Monthly Archives: September 2012

You Might Be Following A Judas Goat

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At the slaughter house where sheep are processed, there is a goat

The Judas Goat at Work.

known as “The Judas Goat.” The Judas Goat’s job is to lead groups of sheep into the slaughter house where they are killed. Sheep have the peculiar habit of following any member of their herd who seems to know where to go. The Judas Goat is placed within the herd. It grazes with the herd, rubs shoulders with the herd and in all respects acts as though it is one of the herd. It is accepted by the herd. At the appointed time, it leads the herd to the slaughter. To be sure, eventually the Judas Goat will end up on a spit slowly roasting over the fires at a Greek restaurant being carved up for gyros. However, that is small consolation for all the sheep who willingly followed in his treacherous footsteps.

It seems the work of the Judas Goat is so effective it has been adapted to work on people. Just look around. During the last Presidential primaries, when Barack Obama was running against Hillary Clinton, Black pundits began pouring out of the woodwork in support of Hillary Clinton. Tavis Smiley embarrassed himself to the point he has not yet recovered. His purpose? To lead Black voters into the Clinton camp. At a time when all Black people should have rallied around one of their own, suddenly we were inundated with Black leaders – whom we had not elected – filling the airways to share their opinionated wisdom.

The networks dusted off faces I hadn’t seen in years. For a season, diversity was back on our televisions. This time it wasn’t “sit-coms.” Almost any network you watched, you could be sure of seeing several Black faces giving articulate opinions about the day’s events. I found it to be a refreshing change. However, it was not lost on me that over half of my newly discovered brothers and sisters were being used to further an agenda that was not my own. Obama won because of racism. Not the racism of Black people, we only make up 12% of the population. Obama won because of the racism of white people. The Republican war machine was all geared up to face Hillary Clinton. They had attack ads sitting on the shelf ready to go. They just knew Hillary Clinton would be whom they’d be facing in the general election.  After all, what were the odds that a relative unknown – dark horse literally – with a funny sounding name like Barack Hussein Obama would win in the primaries against the Clinton political machine? Did I mention that he’s Black? This is the United States of America founded on a history of Slavery. As far as they were concerned, there wasn’t a chance in the world he could win. They were caught flat footed with their britches around their ankles.

With the election of President Obama, the Republicans decided they needed their own magic Black man. Of course, from their racist perspective, we’re all the same. To this end, they elected Michael Steele and we all know how that’s turned out for them. In two words, NOT WELL! Nevertheless, Michael Steele is a Judas Goat. His primary purpose is to lead Black people away from President Obama. There is nothing in the Republican platform that benefits Black people, other minorities or poor White people. As a matter of fact, if you do not have a net worth of at least 3 million dollars and an income in the high 6 figures, the Republican party doesn’t represent you. But I digress.

Judas Goats are pervasive in our society. Most commercials and ads contain Judas Goats. From the kindly old couple sitting around the table discussing health care myths, to the 3 hicks sitting in a diner sharing their opinions on high level economic issues. They all have one purpose and that is to lead people to vote against their own interests. Judas Goats may even be in your church pulpit.

Knowing how to recognize a Judas Goat is necessary for your survival. It always ends poorly for those who follow Judas Goats. Being informed is of paramount importance. The first thing you need to know is where your best interests lie. I am amazed at how many people have been deceived into supporting Republican tax polices. Most of these people, comparatively speaking, aren’t really paying any taxes. The simple facts are, the poorer you are, the more you tend to rely on the goods and services provided by tax dollars. Poor people are more likely to live in high crime areas. They are more likely to have homes who’s wiring is such that fires are likely. They often drive vehicles that don’t get around well in the snow, so they need their streets plowed. Those who do drive pick-up trucks often live in rural areas where even with 4 wheel drive, plowing the roads is still necessary. The poor quite often have little to no health insurance, so their primary care physician is whomever is the first doctor they see at the emergency room. Yet, because they’ve been duped into following a Judas Goat, you see them at “Tea Party” rallies railing against the very policies designed to benefit them the most. It would be hilarious if it weren’t so tragic.

When it comes to the church, particularly in the Black community, you have multi-million dollar edifices built and sustained by congregations who’s median incomes are barely above the poverty level. If you’re in a church and you know members in good standing who’s homes have been foreclosed on, and the church didn’t come to their aid, you’re probably following a Judas Goat. If your pastor lives in another county from the church because that is where the high dollar real estate is, you’re probably following a Judas Goat. If on Sunday morning, you can pick out the pastor’s car not just because of the monogrammed parking spot, but because it is the most expensive car on the lot, you’re probably following a Judas Goat. If in order for you to be a member or your church, you have to submit copies of your W-2 form, you’re following a Judas Goat. If the deacons, trustees, elders and auxiliary heads of your church also happen to be the most financially successful members of the church, you’re following a Judas Goat. If your pastor has to have an entourage of “armor bearers” doing everything from carrying his /her brief case to helping them dress, you’re following a Judas Goat. If you’ve been contributing to the building fund for the past 10 years and the church hasn’t built a thing, you’re following a Judas Goat. It might be time for you to come up out of the slaughter house.

God gave you a brain and the gift of reason. Don’t insult God by not using your gifts. Don’t just ask yourself what would Jesus do? Ask yourself, what would LOVE DO! The Bible says, “your bodies are the temple of God.” It also says that God does not dwell in temples made by men’s hands. The church was intended to be God’s store house for the benefit of the people in their time of need. It was never intended to be the private game preserve of a pastor or his ministerial staff. The trouble is, most ministries benefit the pastor and the church more than they benefit the community.

I have an acquaintance whom prior to the crash of he housing market, was making in excess of 300 thousand dollars a year. He was a devoted and faithful member at his church. He was a devout tither. This of course put him in line to be an official at his church. For over 5 years he tithed in excess of 30 thousand a year. This doesn’t include offerings and other monetary contributions. When the housing market crashed, he lost everything. He was married with two small children. The bank repossessed his Mercedes and his BMW. He needed 5 thousand dollars to save his home. He went to his pastor and explained the situation to him. He told him of his need. He had no one else to turn to. All he needed was 5 thousand dollars. This was the same church that over the course of the previous 5 years he’d given over 150 thousand dollars. What do you think the pastor did? The pastor told him that he would pray with he and his wife that God would deliver them. They lost their home. He had to move in with his mother-in-law. Because of he stress on the marriage he wound up getting divorced. Do you think he’d been following a Judas Goat? Well, he certainly got slaughtered.

Wherefore Art Thou, Mitt Romney?

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92 Year Old World War II Veteran, Ralph Maxwell Reads a Poem He Wrote for Mitt Romney. (text of the poem is below the video)

WHEREFORE ART THOU, MITT ROMNEY?

By Ralph Maxwell

O, Romney-O, Romney-O, Wherefore art thou, Mitt Romney?
You flip-flop here, you flip-flop there,
You flip-flop almost ev’rywhere.
You ballyhoo what you’re gonna do
And then you pull a switcheroo;
You now malign what you found fine;
Seems like you’ve got a jellyfish spine.
Obamacare, by you begun,
Now you’d trash it on day one.
Gun control you did extol,
But now you’re preaching decontrol.

O, Romney-O, Romney-O, Wherefore art thou, Mitt Romney?
We’ve got no clue what you will do
Or what new view you’ll pander to.
Time was you championed women’s choice,
But you no longer heed their voice;
On gay rights, too, guess you withdrew
Support they once enjoyed from you.
Global warming, EPA,
Immigration, minimum pay,
Roe V. Wade, also fair trade,
All joined your flip-flop cavalcade.

O, Romney-O, Romney-O Wherefore art thou, Mitt Romney?
So many things that you were for
You’ve turned against and slammed the door.
Stimulus and cap and trade,
Education, foreign aid,
Campaign reform, tarp rescues, too,
All victims of your switcheroo.
You take your stand on shifting sand,
We never know where you will land;
You vacillate, and you fabricate,
A wishy-washy candidate.

O, Romney-O, Romney-O, Wherefore art thou Mitt Romney?
As gov’nor you let taxes rise,
Now ev’ry tax you demonize.
You say regardless of the facts
You’d take an axe to the millionaire’s tax;
You’d feed the greed of the richest few
The poor and middle class you’d screw.
Your tax returns you hide from view
What evil lurks there we’ve no clue;
If they’re not bad why hesitate?
Is it that they incriminate?

O, Romney-O, Romney-O, Wherefore art thou Mitt Romney?
At Bain you plundered with a flair
And walked away a zillionaire.
You shipped off-shore, good jobs galore
To China, India, Singapore;
A job creator you are not.
And to boast you are is tommyrot.
As a total fraud, Mitt’s got no peer;
What we must do is crystal clear:
Let’s give Obama four more years!
Yes, it’s Obama – four more years!
FOUR MORE YEARS!
FOUR MORE YEARS!
FOUR MORE YEARS!

