Theos-Talk Archives (February 2005 Message tt00073)

> Cass Silva wrote:
>
>Dear Jerry, Leon, Paul and others
> 
>I have been thinking about this issue, again, trying to understand how educated, intelligent people can be manipulated by blind faith and politicians. Although I must admit I thought Bush was doing the right thing in the Middle East by clearing up the muslim fundamentalists. I am now starting to think that he is working towards the same end that they are. World domination in the name of the Lord.
>

Dear Cass,

As far as the religion aspect of American politics goes, this is exactly 
what is going on. The title of our day-long seminar was "When Religion 
Becomes Corrupt." Here we explored the warning signs concerning the rise 
of fundamentalism, not only among Islam, but among Evangelical 
Christians. The American people may be educated and intelligent, but are 
also of the most part, uninformed about current events and don't make 
the effort to inform themselves on this subject. For instance, the last 
poll I heard about showed that 50% of the people still believe that 
Saddam Hussain had something to do with 9/11. While most people support 
Bush's decision to take Hussain out of power, they are completely 
ignorant of our roll in putting him into power in the first place, and 
the political reasons why we no longer needed him, which, by the way, 
has nothing to do with Saddam's crimes against his own people. 

On the economic side of the question, most Europeans understand the 
connection between oil, the Middle East, and American dependence upon 
the same. Yet, most Americans will tell you that any connection between 
American involvement in the Middle East and oil interests is simply a 
"conspiracy theory." Americans are also completely ignorant of the 
corporate profits that are being made from these wars in Afghanistan and 
Iraq, and whose pocketbooks are benefiting from them. All of this 
information is available to anyone who has a basic understanding of 
economics and follows the Wall Street Journal and other major 
newspapers. But since most people work sixteen hours a day in order to 
keep food on the table, who has time to do more than watch a thirty 
minute news program on Fox, or CBS or whatever? Remember, most people do 
not even have cable access, which would at least enable them to view 
more substantive news shows like CNN. Even a smaller percentage of 
people subscribe to or even take the time to read the newspapers.

What is the solution? People have to become aware of the consequences 
of their ignorance, become aware of what is going on, and be guided in 
their poliitical actions by what is best for everyone, and not by what 
they perceive to be personal advantage. The American dollar has fallen 
over 30% since the introduction of the Euro, we are only a few years 
away from a major recession, gasoline will see $4.00 per gallon, and 
most of the economically developed world is losing faith in the American 
Economy. As we begin to reap the consequences of these already 
unleashed forces, a few people might wake up. More likely, most people 
will completely miss the point and blame it all on the Democrats, the 
Arabs, the Terrorists, or whatever other scapegoat becomes in vogue. 

--j



Cass Silva wrote:

