater power and prayed for divine guidance. Just as today the overwhelming majority of Americans identify themselves as religious people. According to the United States Census Bureau of the 300 million people in this country, over 228 million identify themselves as being associated with a religion. The largest single religious affiliation is Catholics with just over 57 million adherents followed by Baptists with just over 36 million followers. Methodists/Wesleyans make up over 11 million followers. There are dozens and dozens of different religious groups in our nation and hundreds of variations on each group’s beliefs. Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mennonites, Christian Science, and host of others are collected under the banner of Christianity. Nearly nine million Americans list themselves as something other than being a Christian.
In general, it can easily be claimed that as a nation the majority of our population declare to be Christians but as with most things in life it is when you get to the details that the issues become more difficult. The divide between Catholics and Protestants has been a major split between Europeans since Martin Luther. Look at the split between the second largest groups of Christians the Baptists. Pick any small community, much less larger ones, and if you wait 15 minutes you’ll see another Baptist church spring up somewhere usually after having a falling out among the membership of an existing church. Those who try to stir up our emotions through the use of religion deserve a special place in hell for their deceit and their manipulations which detract from the true meaning of our religious faith. We are all sinners who find salvation through the cherished gift of our savior Jesus the Christ. When we start mixing the earthly realm of men with our spiritual works we are failing horribly as a light on a hill whose mission is to draw the souls of men to the path of our own redemption. How can I convince you that Jesus is our passageway to deliverance if I am condemning you for your political views?
The Founding Fathers had lived under the tyranny of a system built on the belief that God willed some men to be rulers and other to be chattel. Responding to the unjust taxation of a foreign government placed upon them following the French and Indian wars they rebelled against the government because they wished to be heard. No taxation without representation meant exactly what it said. They did not mean no taxation from those who they elected a few months ago and who they would be voting on again shortly. They purposefully created a republic in which there was a careful balance of power between the varying branches so that no central power could rule as a tyranny. BUT, they also did not trust the will of the people who they feared could have their emotions inflamed by charlatans’ like Glenn Beck so they made certain that the Senate, not the House, would be elected by the elites from their states as a way to check the passions of the mob.
We are all Americans who love our country no less than the next. But love of country and the love of our God, however we may define that God, does not mean that we cannot, nor will not have disagreements over political issues. Not all people benefit the same from all proposals. It is that very reality that leads to the failure of communism as a form of government. It is why our Founding Fathers were so brilliant in hindsight. They knew that people will always act out of self-interest and they created a system that worried more about keeping the actions of our elected officials in the open and allowing the people the power to remove corrupt officials as they were discovered.
Looking for proof that our Founding Fathers wanted to establish a theocracy is like looking inside the magician’s hat for the bunny. You may think it is there but upon closer inspection you realize that it was all an illusion.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Relay For Life
May 14 & 15, 2010 will be the Relay for Life in Huntsville. Anyone wishing to participate by putting in a team or assisting with activities will be greatly appreciated. I will be posting more information in the coming months as we develop the plans further.The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.Relay began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Washington, ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay has grown from a single man’s passion to fight cancer into the world’s largest movement to end the disease. Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 20 other countries, gather to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer. Thanks to Relay participants, the American Cancer Society continues to save lives.
Friday, October 9, 2009
The Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama, and Little Men
Frankly, and without surprise from those who know me, I feel the George W. Bush Administration was a disaster for our nation. BUT, following 9/11, I supported his rallying of the nation and the sending of the troops into Afghanistan. I even applauded his defense of Muslims when some wanted to blame all followers of Islam for the cowardly deeds of a few. It is possible to disagree with the policies of a President and not behave like a two year old child who simply adopts an opposite position on everything because they wish to be contrary.
