Jesus as Rorschach

The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power by Jeff Sharlet is the kind of page turner that will keep you up at night reading it, and then give you nightmares if you do manage to fall asleep. But it explains so much of the inexplicable that the leaders of our country have done: from arming tyrants and ignoring governments whose people are under assault, to fighting against women's freedom of reproductive choice while refusing to provide health care to all children. Hillary Clinton on the same side as Sam Brownback? Ignoring the Israeli/Palestinian confict even as its leader were attempting to resolve it and asking for our help? And yes, sadly, it explains President Obama's choice of anti-gay rights pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at his Inauguration.



This book tells the history of the path of conservative Christianity to radical right-wing Christianity, and describes how deeply entrenched in our nation's politics is this group. With the philosophy of "Jesus plus Nothing", this group's leaders have sought out world leaders of all faiths, or no faith, and for the price of giving it up for Jesus, brokered deals with the Christian right in our government for money, for power, for support, for arms. What is "Jesus plus Nothing"? Basically, it is Jesus without having to have any knowledge, or even any principles. It is Jesus without the shackles of religious study, Jesus as whoever you want Him to be. The convolutions of thought that allow "Christian" partnerships with tyrants and torturers, and deny aid to the poor and tortured are amazing. And yet, it all makes sense.



Give yourself to Jesus, ask Him for anything, and he will give it to you. Contrariwise, if you are poor, lost your home, your job, a loved one, no need for aid, because you are obviously suffering because it is God's Plan. Why do the wealthy not feel that they should help those who are less fortunate, and why do the less fortunate support the wealthy and powerful?



This chilling eye-opener takes us through the the history of this radical Christian movement, its populist and political branches, and how they both serve the leaders of the movement.



Invasion of the Body Snatchers may have been about communism in the 50's, but today its embodiment is very much the Christian Fundamentalist movement that calls itself "the Family".



So when you finish this book, maybe you should be thankful you can't sleep.

Whatever Happened to the Libraries?

It was a wonderful library, in a state not noted for particularly good government services. It was so wonderful that teachers would supply their students with books from that library that the school budget could not afford.


It's true that their Board of Directors was always struggling to try to find funds to try to raise staff salaries to something that wasn't totally shameful. Maybe the computer services at some of its branches lagged behind the times.


But, oh, you could get pretty much any book you wanted from that library! If it was a new book, they would buy it, and if it wasn't a new book, they would get it from this fabulous network of libraries outside of their own library system.


Then the cutbacks came. First came hiring, because people are always the most expendable part of any business in this country. And the library patrons were nice about it if the subject came up, but many of them basically thought that that just meant the library could get along with more volunteers. You can't blame the public for not having any idea how much very detailed work goes into putting many thousands of books into the community. They have never had to think about the very personal service they receive from this wonderful library.

When that wasn't enough, the book budget was cut. Now a library that could get just about anything in print, has to make more hard choices about what good books to purchase, and what to leave behind. And how many copies of best-sellers and school reading list books and notable books to provide.

Programs were cut, both for children and adult. Libraries have always had to beg for donations for public programming, but now that donors were suffering from a failed economy, donations are fewer. So the library will stretch its programs and be more creative, some of which is good, but with fewer staff it will be an uphill battle.

And then there were charges for things that once were free, like getting books from other far-away libraries. And there were higher fines, and more rules about paying the fines. So (and this is hard for us to believe, but it is true), some people will stop using some of the services, and some people will stop coming to the library altogether. We still think of it as a public library though, because as long as people bring their books back on time and don't ask for special services, it is still free to anyone who lives there.

But then, when that isn't enough, what could happen? The following have happened all over the country, and could eventually happen to that wonderful library:

Hours are cut, some branches closed. Some services are cut out entirely. Still, it's still a free (public) library. Anyone can use it, provided they can get to a branch that's open, when it's open.

All services would carry a charge. That's right, books would be "rented", not borrowed. At which point, it is really no longer a public library. If you can afford it, you can use it.

And that is what some people believe we should do with our libraries after all.

We live in a place where many people believe there should be no free government services. The governor of this poor state believes that the Haves have the wealth because the Lord meant it to be that way, and his priority cutting taxes for big business while selling out the children of the state.

It saddens me to see damage done to this wonderful library. The libraries in this country offer more to its people than any other institution. It is a bargain at any price, and more often than not run on a shoestring. Libraries are for everyone, and should be affordable to everyone. Those who have, need to support their communities, and libraries are the best way to do that. Literacy and creativity versus stagnation and depression, that is the choice.

Beware the Bureaucrats

It's Crunchtime. The pressure is on. We are all working really hard, worried about losing our jobs, proving to anyone out there who is interested that we are really, really needed.

Now that should be a good thing. But Beware of the Bureaucrats.

There are bureaucrats on all levels, and the more levels there are, the stupider your job will become.