Originally posted to hungrycoyote on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 12:44 PM PDT.
Also republished by Indigo Kalliope.

Found on “The Daily Kos.”

The Arrogance of being President while being Black

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This was forwarded to me by my sister. After reading it, I thought this an appropriate forum to share this in. Like the person who first began forwarding this, it speaks the sentiments of my heart as well. Since the author is unknown, feel free to share it if you agree.

 

I don’t think anyone was under some real illusion that the election of Barack Obama actually means the end of racism in America . I’m pretty sure that the president-elect knew it better than anyone. After all, he saw it every day, from the moment he announced his candidacy. To some degree, he saw it within his own party during the primaries. And he saw it in all ugliness during the general election. For half of this country, he was “That One”. No matter how big and clear his victory was. No matter how smart he is. No matter how decent he is. No matter what a true patriot he is. No matter how optimistic and positive his vision for America was. All that didn’t matter. Because at the end of the day, he was still black.

I’m quite old. I remember, vaguely, where my parents were on November 22, 1963. I’ve seen so many presidents. Some were feared, some were hated, some were adored, some popular and some not. But all of them, without exception, were treated with the highest respect deserving the office of the president of the United States .

That is until a black man won the right to occupy this office. It’s been 13 months now, and in the eyes of so many, Barack Obama is still that one. He is being disrespected and at the same time being held to the highest standard of any president I’ve ever seen – and not just by the Republican side! He has to perform three times better than any president in history, and even that may not be enough.

For the media, he is many more times just “Obama” than “President Obama”. They create scandals out of nothing issues. It took them at least 6 years to start giving Bush a small part of the shit he deserved. It took them 6 months to begin crap all over Obama because he’s yet to fix the catastrophe that was left for him.

They use condescending tones when they talk about him, and only mildly less condescending when they talk TO him. With anyone else, CNN wouldn’t dare go to commercials every time the president speaks, like they did during that summit on Thursday. They wouldn’t dare be counting how many minutes George Bush or Bill Clinton were talking. Chris Mathews wouldn’t dare make an issue out of Ronald Regan calling members of congress by their first name, like he is not actually the president. They fully cooperate with the Right-Wing smear machine when it comes to president Obama’s national security performance – even if almost every independent and military expert actually thinks that he’s a terrific Commander-in-Chief. You’ll never see them on TV, and virtually no one from the Left, in congress and outside, defend the president on this matter.

I don’t care about the Far-Right. They’re just crazy ignorant Neanderthals. It’s the way the beltway and the mainstream treats this president that is shocking. On Thursday, almost every Republican had no trouble interrupting him in the middle of a sentence. They looked like they’re going to vomit every time they had to say “Mr. president”. They all had this Eric-Cantor-Smirk whenever he spoke. Then they went out and started to spit their stupid talking points, to the delight of the media. Sarah Palin, a woman who can hardly read, thinks that he was “arrogant” towards John McCain, and somehow this is an important news. Because you see, “Obama’s Arrogance” is the talking point of the day.

Oh, those talking points. He is arrogant (because he knows the facts better than all of them combined). He is an elitist (because he uses big words that they don’t understand). He is weak on national security (because he actually thinks about the consequences). He divides the country (well, he did that the day he had the audacity to win the election). Worst of all, he actually thinks that he’s the president. He even dared to say so on Thursday. How arrogant of him. You’d think that previous presidents didn’t have any ego. Somehow it turned out that the one president who treats even his biggest opponents with the utmost respect – is the arrogant one. I wonder why?

I expected that his winning the Presidency would bring out some ugliness, but it’s been far worse than I imagined. The racism coming from the Right is obviously clear and shameless, but there’s also some hidden and maybe subconscious and disturbing underline tone behind some of the things that I read here and throughout the Left blogosphere, even before the end of Obama’s first year – ‘He’s weak, he’s spineless, he’s got no balls, primary him in 2012’. It’ll be dishonest to deny that.

The fact is that for millions in America , Barack Obama is this uppity black man (Not even a “real” black), who received good education only due to affirmative action, and has no right to litter the sacred Oval Office with his skin color. They just can’t accept the fact that the president is a black man, who unlike his predecessor, was actually legally elected. But what’s really sad is that it’s not just the fringe, its deep deep in mainstream America .

Barack Obama’s ability to remain above all this slob, to keep his optimism and his strange and mostly unjustified faith in people, while continuing to gracefully deal with an endless shitstorm – is one of the most inspiring displays of human quality I have ever seen. And I can only hope that the Cosmos is on his side because God is and He never makes a mistake.

Sometimes, they make me feel ashamed to be a white man!!

 

Founding Fathers?

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Founding Fathers

The “Founding Fathers” have pretty much gained “rock star” popularity these days. One might believe them to be the patron saints of the Republican party and authors of the conservative movement considering the frequency with which they’re invoked at their events. Misrepresented and misquoted it’s no wonder they’re deified. We’ve lost all perspective on whom they really were.

Perhaps a bit of a refresher is in order?

Thomas Jefferson – He was the only president who could read and understand Newton’s “Principia.”

Benjamin Franklin – He is credited with developing the science of electricity.

John Adams – He had the finest education that this new country could provide. Including “Pnewmaticks, Hydrostaticks, Mechanicks, Staticks, Opticks.”

James Madison – Chief Architect of the Constitution, peppered his “Federalist Papers” with references to physics, chemistry and the life sciences.

Most of these men spoke multiple languages. They were learned men who valued education and philosophy. They were well read and well traveled. They were not religious although they were comfortable with there being an architect to the Universe.

They were human beings who suffered from all the foibles humans do. Some owned slaves, some had extra-marital affairs. They drank, smoked marijuana – hemp – committed fornication and adultery and in their spare time, forged a nation that had the foundation to become truly great.

They valued education. Not just institutionalized education, but an education that comes from research and experimentation. An education that came from travel and experience. They were the experts in mathematics, science and philosophy of their times. They were not only literate, they were effective orators and communicators.

As I look around at the Republican field, I simply cannot imagine the “Founding Fathers” giving any of these yahoos the time of day! Can you even name a Republican who could sit at the table with the Founding Fathers and hold an intelligent conversation? I cannot. Our President could.

Truth be told, if I were to get on an ocean liner and discover that any one of the current field of Republican candidates was the captain of the ship, I’d have to disembark immediately! I distinctly recall what happened to the Titanic. It had a good captain. However, the business interests involved, designer of the ship, head of the White Star Lines, overruled the advice of the captain and insisted on recklessly going for a record breaking Atlantic transit. We know how that turned out.

What’s good for business, isn’t necessarily good for the customers/passengers trapped on the ship. A record breaking transit would have been great for business. If you have the fastest ship, you can command higher rates. If you have the fastest ship, you’re going to corner the shipping market. There was nothing wrong with their goals and objectives from a business perspective. Their greed for profits caused them to lose sight of risks, what was best for the passengers and ignore the advice of an experienced captain. We all paid dearly for their greed.

Today we are all like passengers on a ship. Who’s running the ship matters. Who is at the helm, matters! When my life is on the line – and all our lives are – I want the people in charge to be experts. I want them to be well read. I want them to be masters of navigation. I want them to know the waters. I want them to be able to chart a course through treacherous waters.

Invoking the “Founding Fathers” is nice. However, if you’re not even close to being in the same class with them, it’s only a rhetorical flourish. The Founding Fathers were not just about the right to bear arms or make a profit or protecting business’ right to rape the resources of this nation. They were PROGRESSIVES. They were not conservatives. They were about building infrastructure. They were about education. They were not against taxes. they were against taxation *without* representation! They were not about suppressing the vote. They were about expanding the vote.

If the Founding Fathers were here today, they’d be insulted every time they were invoked by the current Republican party. When the Republican party takes steps to suppress a certain demographic from voting, note, they are not trying to stop that same demographic from paying taxes. They want them to pay their taxes. Vote? Not so much. This is the very definition of taxation without representation.

Where the Founding Fathers were trying to build up a nation and make it stronger, the Republican party is in bed with and having a jolly good time with corporations that are moving jobs out of this country. Where the Founding Fathers were men who valued education, the Republican party is doing everything they can to cut funding for education.

Let me take a look at your budget and I’ll tell you what you value. When I see you pouring money into our military industrial complex… even to the point of funding projects the Pentagon says it neither needs nor wants, it is clear you value war. When you cut the programs that support and care for our troops, it is clear that you do not value them or their service and view them as disposable, replaceable slaves who’s only purpose is to generate a profit.

It is a fact that a person with a college education makes significantly more money over the course of their lifetime and career. This means they pay more in taxes. The quickest way to generate revenue would be to make it as easy as possible for everybody to obtain a college degree.