The Nobel Committee has selected the President of the United States as their choice for the Nobel Peace Prize. They have explained that he was selected because of his having changed the tone of the conversation around the world. After having sunk to a low in the public opinion of our fellow nations on the Earth, the election of Barack Obama has once again returned United States to being the # 1 most admired nation in the world. For most Americans, regardless of their political allegiance, this should be a source of pride for our citizens. Unfortunately, the leadership of the Republican Party has allowed their zealotry to blind them to the well-being of the United States. Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Michael Steele are but a few of the GOP hatchet men that relish the fact that the United States did not win the Olympics and now feel the need to attack the Nobel Peace Prize as a meaningless event. The Chairman of the RNC, Michael Steele, sent out this e-mail message in response to the President of the United States receiving the honor.
"Dear Friend,I'm sure you've heard the news -- Barack Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. It's a stunning, if not truly surprising, indication of just how meaningless a once honorable and respected award has become. What has President Obama actually accomplished? It is unfortunate that the president's star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights. Even the normally fawning media have expressed shock at the clearly political and unmerited award. But the Democrats clearly see it differently, with DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse stating "the Republican Party has thrown in its lot with the terrorists -- the Taliban and Hamas this morning -- in criticizing the President for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize."Like most Americans, the DNC can't think of one achievement that the president has accomplished, so they resort to their predictable response and standard playbook of demonizing anyone who disagrees with them. First they call Americans concerned over health care "rabid extremists" and "angry mobs." Now, when challenged to answer the question of what the president has accomplished, Democrats are lashing out calling Republicans terrorists. That type of political rhetoric is shameful. Friend, the Democrats and their international leftist allies want America made subservient to the agenda of global redistribution and control. And truly patriotic Americans like you and our Republican Party are the only thing standing in their way. Help our Party spread the word about the Obama Democrats' dangerous naivete and power grab. Please support GOP elected officials as they work to hold the Democrats accountable to the American people for their failed policies and irresponsible rhetoric by making a contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 to the Republican National Committee today. Your gift will also help support the recruitment and election of principled candidates who will defeat the Democrats in 2009 and 2010 and promote policies that put America first. Sincerely,Michael S. SteeleChairman, Republican National Committee P.S. Friend, President Obama's award of the Nobel Peace Prize puts the cart before the horse. Help us remind the Democrats that trendy slogans and international esteem don't create new jobs for Americans, reduce the national debt, or keep our country safer in a dangerous world by making asecure online contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 to the RNC today. Thank you."
There is no denying, as the Republicans themselves admit that Obama's popularity around the world has significantly improved the perception of the United States around the globe and restored a sense of admiration and respect for our nation among the citizens of the planet. Yet, in a twist of logic that is truly mind-boggling, the leaders of the Republican Party claim that all of this is actually a bad thing for our country and that people need to give them money so they can expose the real Democratic Party as bad for the country.
They have obviously lost their minds? Of all of the things they could be complaining about with regard to the policies of the Democrats and Obama, the fact that our President wins this award is not one of them. It is an honor for our nation and our people. For the Republicans to complain about Obama receiving this honor makes them look petty and cheap and is not worthy of one of the two major parties in the United States of America. It is the kind of response I would expect from a third world petty tyrant angered that he was not in the spotlight. It is time for Michael Steele and the other Republicans to suck it up and behave as if they belonged in the public debate and were not here as a divine act of comedy.
The Nobel Committee has selected the President of the United States as their choice for the Nobel Peace Prize. They have explained that he was selected because of his having changed the tone of the conversation around the world. After having sunk to a low in the public opinion of our fellow nations on the Earth, the election of Barack Obama has once again returned United States to being the # 1 most admired nation in the world. For most Americans, regardless of their political allegiance, this should be a source of pride for our citizens. Unfortunately, the leadership of the Republican Party has allowed their zealotry to blind them to the well-being of the United States. Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Michael Steele are but a few of the GOP hatchet men that relish the fact that the United States did not win the Olympics and now feel the need to attack the Nobel Peace Prize as a meaningless event. The Chairman of the RNC, Michael Steele, sent out this e-mail message in response to the President of the United States receiving the honor.
