Comments on: When is McCain going to disown Falwell? http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/ Pat Cunningham offers an unabashedly liberal perspective on national politics. A note of caution: The language gets a litttle salty on some of the sites to which this blog links. So, don't say you weren't warned. By the way, this blog's name is inspired by the Will Rogers quote, "All politics is applesauce." Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:09:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.4 By: redrover http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2192 redrover Sat, 03 May 2008 17:24:28 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2192 Pat (Sir): Even if Kaus and his alter egos were to stop talking, they would never come close to impersonating Harpo Marx. Harpo was mute, but also funny and full of love, sweetness and joy. Kaus and his role models, on the other hand, are scary, and full of intolerance, bitterness and resentments. Despite their unhappiness, they cling to their dysfunctional world views because, well, misery just LOVES company. At least, that's the way I see it. Some years ago, I came across something that, I still think, offers a pretty good explanation of the epidemic of semi-literacy that you referred to. "The organized political, social, and religious associations of our time are at work convincing the individual not to develop his convictions through his own thinking but to assimilate the ideas they present to him. Any man who thinks for himself is to them inconvenient and even ominous. He does not offer sufficient guarantees that he will merge into the organization. [...] Man today is exposed throughout his life to influences that try to rob him of all confidence in his own thinking. He lives in an atmosphere of intellectual dependence, which surrounds him and manifests itself in everything he hears or reads. It is in the people whom he meets every day; it is in the political parties and associations that have claimed him as their own; it pervades all the circumstances of his life. " -- <b>Albert Schweitzer<b>, <i>Out of My Life and Thought<i>, 1931. I heartily recommend reading the entire piece here at: http://www1.chapman.edu/schweitzer/sch.reading3.html . Pat (Sir):

Even if Kaus and his alter egos were to stop talking, they would never come close to impersonating Harpo Marx.

Harpo was mute, but also funny and full of love, sweetness and joy.

Kaus and his role models, on the other hand, are scary, and full of intolerance, bitterness and resentments.

Despite their unhappiness, they cling to their dysfunctional world views because, well, misery just LOVES company.

At least, that’s the way I see it.

Some years ago, I came across something that, I still think, offers a pretty good explanation of the epidemic of semi-literacy that you referred to.

“The organized political, social, and religious associations of our time are at work convincing the individual not to develop his convictions through his own thinking but to assimilate the ideas they present to him. Any man who thinks for himself is to them inconvenient and even ominous. He does not offer sufficient guarantees that he will merge into the organization.

[…]

Man today is exposed throughout his life to influences that try to rob him of all confidence in his own thinking. He lives in an atmosphere of intellectual dependence, which surrounds him and manifests itself in everything he hears or reads. It is in the people whom he meets every day; it is in the political parties and associations that have claimed him as their own; it pervades all the circumstances of his life. ”

– Albert Schweitzer, Out of My Life and Thought, 1931.

I heartily recommend reading the entire piece here at:
http://www1.chapman.edu/schweitzer/sch.reading3.html

.

]]> By: Kaus http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2105 Kaus Thu, 01 May 2008 23:08:55 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2105 Pat, I'm pretty sure you don't want me to go away. In fact, you deliberately post your truthiness just to entice guys like me to say something. I think it is pretty hysterical that you are willing to go all the way to the end with Obama, regardless of what we find next on this guy. Pat, I’m pretty sure you don’t want me to go away. In fact, you deliberately post your truthiness just to entice guys like me to say something. I think it is pretty hysterical that you are willing to go all the way to the end with Obama, regardless of what we find next on this guy.

]]> By: Pat Cunningham http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2101 Pat Cunningham Thu, 01 May 2008 22:38:48 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2101 Rover: Wouldn't it be nice if Kaus were to do an extended impersonation of Harpo? If you catch my drift. Instead, all we get is a hybrid impersonation of Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, G. Gordon Liddy and some of the semi-literate callers I had to endure for three hours the other day on talk radio. Man, am I glad I'm not in that business anymore. In my old age, I don't suffer fools as gladly as I once did. Rover: Wouldn’t it be nice if Kaus were to do an extended impersonation of Harpo? If you catch my drift. Instead, all we get is a hybrid impersonation of Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, G. Gordon Liddy and some of the semi-literate callers I had to endure for three hours the other day on talk radio. Man, am I glad I’m not in that business anymore. In my old age, I don’t suffer fools as gladly as I once did.

]]> By: redrover http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2100 redrover Thu, 01 May 2008 22:30:40 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2100 I must confess that what Kaus has often suggested is all too true: I am a Marxist. And Harpo is my favorite! I must confess that what Kaus has often suggested is all too true:
I am a Marxist.

And Harpo is my favorite!