The Founding Fathers knew that the true resources and wealth of this nation are the minds of it’s people. The Republicans have no concept of this. Where innovation is absent, stagnation occurs. Stagnation leads to death. It always has. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs created new technologies. They were able to do this because they were well educated. Steve Jobs is dead. Bill Gates has retired. Who is out there to fill their shoes? Who is out their to create the next new technology? As education is cut, that pool of potential recedes and dries up.

The corporations of today may not be the corporations of tomorrow. The industries of today were inconceivable two hundred years ago. It’s called “progress.” Sometimes the pursuit of progress is incompatible with profits. Where is the profit for an individual corporation in building a bridge across the Mississippi? Yet, once that bridge is built, trade can increase and profits follow. Somebody has to build that bridge. Where is the profit for a corporation in building a community? Yet, once that community is built, they have a ready workforce.

Moving jobs overseas may increase a corporations profitability in the short term, but who is going to buy their products in the long term? They have forgotten the philosophy of one of our first modern industrialists, Henry Ford. Henry Ford said, he wanted to keep the price of his Ford automobiles at a level where the people who manufactured them could afford to buy them. You can have your automobiles manufactured by someone in China who’s only making $2 an hour. However, try and sell your vehicle to those people. They will not be able to afford them. Once you’ve destroyed the economic market here, your corporation will fold.

The Founding Fathers were for what is best for this nation. Yes, they valued personal freedoms. However, they understood that personal freedoms were necessary to make this nation as strong as possible. The focus was always on nation building. It never was their intent that this nation become a series of waring enclaves where the haves and have-nots fought one another for survival. It was never their intent that this nation be controlled or run by religion. Freedom of religion also means freedom from religion. They wanted people to be free to practice their religion as they choose, but they never intended for people to force their religious beliefs onto others. This nation was founded by people fleeing religious tyranny.

With all their flaws, many of which had their basis in the times in which they lived, the philosophies of the Founding Fathers, those things which they valued, would be a breath of fresh air today. To my Republican friends, don’t invoke the Founding Fathers when you don’t know them.

The Hijacking of Jesus

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The story I’m about to tell you is absolutely true. It has always been known by an inner circle of powerful people and generally kept from the masses. The reality is, this truth has been hiding in plain site for well over 2,000 years. The truth can be a very dangerous thing. That is why it is most often guarded by a battalion of lies. Most of you have never heard this. Most of you will refuse to believe it. Some will do the research merely looking for a way to refute this truth. The thing about truth is, whether you believe it or not, once you’re exposed to it, it changes you. If you are unable to handle truth, stop reading now. If on the other hand you want to know, I have a story to tell you.

This story begins with a very famous Greek who conquered the then known world. His name was Alexander of Macedon. He is better known from history as Alexander the Great. While this story begins with him, it is not about him. The story is actually about one of his generals by the name of Ptolemy. Alexander practiced a form of conquest that was focused more on acquisition than destruction. What he did after he conquered a land, was install a governor, make those people a part of his empire and of course, tax them. The Romans learned from and followed Alexander’s example.

It should come as no surprise, after conquering Egypt, Alexander installed a governor and moved on. The governor that Alexander installed, was one of his favorite generals a man by the name of Ptolemy. It is important to note, that at that time – circa 300 BC – the only Europeans were either Greek or Roman. This is important to note because it means that the people who lived in Egypt, the Egyptians were Black Africans. All the great pyramids had already been built. All the great temples, the Sphinx all the wonders in Egypt had already been built before any Europeans stumbled into the Nile Valley. In point of fact, Egypt had already reached the pinnacle of it’s civilization and was in decline. This is important to note because many modern revisionist historians refuse to recognize the accomplishments of the Africans. The Jews have tried to take credit in their mythologies, but as usual get their stories wrong. A trip to Egypt and a simple inspection will prove that nothing from that period was built out of mud bricks made with straw. The Egyptians built in stone. And of course, now there is the “Alien Connection.” Some are saying that ancient visitors from outer space came down and did all the construction. It seems anything is more believable than Africans having built and left such a legacy. But I digress.

Ptolemy had a problem. In order to rule Egypt, he had to become Pharaoh of Egypt. The Pharaoh was considered to be a living god. Sure, you could try and rule by force alone. However, a culture as mature and developed as the Egyptians would be very difficult to rule by force of arms. If you think about it, our modern army the most modern and powerful fighting force yet to exist on this planet, has been unable to pacify the primitive nation of Afghanistan. You reach a point, where military might will not take you to the resolution you desire. What Ptolemy needed was to find someone to make him a god. Egypt was full of various religious denominations however the only group that would agree to his demands were the Coptic priests. In order to rule, Ptolemy had to become the supreme god, over and above all other Egyptian gods. The Coptics had just the ticket. They combined the essence of Osiris with Apis the bull and created a god called Serapis.

This new god was supreme and over all other gods. It possessed the form of a man and was depicted with an overflowing cup upon his head. Often around his head were depicted sprouting branches. Serapis gave life by pouring his essence or anointing from the cup that sat atop his head. This anointing was called the Christos. The priesthood who served Serapis became known as the Bishops of the Christos or Bishops of Christ.

“A correspondence of Emperor Hadrian refers to Alexandrian worshipers of Serapis calling themselves ‘Bishops of Christ’:

‘Egypt, which you commended to me, my dearest Servianus, I have found to be wholly fickle and inconsistent, and continually wafted about by every breath of fame. The worshipers of Serapis (here) are called Christians, and those who are devoted to the god Serapis (I find), call themselves Bishops of Christ.’

–Hadrian to Servianus, 134A.D. (Quoted by Giles, ii p86)”

Historical Context.

You are no doubt familiar with a rather famous Egyptian Queen by the name of Cleopatra. What most people do not know is that there were several Queens named Cleopatra. In point of fact, the one we’re going to focus on is the one who was married to Julius Caesar and then later to Marc Antony. She was Cleopatra VII. She was the several generations – nearly 300 years – a great granddaughter of Ptolemy Soter. (The study of salvation through Jesus is called soteriology) Following the death of Julius Caesar, Marc Antony and Octavian went to war for control of the Roman Empire. We’ve all seen the story of Cleopatra committing suicide by embracing the poisonous asps. The dreams of the star crossed lovers ended when Marc Antony was defeated and killed by Octavian making Octavian sole emperor of Rome. What most people do not know is that upon becoming emperor, Octavian took on the name Augustus. Yes, the same Caesar Augustus that figures so prominently in the Christmas story.

It is important to have some historical context when placing events and understanding their meanings. This is the time into which Jesus was born. Rome was consolidating it’s power under Augustus. Because of this instability some of the nations under the control of Rome began testing Rome’s resolve. Why did the Angels sing “Peace on Earth?” Because there wasn’t any. The Jewish people were looking for a messiah that would liberate them from Roman rule.

We all are familiar with the story of Jesus. He travels, preaches, develops a following and is crucified. His followers carry on his mission. At that time, being a follower of Jesus was not a spectators sport. Being a follower of Jesus could get you killed. The Romans would kill you for being a member of a group that wanted to overthrow of Rome. The orthodox Jews didn’t like you because you were antagonistic to their authority and control. They considered you to be heretics. This presented a problem for the early followers of Jesus which can be seen from the archaeological record. The followers of Jesus built hidden and concealed gathering places to worship. They used coded symbols, most prominently the symbol of a fish. Notice I have not referred to the followers of Jesus as “Christians.” The reason is quite simple. They didn’t refer to themselves as Christians.

Christians 2.0

In spite of persecution, the message carried by the followers of Jesus seemed to flourish. The truth of his teachings seemed to strike a chord in the hearts of the people who heard them. The Jesus movement grew. Although there is some historical evidence for followers of Jesus being crucified, used for entertainment and sport in the Roman arenas and Colosseum, in spite of this, the movement continued to grow. It grew to the point that it attracted the attention of the mother of a Roman general named Constantine. Her name was Helena. Helena was not one to go halfway. She dived into the story of Jesus and his followers as avidly as some await the next installment of Harry Potter or the Twilight series. She went to the “Holy Lands” and basically asked anyone she met, where some pivotal event occurred. Where was Jesus born? There was no way to know whether or not the person she was asking actually had any idea. Nevertheless, whatever she was told, she placed an imperial marker and that place became the official site. Churches were built wherever these markers were placed and they have become the official sites that people go to and revere today.

Now we come to the matter of what you believe. If you believe that there has been an evil force – Satan – out to destroy the followers of Jesus, what do you think it has been doing? At first the plan seemed to have been to scatter the followers of Jesus. That didn’t work because wherever they went, they took his teachings with them and the message spread. Oppression simply wasn’t effective. The more oppressed, the more the movement grew. A change in strategy was in order. If you can’t beat them, join them. There is a saying that goes, “if we can name it we can tame it.” The first thing done was to give the followers of Jesus a name. They were called Christians. It was a nice fit. The iconography was already there. The budding branches around the head of Serapis morphed into a crown of thorns. The cup atop the head of Serapis became a halo. The image of Jesus became one and the same as that of Serapis.