"Dear Friend,I'm sure you've heard the news -- Barack Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. It's a stunning, if not truly surprising, indication of just how meaningless a once honorable and respected award has become. What has President Obama actually accomplished? It is unfortunate that the president's star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights. Even the normally fawning media have expressed shock at the clearly political and unmerited award. But the Democrats clearly see it differently, with DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse stating "the Republican Party has thrown in its lot with the terrorists -- the Taliban and Hamas this morning -- in criticizing the President for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize."Like most Americans, the DNC can't think of one achievement that the president has accomplished, so they resort to their predictable response and standard playbook of demonizing anyone who disagrees with them. First they call Americans concerned over health care "rabid extremists" and "angry mobs." Now, when challenged to answer the question of what the president has accomplished, Democrats are lashing out calling Republicans terrorists. That type of political rhetoric is shameful. Friend, the Democrats and their international leftist allies want America made subservient to the agenda of global redistribution and control. And truly patriotic Americans like you and our Republican Party are the only thing standing in their way. Help our Party spread the word about the Obama Democrats' dangerous naivete and power grab. Please support GOP elected officials as they work to hold the Democrats accountable to the American people for their failed policies and irresponsible rhetoric by making a contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 to the Republican National Committee today. Your gift will also help support the recruitment and election of principled candidates who will defeat the Democrats in 2009 and 2010 and promote policies that put America first. Sincerely,Michael S. SteeleChairman, Republican National Committee P.S. Friend, President Obama's award of the Nobel Peace Prize puts the cart before the horse. Help us remind the Democrats that trendy slogans and international esteem don't create new jobs for Americans, reduce the national debt, or keep our country safer in a dangerous world by making asecure online contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 to the RNC today. Thank you."
There is no denying, as the Republicans themselves admit that Obama's popularity around the world has significantly improved the perception of the United States around the globe and restored a sense of admiration and respect for our nation among the citizens of the planet. Yet, in a twist of logic that is truly mind-boggling, the leaders of the Republican Party claim that all of this is actually a bad thing for our country and that people need to give them money so they can expose the real Democratic Party as bad for the country.
They have obviously lost their minds? Of all of the things they could be complaining about with regard to the policies of the Democrats and Obama, the fact that our President wins this award is not one of them. It is an honor for our nation and our people. For the Republicans to complain about Obama receiving this honor makes them look petty and cheap and is not worthy of one of the two major parties in the United States of America. It is the kind of response I would expect from a third world petty tyrant angered that he was not in the spotlight. It is time for Michael Steele and the other Republicans to suck it up and behave as if they belonged in the public debate and were not here as a divine act of comedy.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Bettie Page
For many freedom loving Americans, the idea that Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld could truthfully not believe that tactics like water boarding are forms of torture seems to stretch their credibility past the breaking point. However, I'm not so sure that I would be so quick to discount their statements on the issue as self-serving efforts at protecting their historical legacy and an attempt to keep themselves out of jail. To believe them, it is essential to find a context in which their ignoring the obvious is believable. Under what circumstances would any rational human being believe that being strapped to a board and then being systematically drowned, revived, and drowned again repeating the process over and over again is not torture?
It was while watching an old episode of the television show CSI that the answer became glaringly clear. In the show, the lead investigator, Grissom, is enamored by a woman with an outside of the mainstream profession. She was a dominatrix. According to the respected alternative lifestyle website Wikipedia "the stereotypical image of a dominatrix is of a woman wearing a rubber or leather catsuit and thigh-length boots with high heels or, in a more elegant and teasing mode, black lingerie, stockings and high heels, or some combination of these two alternatives. Many professional dominatrices do indeed wear similar outfits for their work in order to meet client expectations. Women who engage in female domination recreationally are known as dommes, dominatrices, mistresses, or simply dominants. A high percentage of dominants are lifestyle dominants, but some simply play the dominatrix role because it is a high-paying profession. It is common for professional dominatrices who are also lifestyle dommes to have both paying clients and a "personal slave or sub" or slaves or subs, who are not paying clients. A personal slave will typically perform a domme's housework and run errands for her. A personal slave may or may not live with his or her domme. Professional dominants most frequently do not engage in sexual contact with their paying customers, as this can be construed as prostitution in some places. A common form of domination involves chastity where a dominant controls her slaves' sexual access, sometimes keeping them locked in a chastity device except for rare occasions." By the end of the episode, all had become clear for me. Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld are obviously devotees of this profession. To them, a little water boarding and electrodes to the genitals would be just another Saturday night on the town.