]]> By: Pat Cunningham http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2088 Pat Cunningham Thu, 01 May 2008 18:19:10 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2088 Your Eastern European ancestors knew absolutely nothing about American politics circa 2008. You don't know much about it either. Your Eastern European ancestors knew absolutely nothing about American politics circa 2008. You don’t know much about it either.

]]> By: Kaus http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2087 Kaus Thu, 01 May 2008 18:03:39 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2087 Pat, if I'm the last man standing, I say "let them eat cake". I have a feeling most of my eastern european ancestors would agree with me. Pat, if I’m the last man standing, I say “let them eat cake”. I have a feeling most of my eastern european ancestors would agree with me.

]]> By: Pat Cunningham http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2082 Pat Cunningham Thu, 01 May 2008 17:33:38 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2082 Kaus: If Obama and the Democratic politicians who generally agree with him on the issues are Marxists, what does that say about the American people, most of whom favor Democrats over Republicans? As I've told you before, Kaus, you're commie-baiting act is soooo 1950s. The only people still riding that hobby-horse are the hopelessly incurable right-wing extremists. Kaus: If Obama and the Democratic politicians who generally agree with him on the issues are Marxists, what does that say about the American people, most of whom favor Democrats over Republicans?
As I’ve told you before, Kaus, you’re commie-baiting act is soooo 1950s. The only people still riding that hobby-horse are the hopelessly incurable right-wing extremists.

]]> By: Kaus http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2080 Kaus Thu, 01 May 2008 17:20:36 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2080 Obama is a marxist Redrover....you should really vote for the guy. Obama is a marxist Redrover….you should really vote for the guy.

]]> By: Kaus http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2072 Kaus Thu, 01 May 2008 16:47:46 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2072 Ah...the race card finally pulled from the deck. Ding ding ding! Ah…the race card finally pulled from the deck. Ding ding ding!

]]> By: redrover http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2065 redrover Thu, 01 May 2008 16:06:58 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/04/30/when-is-mccain-going-to-disown-falwell/#comment-2065 There's something more to this endless Wright-Obama controversy than whether Obama is fatally flawed by his having attended a church run by Rev. Wright and had gotten to know, personally, his pastor, and it's not very pretty. QUESTION: How can the press continually revisit this relationship and its alleged deleterious consequences without questioning McCain's close relationships with religious bigots like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, John C. Hagee, and the various kloset krackpot klansmen at Bob Jones University? ANSWER: Because this is NOT about potential presidents who are associating with clergymen whose views are offensive to most people. It's about, and ONLY about, putting two cheeky, uppity Negroes back in their places. Take a good look at what Wright did as an idealistic young man, despite the disadvantages that he certainly experienced because of his racial background: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Wright#Education_and_military_service Compare that with the (at best non-distinguished) records of the sleazeball, holy-roller bigots and parasites that McCain kisses up to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Falwell#Personal_life http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Robertson#Life_and_career http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hagee#Biography The outrage over Obama and Wright reminds me of the outrage, years ago, over another cheeky Negro, Muhammad Ali. When are we as a nation going to get past this crap? I have no strong feelings for Obama as a politician. He is way too connected with the corporate agenda to suit my tastes. And Rev. Wright is an instrument of a religion, Christianity, that I have no use for. But I resent the way they are both being treated because it is really all about their both being just too damn black to be acceptable to the white racist majority that still rules the roost in this country. There’s something more to this endless Wright-Obama controversy than whether Obama is fatally flawed by his having attended a church run by Rev. Wright and had gotten to know, personally, his pastor, and it’s not very pretty.

QUESTION:

How can the press continually revisit this relationship and its alleged deleterious consequences without questioning McCain’s close relationships with religious bigots like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, John C. Hagee, and the various kloset krackpot klansmen at Bob Jones University?

ANSWER:

Because this is NOT about potential presidents who are associating with clergymen whose views are offensive to most people. It’s about, and ONLY about, putting two cheeky, uppity Negroes back in their places.

Take a good look at what Wright did as an idealistic young man, despite the disadvantages that he certainly experienced because of his racial background:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Wright#Education_and_military_service

Compare that with the (at best non-distinguished) records of the sleazeball, holy-roller bigots and parasites that McCain kisses up to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Falwell#Personal_life
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Robertson#Life_and_career
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hagee#Biography

The outrage over Obama and Wright reminds me of the outrage, years ago, over another cheeky Negro, Muhammad Ali.

When are we as a nation going to get past this crap? I have no strong feelings for Obama as a politician. He is way too connected with the corporate agenda to suit my tastes. And Rev. Wright is an instrument of a religion, Christianity, that I have no use for.

But I resent the way they are both being treated because it is really all about their both being just too damn black to be acceptable to the white racist majority that still rules the roost in this country.

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