Of course the message changed. Jesus said to Roman soldiers who asked what they needed to do to gain eternal life, “do violence to no man.” Constantine, claimed – like Paul – to have had a vision. His vision was of a cross floating in the sky. A voice spoke to him telling him to go and conquer under this sign. The story goes, that Constantine won his battle and Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Constantine thought that having a universal religion would help to unite the Empire. To this end, Constantine decided to build 50 churches across his empire. He wanted a Bible to go in each of his churches thus, documentation had to be gathered, vetted and created. To this end, in 325 AD Constantine convened the first Nicaean Council.

Nicaean Council 325 AD

This is where it all began. Christian apologist take the position that this council merely met to produce a clear and comprehensive statement on the tenets of the Christian faith. However, common sense proves this not to be the case. First, Nice is in what is modern day Turkey. 300 Bishops from all around the empire were called to attend. Travel at that time was an arduous proposition. Further you can tell from the agenda of the meeting that these issues had hardly been decided or accepted by all. The first item on the agenda was the Arian controversy. Arius, who was from Alexandria Egypt, taught that Jesus was the creation of God. He was God’s most perfect creation but he was not God. He was the perfect son of God.

Why is this significant? Remember where the Christos was created? That’s right, in Egypt by the Coptic priests. Arius knew and was quite familiar with the story. He knew that the Christos was a created being. The other problem this controversy exposes is, in order for their to be any dispute, the Gospel of John 10:30 could not have been in existence. That verse reads, “I and my father are one.” After uttering this, the Jews took up rocks to stone Jesus. Thus, if that gospel existed prior to the Nicaean Council and the events recorded therein are factual, there could have been no dispute regarding the true nature of Jesus. Thus, there is evidence that the Gospel of John did not exist prior to 325 AD. If it did, the members of the Council seemed unfamiliar with it.

It was at this council that Jesus officially became Christ. His deity was ratified by what has become known as the Nicaean Creed:

“We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,eternally begotten of the Father,God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.”

The important point here is the fact, anytime you have to call everyone together to hammer out a statement of position, there had to have been some dispute. Clearly by the time of the Nicaean Council, the chain of custody of the message of Jesus had long been broken. While some would argue that this was a symptom of success, the practical reality was, this council was beginning the process of creating the message of Jesus. How do we know this? Because following the canonization of the texts put together by Eusebius of Caesarea the book burning began. The newly formed church began gathering up all other manuscripts and burning them. This is why the “Dead Sea Scrolls” were sealed in clay jars and buried in caves. All other documents, some giving an entirely different take on the story of Jesus had to go.

Biblical apologist will defend this indefensible action by claiming that these other documents were heretical. That is an easy charge to make in their absence. If you murder all the witnesses, your account is all that is left. Nevertheless, some documents did escape the purge. Biblical apologist will try and point to the similarities in the canonized texts in an attempt to prove the validity of their texts, but they ignore the differences. You cannot have it both ways. It amazes me that people are so ready to place their faith and ultimately their hope for eternal salvation in the hands of men they did not know, who had agendas and beliefs of which they are unaware who were under the control, direction and guidance of a pagan emperor who was not even baptized until he was on his deathbed.

How do we know that the original texts were edited, altered and added to? One of the most glaring examples of this can be found in the Gospel of Mark. The earliest manuscripts found all end at Mark 16:8. Some of your better study Bibles have a footnote stating something to the effect that other manuscripts of Mark have a different ending. The seminal question is whom wrote verses 9 – 20? Even the earliest manuscripts were approximately 200 years after Mark would have been dead. There are other problems with the Gospel of Mark. Whom ever wrote it obviously was not familiar with the geography of Galilee. Mark 7:31 has Jesus by passing the “Sea of Galilee” on his way to the “Sea of Galilee.” This is a mistake that Mark would not have made. It would be like my saying, “I sailed down the Mississippi River and into the “Grand Canyon.” Huh??? Anyone with a smattering of North American Geography knows that the Mississippi River goes nowhere near the Grand Canyon.

Here is another problem that a true witness to the life of Jesus would not have made. Ask any “Christian” how long Jesus was in the grave and you’ll get the answer, 3 days and 3 nights. Why is this? They’re quoting from Matthew 12:40 where Jesus reportedly says, “as Jonas was in the belly of the whale for 3 days and 3 nights, so shall the Son of Man be 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the Earth.” Yet, we have Jesus crucified on “Good Friday” and resurrected on “Easter Sunday Morning.” You do the math.

Yet another problem is, IF the Gospel of John existed and was known prior to the Nicaean Councils, it would have rendered half the agenda for the first council moot. Most of the first council was taken up by a debate over the nature of Jesus. Was he God? Was he Son? Was he the Logos – Word?” What does the very first chapter of the Gospel of John declare?

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  

2 The same was in the beginning with God.  

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.  

6 ¶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.  

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.  

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.  

15 ¶John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.  

16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.  

17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.  

18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

All that would have been needed would have been for anyone one of those 300 Bishops to take the floor and read those 18 verses. End of debate. Yet, at nowhere in the records of those councils do you have any such exchange or even an exchange containing the ideas expressed within those 18 verses. Why? You have two explanations. The first is, that Gospel had yet to be forge… WRITTEN! The second is equally as disturbing, all those would be journeymen, running around with the title of Bishop – note this was before there was an actual office of a Bishop – were not even aware of the rudimentary of documents or sacred writings of their faith. Why is this so important? The Bible that you read today and call “Holy” was put together by these men.

People do things for a reason. Those reasons are more profound usually when there is money involved or political gain to be had. Constantine was a pagan Sun worshiper. The “Cross” is a pagan Sun sign. The horizontal beam represents the Sun’s transit from East to West across the sky. The vertical beam represents the Sun’s rays coming down to touch the Earth. No follower of Jesus would ever sanctify the instrument of his execution. In point of fact, the symbol used by the early followers of Jesus was that of a fish. Do you think it a coincidence that Constantine, an avowed pagan Sun worshiper would just so happen pick a pagan Sun sign – the Cross – as the new emblem for the religion he was creating? Of course not. Why is it so important that Jesus be in the grave for 3 days and nights? If he was dead for one hour and resurrected, wouldn’t that be just as significant? Would his having only spent 1 day dead and in a grave have accomplished the same thing? Yet, hammered into all “true believers” is this notion of 3 days and 3 nights. Is there another reason for this?

As it turns out, there actually is! All Sun gods have these same attributes. They all are surrounded by 12 helpers. They all give life and perform miracles. They are all enemies of the Dark. They all fall and die for 3 days and 3 nights. They all are resurrected and are seen by all in the sky. Here are some more points:

  • The sun dies for three days on December 22nd, the winter solstice, when it stops in travels southward, to be born again (resurrected) on December 25th, when it continues its progress north.
  • In various areas, the calendar originally began in the constellation of Virgo and the sun would consequently be perceived as being born of a ‘virgin’.
  • The sun is of course the ‘Light of the World.’
  • The sun ‘cometh on clouds and every eye shall see him.’
  • The sun rising in the morning is the ‘Saviour of mankind.’
  • The sun wears a corona, crown of thorns or ‘circle of light’ (halo).
  • The sun is seen to ‘walk on water.’
  • The sun’s follower’s helpers (disciples) are the 12 months and the 12 signs of the zodiac or constellations, through which the sun has to pass.
  • The sun at 12 noon is in the house/temple of the ‘Most High,’ consequently ‘he’ begins ‘his Father’s work’ at the age of 12.
  • The sun enters each sign of the zodiac at 30°; hence, the ‘Sun of God’ begins his ministry at the age of 30.
  • The sun is hung on a cross (crucified) which represents its passing through the equinoxes, the spring/vernal equinox being Easter, at which time it is then reborn.

From the stories of Isis, Osiris and Horus, to Mithra, to Krishna to Jesus, all these Sun gods have similar characteristics. Consider all the effort Constantine’s mother – Helena – put into identifying and verifying the stories of Jesus. Wouldn’t it have been odd for her not to ask about various important dates? The stories of the nativity of Jesus describe shepherds in the fields watching over their flocks at night. Consider, that area of the world is in the northern hemisphere. If Jesus were actually born in December, or for that matter, anytime during the winter months, flocks wouldn’t be grazing and shepherds would not have been in the fields. So we know there was a reason why Jesus’ birth was set on December 25th although he clearly wasn’t born around that date.

