Sunday, December 24, 2017

cynicism ascendent


re my last post...a tweet that simply sums it up: "They didn’t save health care for 9 million kids. They didn’t save 800,000 DREAMers from being deported. They didn’t protect us from guns. They didn’t make us safer. They didn’t create any jobs. They didn’t help seniors, students or disabled. Republicans only helped themselves." - Scott Dworkin

And from Trump's own mouth to his rich friends at Mar-A-Lago...”You all just got a lot richer.”

Another 5 minute snippet heard on NPR yesterday about 'doxxing' (making someone's personal and private information public on the internet for the express purpose of intimidation via intense harassment and threats)...the backstory of this woman (whose name I did not get) is that she came out against some injustice naming a guy and putting out on social media his name and the organizations he was connected to, that he was a nazi who organizes for them and if he moves into your neighborhood just know that this is who he is and what he wants to do basically blowing this guy's cover and he moved away and the alt-right gun nut group doxxed her which led to extreme harassment for which she was prepared, she said in the interview, knew it would happen but thought it important for people to know. The interviewer was putting forth the position that men were losing their jobs because of accusations, of being a nazi, of sexual harassment, not proof of wrongdoing, and was a form of 'social justice', akin to vigilanteism, and the opposite of the rule of law which is what we are supposed to abide by. What my little brain was thinking about the interviewer's comment was that if the rule of law was actually doing it's job and protecting people, we wouldn't need social justice. She plans to continue the practice, letting people in communities know who the wolves are among them.

Yes, I know it's Christmas Eve and I should be writing about anticipation and cookies and presents and decorations and trees and food and be all smiley but I don't do Christmas. Not a believer, not in the religious part which is an attempt by one religion to wipe out it's predecessor by keeping the celebration but making it about the new god and not in the cultural part which is a totally manufactured group of 'traditions' loosely based on pre-christian celebrations for the express purpose of parting you from your cash. I suppose it's the same thing as happened before. Pagan god gave way to the christian god and the christian god gave way to the money god.

Well, since the Republicans just made the rich richer and the Christian right supports the Republicans, a worse lot of sinners according to their own theology you won't find, so I'm guessing that the transfer to the new god is near complete judging by the rise of all the born again right wing Prosperity Theology being preached.




8 comments:

  1. The reality of the time we are living in is truly hard. We are surrounded by so much greed, hatefulness and ugliness. But, there are still so many good people who have thought to this point that we have no voice. We do. We can. We will. Be of good cheer. As hard as that is. Goodness is out there, xoxo Oma Linda

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  2. I share your political views but still hope you can enjoy a peaceful and serene holiday. Merry Christmas.

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  3. Ellen, you, like no one else I know, say exactly what I think! Your description of "Christmas" is right on. It is amazing how the stores start putting out all the Christmas stuff in October, if it's that late. I mentioned it to an "associate" at Walmart. She informed me that they were "late".

    So much of it is nothing more than habit-----I guess it might be labeled "tradition". Any underlying
    appreciation for the "reason for the season" seems to me to be long lost. I still shake my head about all the hoopla when a big new church underwent renovations a few years ago, Part of the nightly news was showing off that fantastic building, and being sure everyone knew how many millions of dollars it cost. Apparently god puts lots of stock in how fancy the buildings are?
    Enjoy your peaceful days, All is quiet here, too.

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  4. For a religion that supposedly started when a baby was born in a manger, things sure have changed.
    There will be ham at our celebration. That is one good thing.

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  5. I'm not a believer in the religious sense, but I am a believer -- kind of -- in the social sense. Not in the spend-spend-spend consumerist part, but in the gathering and singing and a modest degree of gift-giving in the darkest days of winter. It IS kind of fun.

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  6. I do christmas because the decorations are pretty and the food is good.
    What ever you are doing tonight and tomorrow, I hope you are warm and well fed and that there is perhaps a martini involved....

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  7. The tweet from Scott pretty well sums it up. Bastards, all of them.

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.