Because bureaucrats don't so much need to prove that they are needed, but that they are important. And the actual fact is that, the higher up the bureaucrat tree, the less of importance is actually done.

And, like us folk down below, the bureaucrat is also trying to keep a job.

So when jobs go on the bottom, the people who do the supervising start to do all kinds of self-preservation stuff, stuff that just gets in the way of the rest of us doing our job. But they do it with attitude.

When things are going well, a boss will be happier letting you do your job, but when it's Crunchtime, you will be the one getting crunched. Crunched as in squeezed. New rules. New rules just for the sake of new rules. Just to prove that we need all those bosses. To make the new rules.

How does this happen? Look at the workplace as a series of concentric circles. Now the largest one, believe it or not, is for the biggest bosses. There are only a few, but their word covers a large area. They look down on the next concentric circle, which consists of a few more bosses, that are squeezed by the big guys. Depending on how well established your establishment is, there may be many concentric circles. And in the smallest concentric circles, being looked on and squeezed by all the levels of management circles, are us, the worker bees.

Now I know people think of government when they think of bureaucracy. But it happens in any business larger than one small store with a few employees. Because as soon as you start to add layers of management, you have people whose primary purpose is justifying their existence.

So when things get tough, what do the bosses do?

They have meetings. Lots of meetings. The big bosses talk about what needs to be done way down below, and then meet with the next layer of bosses and tell them what needs to be done, and this proceeds through each smaller (less powerful) circle. And as each less powerful group meets, in order to justify their importance, they will add new rules.

You can't question the boss. If you questioned the boss, you would be implying that you know more than they do. Or that they are wrong. Or, worst of all, that they are superfluous.

They rarely ask for input. If they do, this is to give the impression that they are the kind of managers that listen to their employees, which they don't. But again, it justifies their existence, as it is an excuse for ever more meetings.

Now here's the thing. If you people in the small circle were doing a great job, you can't anymore. Because then there truly would be no need for all those fat paychecks over you. They could leave and you'd still do a good job. So they have to change what you're doing. If you are coming to work early, you can't do that anymore. If you stock your shelves twice a week, you either have to do it three times or once.

And you have to let these bosses know what you are doing, otherwise they can't make new rules, and if they can't make (and monitor) the new rules, they might just as well go home, and save the company a whole lot of money. Which they aren't going to do. So they will micromanage, without ever trying to find out what works, and certainly not what you need. And when things start to go wrong, that will only justify the need for more supervision, and, yes, more rules.

How do you survive? The only possible way to keep your job is to keep your mouth shut and follow the rules. And not do a great job anymore.

So when you look around you at work, at the grocery store, in any of the places you do business, or at any government organization, and you see that things are working worse than ever, thank a bureaucrat.

Greed Is Still Causing the Meltdown

I would like people to stop screaming, "What about me?"



Because basically, all the criticism of the Obama Stimulus Plan boils down to "What about me?" The more-or-less distinguished members of Congress are upset that their wealthy constituents are going to have to sacrifice a house or a jet.



My co-worker wants to know what it's going to do to help her husband get a job, a question which is far more understandable than the jet problem. However, I try to explain that even if he is not trained to operate the heavy machinery that build roads, jobs will spread as more employed people spend money. I truly believe that, even though here in South Carolina we are at about the bottom of the food chain, given time, things will get better, and some day I will get paid holidays and maybe even cost of living increases again.



Just as raising the minimum wage doesn't just raise the wages of the poor, but the wages of the not-quite-poor, who put in long hours at Wal-Mart and, yes, even our libraries. And then they will spend that money (because it is still not enough to have savings), and that will create more jobs.



And the President's plan to help keep homeowners from foreclosure? Please, people, stop whining about how you are a good, honest, hard-working citizen who bought an affordable house and who makes your payments on time. There are a lot of us around who have had hard luck, lost a job, been struck with illness, lost a loved one in Iraq. There are a few of us who are going to get help that they don't deserve, but they are not going to rip off the government and the American people to the same tune that Halliburton and Enron were playing. If you want to go after someone, go after the people in Congress who helped Halliburton gouge the American people.



To those people who get away with a bailout that don't deserve it, I say, shame on you. On the other hand, there have been a lot more who have not deserved the way they were scammed, and I feel good about our government finally stepping up to help.



For those of you that still want to know, "What's in it for me," I can answer that, too.



A neighborhood without foreclosures increases the value of the neighborhood (and lessens the incidence of crime). Children receiving health care are less likely to end up in emergency rooms with severe illnesses (costing the taxpayer far, far less). Better schools will be better for our economy than better prisons (now and in the future).



So if you can't quite get a handle on why it is good to help others, look at how much better it will be for you when our economy is once again strong.

Whatever Happened to K Street?