With the death of Judas, the Apostles numbered 11. In the first chapter of the book of Acts, the Apostles for some reason, seemed to feel that they needed to replace Judas and return their number to 12. Why? However, more importantly, why isn’t this mentioned in any of the Gospels? Jesus had multitudes following him. Clearly by the very presence and the statements made, Matthias and Barsabas had been followers of Jesus from the beginning. Read that again. They had been followers from the beginning. So, from the written account, Jesus had more than 12 Disciples. In fact, we have no idea how many Disciples Jesus had. So why the emphasis on only 12? Why was it necessary to return the number to 12 following the departure of Judas? Was this written in by design? Someone’s design?

Enter Saul:

Paul was simply the Greek name for Saul. In keeping with the sun god theme. You have the Sun and His 12 helpers. We encode this into your 12 month calendar year. We have the 12 signs of he zodiac. We have the 12 Disciples/Apostles, plus Jesus, makes 13. With the addition of Paul to this pantheon, we’re back at 13. Now we come to the question of what you truly believe. If you truly believe that the followers of Jesus were under Satanic attack, do you believe that Satan, probably the second most intelligent being in existence simply sat on his figurative hands? Remember, when he first made his appearance in the Garden of Eden story, he was described as being an extremely subtle entity. If you wanted to utterly destroy the Jesus movement, would it be best to do it from the inside? Or would it be best to do it from the outside?

Remember that Paul was a contemporary of Jesus. IF Jesus had wanted Paul as a follower, do you think Jesus could have found him and called him to discipleship? Of course he could have. Yet he did not. Jesus gave the “Keys” to Peter. Yet, Paul is credited with writing most of your “New Testament.” Why? It is Paul who sets in place the doctrine and dogma of the Christian Church. It is Paul who clearly changes the focus and in some cases the actual message of Jesus. Consider how salvation is wrought. Here is a classic example. In Luke 18:18 a “Certain Ruler” comes to Jesus and asks him what he must do to inherit eternal life. What does Jesus tell him? Jesus tells him first to keep all the Commandments. The Ruler says he has done so from his youth. Jesus then tells him there is only one more thing he needs to do, sell all that he has, distribute it to the poor and follow Jesus. The story records that the Ruler went away sorrowful. Why? Because he was very rich.

What does Paul have to say about salvation? In Ephesians 2:8, Paul says that ye are saved by grace, through faith, not of works. If the Rich ruler had simply waited until he met Paul, he could have kept all he had and had eternal life too. Both Paul and Jesus cannot be correct if they’re saying different things. The question is, whom are you going to believe? Whom are you going to follow? How could Paul be a true Apostle and teach a message different from Jesus? Again, your answers are in plain sight if you know where to look. Since Paul was not chosen by Jesus and sort of showed up claiming to be not only a follower but an Apostle, it is instructive to examine his credentials.

What do we know about Paul? We know that his original mission was to destroy the followers of Jesus and to extinguish the Jesus movement. Surprisingly, Paul claims to have had a meeting with Jesus which converted him. Could this possibly have happened? Anything is possible. However, since we already know that Paul’s mission was to destroy, perhaps it might be prudent to examine his testimony carefully. There are three accounts of Paul’s conversion experience. Not surprisingly, none of them agree. You can read them for yourself here:

  • Acts 9:1-12
  • Acts 22:6-12
  • Acts 26:12-18

Pay careful attention to the reactions of those with him who would have been his only witnesses. In the first recounting of his conversion experience, those who were with him, all stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no man. In the second telling of his conversion experience, the witnesses, saw a light, but heard no man. In the third and final rendition of his conversion experience, the witnesses all fall down and we don’t know if they saw or heard anything. It would seem to me that if Jesus appeared to you in person, at the very least, you’d be able to tell a consistent account of the event. Of course if you were making he whole thing up, you would probably tailor your account to fit your target audience.

In point of fact, Paul has a habit of not getting his story straight. Consider the accounts of his “Great Escape.” You may recall this story from Sunday School. It seems to be a favorite. It is the account of Paul escaping capture by being let down over a wall in a basket by a rope. It could almost be out of a James Bond movie. The only thing better would have been a story of him rappelling down the wall in three controlled leaps. You can read both accounts here:

  • Acts 9:23-25
  • II Cor. 11:32-33

In the first account, we are told that the Jews took council to kill Paul. In the second account we learn that it was a civil matter. The governor wanted to arrest him. Was the story altered to fit Paul’s target audience? If so, that would be what we call a LIE. Surprisingly enough, Paul admits to lying and is not ashamed about it.

II Cor. 12:16

“But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.”

Rom. 3:7

“For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?”

As it turns out, Paul did not deceive the true followers of Jesus. Read what God says about Paul in Revelations 2:1-2.

“1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;  

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:”

Who claimed to be the Apostle to the Ephesian Church? Paul. In point of fact, you don’t have anyone other than Paul pushing his Apostleship on people. The true Apostles didn’t need to. The followers of Jesus were quite familiar with whom they were. Only Paul runs around declaring himself to be an Apostle. In Revelations 2, God is commending the Ephesian Church for rejecting Paul. Some Bible apologist will try and claim that this passage refers to some other persons unknown who were claiming to be Apostles. The trouble is, in none of the writings left to us, do we have any mention from any writers, including Paul, specifically addressing false Apostles.

The second point is, that the Ephesian Church rejected Paul. If there is any doubt, Paul himself in his letter to Timothy complains that “all Asia has rejected him.” (II Tim. 1:15)

Coming Full Circle

When you know where to look, the evidence of what was done becomes clear. Constantine was a Pagan Sun worshiper right up until he was baptized on his death bed. On his shield were inscribed the words, “Sol Invictus” which translates to, “The Conquering Sun.” Serapis was substituted for Jesus complete with the ready made iconography. When you close your eyes and picture Jesus, you are picturing the face of Serapis a man made created god. The attributes of Serapis are those of any one of a number of Sun gods. From the date of his birth to the story of his death and resurrection.

Your most Holy Book, the Bible, was edited, altered, massaged and created to comply with and enforce this myth. The documents of the early followers of Jesus were carefully selected for their ability to be edited to conform with this myth. Those that were deemed unusable were destroyed in a massive book burning campaign. What remains today is fruit from the poisonous tree. Yet, even with all that has been done to destroy the message, you can still find it’s essence in the simple passages.

Jesus said, there were only two commandments: Love God and Love your neighbor. When Jesus left, he promised to send a Comforter in His name that would lead and guide you into all truth. He didn’t promise to send you a Bible, a Pastor or a Preacher. When the Disciples entered the empty tomb, they did not find a copy of the “King James Version of the Bible” sitting atop a neatly folded “Shroud of Turin.” God wants a personal relationship with you. Not a relationship by proxy. Jesus’ mission was not to reinvent the Levitical Priesthood. He did not come to build a church of brick and mortar. He did not come to create a system that could be co-opted by power hungry men seeking to bleed the people of their resources.  It is time to wake up, grow up and get up. Read your Bible if you must, but know that the words contained therein, are not now, nor have they ever been “The Word of God.” The “Word of God is Jesus.” He’s not in a book. He resides in hearts. If you want to hear the “Word of God,” get quiet and listen.

Oh yeah, do take those crosses from around your necks. Jesus really finds those offensive. That picture that goes with this note? That’s a bust of Serapis. It’s not Jesus. Jesus would be the SON of God, not the Sun of God.

The End of America?

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Empires won by conquest have always fallen either by revolt within or by defeat by a rival. __John Boyd Orr

by Benjamin T. Moore, Jr.

236 years ago this nation was formed. It was an experiment in a blended form of government heretofore unknown in recorded human history. There had been democracies as far back as the Grecian empire. There had also been republics. The “Roman Empire” was such. However, there had not really been a form of government that combined the two and wrapped them with the strict set of rules today we refer to as our Constitution.

A lot of thought went into constructing our Constitutional Republic. The problem with a Republic is, you’ve merely distributed the power of a King amongst wealthy plutocrats. Although a plutocracy may engage in enlightened debate marked by continuous disagreement, you could always be certain they would all agree on what was in their own best interest. Thus whatever decisions they would come to would always be those decisions that maintained their power, often at the expense of what was best for the masses of people they ruled over.

How about a Democracy? A Democracy is good as long as you’re a member of whichever group is in the majority. The “Founding Fathers” remembered the religious persecution that caused immigrants to flee Europe, risk a long, arduous and dangerous ocean voyage for the mere chance at a better life in a wilderness land.

A democratically elected, constitutional republic seemed to be the best of both worlds. No Kings to establish dynasties. The efficiency of a Republic. The fairness of a Democracy bound by the protections of a Constitution which placed strict limits on governmental powers. In truth, with only a few hiccups along the way, we’ve done pretty well.