To further support this position, I did a little research. The most famous Dominatrix was the legendary Bettie Page who was at the peak of her fame in the 1950's. Cheney was born on January 30, 1941 which means that during his teenage years as his sexuality was forming, the dominant Page must have captivated little Dick's imagination and deeply impacted his view of the world. As for Donald Rumsfeld, he was born on July 9, 1932. Mental illness usually becomes more pronounced during an individual's twenty’s which means that during the very time that Don Rumsfeld was struggling to grasp hold of reality, Bettie Page was grasping his manhood and shaping his perspective on the use of power.
So, to those of you who continue to doubt the honesty and integrity of Cheney and Rumsfeld with regard to their defense of torture techniques, I must respectfully disagree with you. I think it is all too apparent that they really are just a couple of screwed up little boys who never grew up. Pity them but don't hate them.
It was while watching an old episode of the television show CSI that the answer became glaringly clear. In the show, the lead investigator, Grissom, is enamored by a woman with an outside of the mainstream profession. She was a dominatrix. According to the respected alternative lifestyle website Wikipedia "the stereotypical image of a dominatrix is of a woman wearing a rubber or leather catsuit and thigh-length boots with high heels or, in a more elegant and teasing mode, black lingerie, stockings and high heels, or some combination of these two alternatives. Many professional dominatrices do indeed wear similar outfits for their work in order to meet client expectations. Women who engage in female domination recreationally are known as dommes, dominatrices, mistresses, or simply dominants. A high percentage of dominants are lifestyle dominants, but some simply play the dominatrix role because it is a high-paying profession. It is common for professional dominatrices who are also lifestyle dommes to have both paying clients and a "personal slave or sub" or slaves or subs, who are not paying clients. A personal slave will typically perform a domme's housework and run errands for her. A personal slave may or may not live with his or her domme. Professional dominants most frequently do not engage in sexual contact with their paying customers, as this can be construed as prostitution in some places. A common form of domination involves chastity where a dominant controls her slaves' sexual access, sometimes keeping them locked in a chastity device except for rare occasions." By the end of the episode, all had become clear for me. Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld are obviously devotees of this profession. To them, a little water boarding and electrodes to the genitals would be just another Saturday night on the town.
To further support this position, I did a little research. The most famous Dominatrix was the legendary Bettie Page who was at the peak of her fame in the 1950's. Cheney was born on January 30, 1941 which means that during his teenage years as his sexuality was forming, the dominant Page must have captivated little Dick's imagination and deeply impacted his view of the world. As for Donald Rumsfeld, he was born on July 9, 1932. Mental illness usually becomes more pronounced during an individual's twenty’s which means that during the very time that Don Rumsfeld was struggling to grasp hold of reality, Bettie Page was grasping his manhood and shaping his perspective on the use of power.
So, to those of you who continue to doubt the honesty and integrity of Cheney and Rumsfeld with regard to their defense of torture techniques, I must respectfully disagree with you. I think it is all too apparent that they really are just a couple of screwed up little boys who never grew up. Pity them but don't hate them.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Cheney, Limbaugh, and the Grinch Who Stole Christmas
God Bless America. There truly is no better place on Earth than the United States of America. The level of freedom that we enjoy is unparalleled to any other country at any other time in history.
Watching the implosion of the Republican Party over the last year has been downright entertaining for me. A good liberal Democrat, I have been forced to endure the silliness and mean-spiritedness of the Far Right for years. To watch them devour each other now is a sign that reinforces my faith in God and all things that are holy.