     I remember how appalled we all were when the K Street scandal came out.  A group of Republican members of Congress and lobbyists plotting to control the government!  What do you think happened to them when deLay and Abramoff were outed?  Do you think they all felt contrite and said, "Well, that was a bad idea," and went about their business of providing sound and ethical government?

How naive we are.  

How odd that not one House Republican thought that the stimulus bill was worth a try.  Not one.  Not one House Republican thought that their constituents might benefit from enough of the bill that it was worth their vote.  Not one thought that the governor of the state which they represent could use the federal funding to improve crumbling schools and bridges, put police back on the job.  How can that be?

They may or may not be meeting on K Street, and deLay may have been replaced by Mitch McConnell, but that old gang hasn't disbanded.

The power brokers of the Republican Party still wield the hammer.  They can woo members of Congress with calls for loyalty, promises that in time they will be back in power, and which side of the fence do you want to be on when that happens?   They can persuade Republicans by reminding them that it was the philosophy of the right that elected them into Congress.

But the Hammer is not wooing and persuasion.  The Hammer is the control that members like Mitch McConnell wield.  A man who has been described as frightening by members of his own party.  He has the power and money of the Republican Party behind him.  Are you planning on running for reelection?  Do you want a lucrative job when your career of public service is over?

No???  Well, then, go ahead and be a free thinker.  Or even worse, a non-partisan member of Congress.

Because if you support the President, and the Democratic Congress, don't look for help and support from your friends in the Republican party.

Now, I'm not saying that's the way it happens, but it explains a lot.

It explains the schizophrenic behavior of Judd Gregg, who, please recall, approached Obama for a cabinet position.  Who then began to set conditions for agreeing to the appointment, like, you must have the governor of New Hampshire agree to appoint a republican to his soon to be vacated Senate seat (I thought the Blagojevich fiasco established that that was a no-no, but maybe that's just for Democrats.).  Who was in such a state of conflict over where his loyalties lie that he did not even cast a vote on the stimulus package.  Was it the taking away of the Census from the Commerce Department, maybe his one big opportunity to prove himself to his party, that pushed him over the edge?

And what about ALL those no votes on the stimulus package?  Coincidence?  I think not.

I can imagine some of the conversations that have been going on in the halls of Congress--more likely behind closed doors.  Do you really think you are serving the Republican Party?  Do you think we can support your bid for reelection?  Isn't your daughter looking for an internship?  What do you plan on doing when you are no longer holding public office?

Now I can be really paranoid about how much of the Gregg fiasco was orchestrated by the right wing-nuts that control the Republican party, all the way from Gregg approaching Obama for a post, but lets just keep our minds open on that one.

But the bottom line of this Republican Party is the same as it has been since the Gingrich House:  we must--we will--stand strong against the Democrats.  We will defeat all opposition, and that includes all who support the enemy.

That, I truly believe, is the bottom line of the Republican Party.  

Trouble with Pork

It's a simple word, but apparently a difficult concept. As I listen to "our" senators, faces livid, describe the horrific items in the proposed stimulus package, I have two thoughts.

On the one hand, as I hear about improvements on stadiums and other items that will no doubt be good for big business but not the schools and libraries so much, I think (to my surprise) that maybe this is the way the Senate is supposed to work, that what looks like partisan argumentativeness (and actually is) also serves to tame wild proposals.

On the other hand this is truly the definitive act of picking nits. And in so doing also taking out the miniscule items that truly make a difference in my life if not yours, Senator. And one item in particular caused me to let out a particularly grand expletive, and I think neatly sums up the self-serving nature of the republican opposition: sidewalks.

Yes, Senator, sidewalks. I am sorry you think this item is so costly and so wasteful. In actual fact, given the state of the planet, our roads, traffic congestion, and the national obesity crisis, it seems one of the most cost effective actions our government could take would be to not just fund sidewalk creation, but also require that all paved roads include sidewalk/bike paths.

So I am glad that we have a bipartisan committee working on a compromise, but I continue to worry that the party of the Big Tax Breaks will continue to cut out those small items that truly will make a difference now (with jobs) and in the future, to our quality of life.

Oh, and Senator Graham, for that crack about how the stimulus package smells: Thanks for that. Your objectivity and diplomacy continue to make us South Carolinians proud.

How Thankful Should We Be?

For those who don't remember, there was a time before Boss's Day, when Labor Day meant something other than sales and a long weekend. Not that we should scoff at the long weekend, when it happens. And especially if you're still paid for it.

So what went wrong? I believe in conspiracies, I do I do. People like Lee Atwater gave us dirty tricks, and we all know how effective advertising can be. And how often do those "talking points" get heard once "they" have decided on them?

Remember when "death tax" was "estate tax"? So if you had an estate, when you died you would share some of it not only with heirs but with others in the country which provided your the opportunity for your wealth. Because keeping the country going was important.

More important than keeping it all after you pass.