The problem with any system is always the human element. No matter how noble the intent, over time corrupting influences will emerge to alter and wrest that original intent for selfish purpose. You need but examine any institution that has been around for any period of time to see it’s evolution into decay. One of the best examples of this are religious institutions. Once they existed to better the human condition. Now they are little more than profit driven silos of power. They’ve gone from amassing fortunes to seeking to wield political power. “Separation of Church and Sate” be damned!

Our educational institutions have also fallen to corruption. It used to be a diploma from certain institutions actually meant something. Attending those institutions taught you how to think. Now you’re taught what to think. Instead of turning out men and women equipped to invent the future, they now turn out cookie cutter drones good for nothing better than working in a corporate hive. Should any one of them actually invent something, it becomes the property of the corporation. Thus, invention is suppressed. The progress of humanity is impeded because control and profit have become more important than progress and advancement.

The primary instrument of our demise has been economic greed. We have allowed ourselves to be deluded into believing that economic systems have some moral attributions exceeding the effectiveness of their applicable functionalities. There is nothing inherently good or evil in Capitalism, Communism or Socialism. These are merely economic philosophies. These are tools used to provide a monetary system for the benefit of the societies that use them.

Ask the average American and they’ll tell you that Capitalism is good and Communism is evil. What’s worse, they will irrationally attach the attribution of evil to any society using Communism as their monetary system. Those with a smattering of historical knowledge may point to various war atrocities which occurred under some regime using Communism. If you ask them to explain exactly what Communism is, you’ll usually find their silence deafening. Ironically they seem to forget that Nazi Germany was not Communist.

Whenever you see such irrationality surrounding what is actually a neutral economic philosophy, one must ask whom is promoting these feelings? Whom continues to stoke these fires? To what end? Communism is not a form of government. Yes, I know that dictionaries will say that it is. However, if you compare the definitions of Communism and Socialism you’ll see they are actually identical. The differences are really in the terms used to describe the governmental agency used to control the distribution of the common wealth.

Capitalism is defined as the wealth being owned and controlled by private agencies and individuals. In practice however, we have corporations who’s wealth exceeds the economies of small nations. Their boards of directors are in effect governments who hoard the wealth for those at the top and exploit the workers at the bottom.

The only reason Capitalism continues to exist is, those in power have been successful – they should be, lord knows they spend enough money on propaganda – in convincing the masses that they might one day earn a seat at the table. This is exploiting the same mentality that causes people to buy lottery tickets every week.

How is Capitalism working out for us? Let’s look at a few examples. I remember when “broad band” Internet access first became available in my area. I have been “on-line” since the early 90’s. When I first got on-line, there was Compuserve and AOL. The Internet existed but was primarily the province of research institutions and the government. Everybody else used an interconnecting series of Computer Bulletin Boards known as BBS. These bulletin board services would exchange packets of mail once or twice a day using telephone land-lines and a modem through a series of “nodes” known as “Fidonet.”

You could only communicate instantly with other users in your community who happened to be on the same “Bulletin Board” as you were, at the same time. When “Broad Band” came to my area it was provided by a company called, “@Home.” The speeds were blindingly fast. Actually faster than what they are today. They had partnered with local Cable Television providers to bring their service into our homes. The rates were attractively inexpensive and I was so impressed, I couldn’t have been happier than a fat man at a free smorgasbord! Unfortunately, my joy was to be short lived.

Comcast – may their villainous tribe decrease – began buying stock in @Home. They bought enough stock such that they were able to control the direction of the company through their votes on the board. They actually voted down decisions that would have made @Home more profitable and voted into place policies that crippled @Home and eventually led to it’s demise. Once it was weak enough, Comcast made them an offer they could no longer afford to refuse and bought them out. Like a “Trojan Horse” they infiltrated @Home, poisoned them and took them over.

In rapid succession I received two notices. The first informing me that Comcast had acquired @Home and my billing would now be coming from them. The second informing me that the speed of my connection was being cut in half. Note, my bill wasn’t decreasing to reflect this diminution in service. I would continue to pay the same price but I would be receiving less. How do you like them apples?!?

Had @Home asked me, I might have warned them about what was coming. I had an interesting experience with Comcast a few years earlier. This was back when Cable was only 40 or so channels and nobody had conceived of HDTV. Our Cable bill had started out around $25 per month. We looked up one day and it had crept up to $60 a month. We hadn’t added anything, however – as I’m sure everyone who is a Comcast customer knows – Comcast had been adding in little hidden charges and hidden fees, minor price increases the results of which were, one fine day, my wife and I said enough and decided to look for other options. Because of “franchising agreements” with the City, Time-Warner couldn’t compete in Comcast’s area – outside 465 – and Comcast couldn’t provide service in Time-Warner’s area – inside 465. So much for competition benefiting the consumer.

At that time, there was a company providing Satellite TV service known as “PrimeStar.” Some of you may recall them? I opened my “Yellow Pages,” located their number and gave them a call. How bad could it be? The lady that answered the phone said, “PrimeStar, how may I help you?” I told her briefly what my issues were. I vented a little about my disgust with Comcast, then she said something that simply stunned me! She said, “well let me look at your service and see what I can do.” What? The Hell you say??? “Oh, PrimeStar contracted with Comcast to do their installations. From what I’m looking at, you’re entitled to some promotions and new pricing plans that should drastically cut your bill…. yes, we can get your bill back down to $30 dollars.”

Needless to say, PrimeStar is no longer in existence. That’s Capitalism you say? Shrewd business practices in a competitive market? Perhaps, but what about all the employees of @Home and PrimeStar who lost their jobs, their health insurance and a substantial portion of their pensions… if they were able to negotiate any of their pension funds? Collateral damage? Perhaps…

Because what we have are in essence monopolies working in collusion, there are very few companies providing Internet service to the citizens of this country. Unless these companies can rape… er, I mean, make the profit margins they wish, there are many rural communities who do not have broad band internet service. Did you know that our Internet speeds in the United States are 5 to 6 times slower than many places in Europe? France immediately comes to mind. Yes, some of it has to do with fiber-optic lines, but much of it is due to throttling that goes on at the Cable Companies. Why? Because for a few dollars more, they will sell you a tiered service with much faster speeds. Almost as fast or perhaps even a little bit faster than what @Home was bringing us for less than half the cost… and this was before fiber-optic lines!

I Will Never Buy an Apple Product Again!

One of the reasons I originally went with Microsoft for my computer system, had a lot to do with Apple blocking and prohibiting access to many features allowing users to tweak their operating system. You could only use Apple monitors, printers and their own peripherals. Thus, if Okidata had a printer that did what you wanted for half the cost of the Apple offering, you were shucks out of luck! They did get me on their iPhone however. Primarily because at that time, it was really the only “SmartPhone” available that made the Internet truly usable on a cellphone.

I was elated when I first got it. I set up my e-mail accounts, began saving my “favorites” in the web browser and I began taking pictures. It was then I noticed a problem. The first iPhone would not take videos. Really??? For those of you who do not know, the same lens that will take a “still picture” will take a video with equal ease. It is simply a matter of software. In point of fact, an entire underground counter-culture industry has sprung up “jail-breaking” iPhones. There was a 3rd party application that could turn the “still-camera” in the first iPhones into video cameras. So, why didn’t Apple think to make the camera on their well thought out iPhone a video camera? Because three months later, there were suckers waiting in line over night to get the next version of their iPhone for a slightly higher price. Of course it came with video capability.

They were gouging their customers by the incremental release of technologies they already had sitting on their shelves. Rather than produce the best product they were capable of, and then bettering themselves on their next big “reveal,” they chose instead to sell a substandard product and turn an extra dollar from a gullible, naive public. Capitalism? Shrewd business marketing? To be sure. However, it is also a hidden redistribution of wealth from people with way too little of it to people with way too much of it. Why do I say this? When you’re not getting what you’re paying for? You’re being ripped off. The difference in features between the iPhone I purchased and the new one that came out 3 months later, were not sufficient to justify the cost of an entirely new phone. I gladly would have paid $50 to $60 extra for the features which probably cost less than $10 to include. Paying $199 for a brand new phone, is a scam.

In 2005 we built a brand new 6,400 sq ft. home. We built it out of brick and spared no expense within our financial means at that time. We took our time and carefully selected the very best appliances available to our knowledge at that time. No, we didn’t buy Viking for our kitchen. We don’t have it like that… but we didn’t short change our appliances either. Our home has two high efficiency furnaces, one for the downstairs and one for the upstairs. We also have two hot water heaters. We selected A.O. Smith “Power Shots” because they had a good name. Since 2006 – when we took possession of our home – I’m on my 3rd water heater. Why? Yes, we have well water. However, we have a high end whole house filter as well as a water softener which we maintain.