When historians get around to writing their accounts of this era, few people will be able to rival Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh as the most unprincipled scoundrels in our history. Cheney had earned his berth in this classification early on in his Vice Presidency with his secretive collaboration with the energy industry to financially rape the citizens of the country. But since leaving office, he has managed to plunge himself even lower into the depths of hell with his ridiculous defense of the use of torture by the Bush Administration. In a nation founded upon the principles of human rights and steeped in the tradition of expanding those rights, Cheney’s defense of water-boarding is intolerable. How can we as a nation condemn the evils of those who act against us if we allow ourselves to sink to their levels?
Boss Limbaugh joins his pal Cheney on this descent into darkness more out of his desire for ratings than principle. Cheney truly believes in his view of the world whereas Limbaugh is simply an opportunistic windbag living off of the naivety of his audience. A college dropout, Rush latched onto entertainment as his career option. In recent years, he has made fun of Michael Fox and his struggle with Parkinson’s disease, accused veterans who opposed the war in Iraq as being phony soldiers, and championed the idea that African-Americans are incapable of being effective NFL quarterbacks. If it weren't for his callous disregard for basic human kindness and charity would be tempted to forgive his bloated shenanigans as the mind-numbing ramblings of a drug addict. Unfortunately, his hypocrisy is so blatant; he has earned his rightful place next to Cheney in the basement of history’s pathetic caricatures.
However, there is hope offered to us by the great literary figure of the Grinch. He too had a heart constricted by the coldness of his character. His evil doings were every bit as calculated as those of Limbaugh and as mean-spirited as those of Cheney but he was touched by the compassion of those victimized by his deeds and the love of those he had exploited. So, maybe Cheney and Limbaugh will be redeemed by a higher power and given the chance to refurbish their reputations and right the wrongs they have perpetrated on the citizens of this great country before it is too late. If not, perhaps they will enjoy their place in history with Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, and Benedict Arnold.
Watching the implosion of the Republican Party over the last year has been downright entertaining for me. A good liberal Democrat, I have been forced to endure the silliness and mean-spiritedness of the Far Right for years. To watch them devour each other now is a sign that reinforces my faith in God and all things that are holy.
When historians get around to writing their accounts of this era, few people will be able to rival Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh as the most unprincipled scoundrels in our history. Cheney had earned his berth in this classification early on in his Vice Presidency with his secretive collaboration with the energy industry to financially rape the citizens of the country. But since leaving office, he has managed to plunge himself even lower into the depths of hell with his ridiculous defense of the use of torture by the Bush Administration. In a nation founded upon the principles of human rights and steeped in the tradition of expanding those rights, Cheney’s defense of water-boarding is intolerable. How can we as a nation condemn the evils of those who act against us if we allow ourselves to sink to their levels?
Boss Limbaugh joins his pal Cheney on this descent into darkness more out of his desire for ratings than principle. Cheney truly believes in his view of the world whereas Limbaugh is simply an opportunistic windbag living off of the naivety of his audience. A college dropout, Rush latched onto entertainment as his career option. In recent years, he has made fun of Michael Fox and his struggle with Parkinson’s disease, accused veterans who opposed the war in Iraq as being phony soldiers, and championed the idea that African-Americans are incapable of being effective NFL quarterbacks. If it weren't for his callous disregard for basic human kindness and charity would be tempted to forgive his bloated shenanigans as the mind-numbing ramblings of a drug addict. Unfortunately, his hypocrisy is so blatant; he has earned his rightful place next to Cheney in the basement of history’s pathetic caricatures.
However, there is hope offered to us by the great literary figure of the Grinch. He too had a heart constricted by the coldness of his character. His evil doings were every bit as calculated as those of Limbaugh and as mean-spirited as those of Cheney but he was touched by the compassion of those victimized by his deeds and the love of those he had exploited. So, maybe Cheney and Limbaugh will be redeemed by a higher power and given the chance to refurbish their reputations and right the wrongs they have perpetrated on the citizens of this great country before it is too late. If not, perhaps they will enjoy their place in history with Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, and Benedict Arnold.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)