>Dear Jerry, Leon, Paul and others
> 
>I have been thinking about this issue, again, trying to understand how educated, intellingent people can be manipulated by blind faith and politicians. Although I must admit I thought Bush was doing the right thing in the Middle East by clearing up the muslim fundamentalists. I am now starting to think that he is working towards the same end that they are. World domination in the name of the Lord.
> 
>To say to a Christian/Muslim that God is above state justifies their religion, justifies their belief in the one true religion, justifies their being right, and justifies their morality to act in the name of the Lord/Allah. The Recreationists have successfully fed honey to the bees.
> 
>The women, and I say the women, are prepared to sacrifice their sons to war in the name of the lord/allah, this happened in Ireland, where the mother's were prepared to allow their husbands, fathers, sons to be sacrificed for/to the cause. Their duty to God was above their duty to their loved ones and their Country. 
> 
>Thank god for the wisdom of the founders of your great country who wrote the Constitution. American people are far more patriotic than the Brits or the Aussies who are basically a sub race of the Brits. Our great grandfathers were aware of British rule and what that meant if you were not part of the upper classes; (or more particularly if you were the lower class) this is reflected in the now Aussie character to live and let live but don't interfere in my bs or in what I believe. Hopefully there is enough of us to prevent christian fundamentalism taking hold over here.
> 
>I was deeply disturbed when I read that Bush said to replace the Constitution with the Bible, if he is verbalising this, then it is only the iceberg on the top that we are seeing, and you can bet your life, there is more going on under the surface in this regard than we can see or are being told about.
> 
>>>From an observer's point of view the American people are amongst the most patriotic in the world (almost comparable to the muslim fundamentalists) but unlike the Muslims you also have very strong beliefs about your constitution (unlike the muslim fundamentalists who use the Koran as a religious excuse for political, moral and cultural exploitation and to justify murder) 
> 
>Rather than appealing to the demise of christian theocracy, a better approach might lie in defending the Constitution and its rightful place in the lives of all american citizens. It was put there to protect all citizens and, as I see it, must be used to defend its integrity and the integrity of the people who live under it. Only when your Constitution is gone or watered down will the apathetic understand what protection it afforded them. Unless a constitutional appeal is made to the apathetic they will continue to live their lives as the seven dwarfs lived theirs, thinking they will be protected from evil by God.
> 
>Cass
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>Jerry Hejka-Ekins <jjhe@charter.net> wrote:
>
>
>Thank you for passing this on. I have been following the religious 
>right movement for about thirty years and became very alarmed as I 
>watched Bush's political agenda began to unfold. Consequently, our 
>organization, Alexandria West, organized a day long seminar on this 
>subject and presented it last fall. Clearly, the Bush agenda is out to 
>destroy the fundamental principle of the separation of church and state 
>so carefully established by our founders. This "Theocracy Watch" video 
>does a great job in documenting how this "Christian Reconstructionism" 
>came about, who are the players in and out of Government, their game 
>plan, how they rally support to their cause, and what bills they are 
>passing through Congress. A supplementary, though not as informative, 
>video is Frontline's "The Jesus Factor." It includes a scene where 
>Bush, while pushing his "faith based" initiative, tells an Evangelical 
>group of his intention to replace the Constitution with the Bible. 
>
>Behind all of this political manipulation is the clever use of rhetoric 
>in order to re-establish modernist values of blind obedience to the 
>political and social hierarchies and destroy the postmodernist advances 
>of the last forty years: i.e. racial equality, women's rights, etc. 
>Unfortunately, those who have been apathetic to politics either through 
>discouragement, or just feel that politics is beneath them, or are in a 
>state of denial and dismiss all of this as "conspiracy theories" part of 
>the problem, because their apathy (and consequential ignorance) are now 
>inadvertently instrumental in enabling the Christian Reconstructionists 
>to turn this country into a theocracy and take away the human rights we 
>have fought so long for. 
>
>For an analysis of the media rhetoric that has made this possible, I 
>recommend these commercially available DVDs: "Manufacturing Consent" and 
>"Distorted Morality" both by Noam Chomsky. Also, the weekly "Now" 
>series, begun by Bill Moyers also analyzes current events in light of 
>media rhetoric and its power to manipulate the public. 
>
>For an eye opening view of the politics of war, and the millions of 
>innocent lives that have been lost because of the American political 
>will to export its ideologies, I recommend "The Fog of War" an interview 
>with Robert S. McNamara, former Secretary of Defense. 
>
>However, the Christian Reconstructionist's agenda is not the only factor 
>that is transforming the political landscape (though this ideological 
>political group has achieved a tremendous amount of power). We also 
>must never forget the old adage: "If you want to know what is really 
>going on, follow the money." The best documentation I know of for this 
>aspect of the problem is Craig Unger's House of Bush, House of Saud: The 
>Secret Relation Between the World's Two Most Powerful Dynasties. The 
>book, among other things, traces the relationship between the Bush and 
>Saud families back to the early 70s, shows the political relationship 
>between these families, their cooperation concerning "Desert Storm" and 
>"Operation Freedom" in Iraq, what American corporations profit from 
>these wars, the relationship between the Saud family and the Bin Ladan 
>family, governmental protection of the Bin Ladan family following 9/11, 
>the financial instruments which moves money and buys political power, 
>documents the transfer of $1.4 billion from the Saud family to the Bush 
>family etc. 
>
>As usual, the situation is too complicated to be effectively 
>communicated through the popular media's sound bites. Also, most 
>so-called "News" shows are more interested in entertaining the public 
>with non issues like the Peterson trial. Major newspapers like the Wall 
>Street Journal, Washington Post, etc. do document what is going on, but 
>relatively few people read them, and even fewer people seem to know how 
>to separate what is important from what is not in these papers.
>
>If you are part of the "working class" in this country, i.e. those who 
>depend upon a salaried job, a retirement program and/or social security, 
>you are the ones who will be most negatively affected by the coming 
>changes, and I strongly recommend that you take the time to wake up and 
>find out what is going on before it is too late. If your are among the 
>professional class, the 25% who earns over $75,000 a year, you are 
>better off for the time being. Those of you who are in the upper four 
>percent: Earn over $350,000 through a family trust, investments etc., 
>the system is protecting you.
>
>For the rest, I would take heed of Joseph Wilson when he says "Be very 
>afraid." 
>
>--j
>
>
>
>
>leonmaurer@aol.com wrote:
>
> 
>
>>I received this from a friend. I'm passing it on since I feel it very 
>>important for all of us to know and understand what is happening that may seriously 
>>effect our lives as well as our individual rights and freedoms. Be aware! 
>>"The price of liberty is eternal vigilence" (Tom Jefferson)
>>
>>
>>In a message dated 01/30/05 7:01:36 PM, CPSkater writes:
>>
>>
>>
>> 
>>
>>>Dear Friends:
>>>
>>>I understand that many of you don't read a lot of what I send, which
>>>is fine. I send articles for information, for people to read or not,
>>>But I beg you to listen to this video, from 'theocracy watch' at
>>>Cornell. It explains what is really happening to us, and why. Please 
>>>listen. And as Joseph Wilson says: "Be very afraid".
>>>
>>>These are not active links..copy and paste into your browsers. Turn
>>>
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>>>on speakers.
>>>>(Real Video)
>>>>http://www.theocracywatch.org/av/video_dominion.ram
>>>>(QuickTime - other Media) 
>>>>http://www.theocracywatch.org/audio-video.htm
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 
>>>>
>http://www.theocracywatch.org/audio-video.htm
>
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