What goes out on the water heater? The “thermo-coupler.” This is the control module which by the way, never comes into contact with the water. A.O. Smith has replaced at least 4 of them under warranty. They’re about $350 each. However, the warranty does not cover the labor involved to swap them out. Each time the plumber comes out, it costs $170. Growing up, we had water heaters that worked flawlessly and lasted 15 – 20 years. How can this be? Did they suddenly forget how to build reliable water heaters? Of course not! There is more money involved in fixing, repairing and supplying parts than there is in actually building and selling a solid product. This is why cars are stolen. Your car is worth over 3 times what you paid for it in parts. I’ve actually considered buying a brand new car and making a deal with someone to simply take it apart piece by piece and sell the parts on eBay. I’d make enough to pay the car off and buy another one free and clear. Yes it would take time and be a hassle, but the reason this is even possible is because the automotive industry, years ago figured out they’d make more money from people trading in their cars every 3 or so years and buying new ones.

It wasn’t enough changing the styles. The consumer needed a little extra incentive so they built them to start wearing out after 3 years. The backlash was, people began buying foreign cars. This is why German, Japanese, Korean, British cars and others are being sold here today. People simply got tired of being nickel and dimed repairing or replacing their cars every 3 years. Detroit left an opening that foreign companies rushed into fill. Capitalism? To be sure. However, the upshot was/is that American dollars have been flowing into the coffers of business and governments that are not truly Capitalist. If you worship at the shrine of Capitalism, why are you funding the governments of countries that practice Socialism and in some cases Communism?

Bottom line? The pursuit of profit under the aegis of Capitalism has caused the American consumer to fund and pay for the resources of nations who seek our demise. Who cares? So long as somebody makes a profit right?

Corporate Parasites – It Cost More To Live When You’re Poor

Businesses and Corporations actually budget, counting on your late fees. What’s worse, they now employ strategies to maximize these fees. Case in point. Like you, I have several Credit Cards. “BankAmericard” is one. “DiscoverCard” is another. I single these two out because of a particularly nasty little trick they tried to play. Like many people, we use “Quicken” to manage our finances. We have Quicken set to remind us when some payments are due and to actually pay others. One of these credit cards was due on the 1st of the month, the other was due on the 15th of the month. For several years, all was good. Every bill was automatically paid on time. No late fees. No issues.

Then one month, we got a notice of a late payment fee. When we looked into it, we discovered that “BankAmericard” had unilaterally changed the payment due date to 5 days ahead of schedule. This caused us a late payment fee. Because we paid as scheduled, we were not 30 days late and it did not impact our credit score. Not a problem, we simply went into Quicken and adjusted the payment trigger to the new date. A few months later, we got another notice of late payment. This was from “DiscoverCard.” They had done the exact same thing. Over the next 6 months, both “BankAmericard and DiscoverCard” did the exact same thing… AGAIN!

What made this possible? Banking deregulation! After President Obama’s administration put regulations back in place, this became illegal. My wife who works in the Banking Industry knows the law. When they tried it again, she called them up and cited the law which says they cannot arbitrarily change payment due dates. Here’s the tip off. The person who answered the phone acknowledged this law and apologized and set the dates back to what they were originally.

 Have they stopped this practice? Of course not. If you are not aware of the changes in the law, it’s business as usual. Look at it this way. Suppose you were caught shoplifting a few steaks to feed your family. You get caught by store security as you’re about to exit the store. Would you be allowed to say, “Oh, my bad! I’ll put them back. No harm, no foul?” Of course not. You’re going to be charged. Yet, these large corporations are in essence shoplifting from the pockets of their customers. If you don’t call them on it, they get away clean. If you do catch them they simply stop. They do not refund all the fees from the times they robbed your previously. That’s just water under the bridge.

Most people get paid around the 1st and or the 15th of the month. Thus, it would make sense for your payments to be scheduled around those dates. This would also work for people who are paid weekly. When companies structure their payment due dates away from these times there is a reason. That reason is it maximizes the probability of late fees. If everybody paid their bills on time, these companies would take a hit to their revenue streams.

Socializing Cost While Privatizing Profits

There is an excellent book by David Cay Johnston called “The Fine Print: How Big Companies Use ‘Plain English’ to Rob You Blind.” How does your State or City attract a new manufacturing plant or a Sports Team? They offer the inducement of tax incentives. They’ll build the stadium or they’ll give them an abatement in State taxes to build their plant. When this happens, who is actually paying for this? The money isn’t coming out of thin air. You the taxpayer is footing the bill. When a corporation is given tax abatements to build that new manufacturing plant, yes they’re bringing jobs to your community. However, not only are they not going to have to pay State taxes – the taxes that build and maintain the infrastructure they’re going to be using – oft times they will not have to pay State taxes on their employees. They will still collect – take those taxes out of the pay checks of their employees – but they will pocket that money.

This is money that will not go to schools, fire and police departments, first responders, teachers, road maintenance and all the things that make our communities the places we like to live. Nobody asks the question, “how many jobs would a corporation have to provide before the benefits they provide would justify the costs to the taxpayers?” Politicians won’t ask because the photo-op of them cutting the tape for the opening of a new plant is good for votes.

The Oil Industry is the most profitable industry on the planet. Yet, we subsidize them each year to the tune of billions of dollars. Why? The problem is simple. Corporations have bought our elections and they’ve bought our elected officials. They are using the money they’re plucking from your pockets, your pension funds and your children’s college funds to build the prison they’re confining you in. You are paying for your own enslavement.

Blood Money

Whenever you hear the President or some other political leader use the phrase, “protecting American Interests,” you need to understand what they’re saying. They’re rarely if ever talking about what is in the best interest of you and your family. They’re talking about the interests of one or more corporations. We have sacrificed our treasure and paid in blood to protect the profit stream of corporations.

World War II ended in 1945, yet we still have military bases and a military presence all over Europe. Why? Radical Islamic terrorist don’t hate us for our freedom as one nit wit American President proclaimed. They hate us because our corporations are exploiting their nations, people and resources. Why do we care who is in power in a particular region? We care because we want to deal with governments favorable to our economic interests. What economic interests does the United States have in these regions? None! We do not collect taxes from those populations. It is our corporations that want to either do business there, build a pipeline across their country or use their people as cheap labor in conditions and at wages that would be against the law here.

You cannot buy cigarettes in the United States until you turn 21. You cannot market cigarettes to children. However, those laws are not present in other countries and our Tobacco Companies do a bang up business in these other countries around the world. If you’ve been on-line for any length of time, you’ve no doubt seen pictures of young children smoking. As these 3rd world nations become more modern and realize the harm being done to their children, when they connect the dots of early cancer deaths to our Tobacco Companies, how do you think they’re going to feel about the United States?

There is a multi-national corporation I am aware of that has 250 thousand employees world wide. A year or so ago, when they passed out bonuses it was discovered that 10% – the upper management – received 90% of the money. The CEO received $5 million in cash and $25 million in stock. He catches the “5 O’clock” elevator at the end of each day. He flies around on a corporate jet. The employees that make this possible, work 14 and 16 hour days. Do you see anything wrong with this? Do you think this CEO would do his job for say… his current salary plus only a $15 million bonus? $10 million? $1 million?

Tell me again why we need to cut taxes for people like this? By the way, why was his bonus structured such that he got $25 million in stock? Stock is only taxed at 13%. What tax rate are you paying? How much is enough money? How many billions do you have to have before you can say, you’ve got enough? Do you realize if you have $1 million dollars and you invest it conservatively, you will make between $80 to $90 thousand a year in interest? You won’t have to touch your principal if you can live off of $80 thousand a year. Now multiply this by the multiple – hundreds – millions some people have. Remember, these people are taxed at only 13% so no matter what happens, they’re fortunes will continue to grow.

I have nothing against this. However, if we must make a choice as to what is best for our Nation and the communities in which we live and the opportunity we’d like to pass on to our children, we need to make some changes. We are allowing this nation to be destroyed through the greed of the few at the top. When you buy a government, you get the people for free. The purpose of the government is to serve the people and provide for the common good. No Mitt, Corporations are not people! What’s best for a corporation is not necessarily best for the people. What is best for the executive management of a corporation is not necessarily best or fair for the employees that make their success possible.

Our infrastructure is crumbling. We’re fighting wars that really are not in our interest. Our educational system is failing. We’re ranked 25th in math, 17th in science and 14th in reading. This should chill your soul. The only true resource on this planet is the human resource. Problems are solved through ingenuity. Our children not only are our future, they will invent our future. If they’re not equipped to compete successfully, our future will be dim indeed.

What threatens our nation is not in the mountains in Afghanistan. It is not in the deserts of Iraq or Iran. It is not Russia, China or the monetary systems they choose to use. What threatens our nation is right here sitting around tables in corporate boardrooms.

That Painful Diploma From Screw-U

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MY THREE PROFESSORS FROM “SCREW U”
by Benjamin T. Moore, Jr.

Yes, I got my Ph.D negotiating those hallowed halls.

Professor #1

He tells you up front, he’s out to take your money, then proceeds to come after you for all he’s worth.

Professor #2

He tells you he’s not out to get your money. Matter of fact, he’s got plenty of his own and hasn’t given your paltry funds a second thought. Problem? He really is after your money and he comes after you even faster than Professor #1.

Professor #3

He sincerely believes he is not out to get your money. However, due to circumstances completely beyond his control… He winds up coming after your money just like professors 1 & 2.

(Attributions to Robert Ringer – Winning Through Intimidation)

Taxation without Representation

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How Republicans Are Secretly Raising YOUR Taxes!

by Benjamin T. Moore, Jr.

Back in 1776 this nation – to be – fought a little war. You might have heard about it. It was called “The Revolutionary War.” A little upstart Colony shed blood to separate and break away from the greatest “superpower” the world had seen at that time. Great Britain.

There were many reasons for this, but the prevailing expressed reason had to do with “taxation without representation.” On the surface, this is a slogan that is easily remembered and understood. Say it a few times. Notice how it rolls off the tongue. It is almost rhythmic like a chant. “Taxation Without Representation.”

When you actually consider things, representation doesn’t mean you get what you want or that things will go your way. Growing up, I was represented and present at many family decisions. I did NOT get my way.

Who does really get their way? As a child, I thought adults always got their way. I look back now and laugh. The point is, when you study history, you find that many of the “founding fathers” spent quite a bit of time in Europe representing the issues and concerns of our fledgling colony. Evidently, they did not get what they wanted. One might suspect the real issues that lead to the Revolutionary War had little to do with taxation, but taxation was a useful meme for galvanizing public sentiment against Britain.

This meme is still being used today to herd the unthinking in the direction beneficial to those who own the Republican party. The question? Is this any more accurate today than it was in 1776?

ALL governments, good or oppressive collect revenues from the citizens they rule over. This has been a fact since humans bought into the idea that having a person – tribal chieftain or king – rule over them and organize the collective effort, was a good idea. People have been complaining and seeking to avoid paying taxes ever since.

A tax is the taking of a portion of the wealth of the citizen. We’ve refined that process to the point we are now paying taxes we are not even aware we’re paying. Many taxes are simply passed along in the prices of the goods and services we purchase. Because they are a part of the price, we don’t perceive them as taxes, yet we pay them without a whimper. This phenomena has not gone unnoticed.

The Republicans have been raising your taxes at a staggering rate without your notice. They use two primary tools to accomplish their theft. They are, “Privatization” and “Deregulation.”

How does this work? Our government is not in the business of turning a profit. It is a “not-for-profit” institution. The taxes the government collects, whether you believe them to be mismanaged, depending on a certain administration, still go to support the collective common good. If you are old enough, when you went to school there were no textbook rental fees. Paper and pencils were supplied to each student. The only thing I paid for was my lunch on the few days I didn’t bring it with me. Teachers were respected and taught well in an environment conducive to learning. This was all paid for by taxes.

Over the years they’ve been defunding our educational system. We now see the goal was to move everyone to a charter school model where parents pay tuition. Notice, your taxes never went down. Now you’re being forced to totally shoulder the cost for educating your children. Is this a tax? You cannot simply opt out of sending your children to school. That’s against the law. So, yes you’re now being forced to pay more. Vouchers from the State do not cover the costs. So, the Republican attack on education is a hidden tax.

Do you have representation? Charter Schools are privately owned corporate entities. You really do not have representation. This is the definition of taxation without representation. I’ve given one example of how privatization affects many people.

Privatization is not limited to our educational system. Utility companies, hospitals, the TSA, privatization is happening all around us. Most people know something is terribly wrong with our country. What they fail to realize is that when patriotism was at it’s highest, when people felt the most optimistic about their opportunity to fulfill the “American Dream” was when our government was exercising control and collecting higher taxes, much higher than the tax rates of today.

The other poison pill of the Republican agenda is Deregulation. The theory goes, corporations are so loaded down with regulations and red tape they cannot be as profitable as their competitors around the globe. In order to make the moves and the profits they must get rid of regulations. In essence this is a race to the bottom. Our companies can easily make products as cheap as the Chinese.

There are rivers in China that are filled with toxic sludge. China has to purchase drinking water from other nations. The quality of their products are substandard. Some have been fatal. Remember our experience with dog food imported from China? How about the lead in children’s toys or that toxic toothpaste they were exporting? These are the results of a lack of regulation.

The BP oil spill was the result of a lack of regulation. All those people affected by that oil spill? The ones who lost their businesses or that saw their profits drop? That was a tax levied upon them by Republican policy. Wealth was forcibly transferred from them, their families and the futures of their children. Did they have representation?

Do you have a pension? Do you own a 401k? Have you checked it’s value lately? Chances are, it has taken quite a hit. This is the direct effect of the Republican policy of deregulating the Banks and the Stock Market. The money you and your family have lost is a tax. The wealth was transferred from you into the pockets of millionaires and billionaires. Did you have representation? That is a tax. Republicans won’t call these taxes. They want you to focus on money paid to our Government for the common good. This money is managed by people you get to vote in or out of office every two years.

When Jamie Dimon of J.P. Morgan Chase announced a couple of weeks ago that Chase Bank had lost – now – 4 billion dollars on the same type of bet Banks and the Stock Market were making just prior to our near financial melt down of 2008, my portfolio took a 100 thousand dollar hit. Now that was one helluva tax! You may have fared better. However, chances are if you’ve got a 401k or a pension you have some Chase stock in it as well. You just paid taxes without representation.

Black Republican Delusion

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The Black Republican Delusion
by Benjamin T. Moore, Jr.

The issue of Black Republicans is a controversy that has been simmering on the back burner/black burner for quite some time now. If one were to ask is there a problem with a person of color being a Republican, I would have to say, “that depends.” Black people identify with Republicans for a variety of reasons. Most often one’s party affiliation mirrors that of their parents and the environment in which they were raised. If you were raised in a Republican household, chances are, you identify as a Republican. This is true in particular for the two main political parties. Being an “Independent” has only become popular in relatively recent history.

Unfortunately what started Black people’s romance with the Republican party is the Myth that Abraham Lincoln freed the “Slaves.” I would suggest they go and actually READ the “Emancipation Proclamation” on-line. As they say, “Google It!” What you will find is that Abraham Lincoln only freed the Slaves in the States that were in Rebellion. These were the States over which whether or not he had any control was being disputed by the bloodiest war in the history of this Nation. It would be not unlike, President Obama raising the minimum wage laws in China or proclaiming that China had to abide by our OSHA standards in their workplaces. In short, not real meaningful.

Nevertheless, at the time when many Black people embraced the Republican Party, the “Party of Lincoln,” few could read or write and they believed what little they could grasp and understand about the life changing events happening around them. Once the South lost the war, there was a lot of Black migration to the North and other States. How could you know or prove that a Black person in Chicago was not from the South? You could not. So effectively all Black people were simply assumed to be free. All you had to do if you were a slave in one of the Northern States, was simply leave.

Make no mistake, Lincoln’s reason for freeing the Southern Slaves had little to do with moral reasons. He was fighting a protracted war with a body count that was unheard of at that time in human history. So long as the Slaves in the South continued to work the fields and supply the goods and services needed to resupply the Southern war efforts, the war could and would continue to drag on. Wars are fought and won on logistics. Why did the Roman Empire last nearly 1,000 years? The Romans built roads everywhere they went. Ever hear the phrase, “all roads lead to Rome?” They knew that with a good system of roads linking their Empire, they could rapidly move troops and supplies to anywhere within the Roman Empire. Yes, horses can go damn near anywhere. Marching men can go everywhere. However the supplies they need to feed them and replace and repair equipment, those things need to be carried on wagons. Wagons work best on roads. It was all about logistics.

Lincoln’s theory was, that when the word reached the Southern slaves that freedom awaited them in the North, they would simply up and head north. This would end food production as well as other crucial industries the South needed, in a state of collapse. The South would have to peel off manpower to return home, tend their fields and produce the goods and services they needed. This would effectively reduce the size of the Southern armies. The reality was, there were a lot of white people in both the North and South who disagreed with Slavery and found the practice objectionable. They seized the opportunity to support Black people being free and treated as full citizens. Prior to the Civil War, the pressures and the very real threats to their lives made it easy for them to remain silent. The “Underground Railroad” was run by white people of good conscience. John Brown so believed in the abolition of Slavery, he fought and gave his life trying to free Slaves. Most of these people identified themselves as Republican.

So what happened? Up until the early to mid 1960’s, the Republican Party was the Party of equality and opportunity for all Citizens of the United States. The big change began in 1948 with the formation of the “Dixiecrat” segregationist party. They were in the South which largely identified as Democratic. As you might imagine, there remained a lot of animosity against the “Party of Lincoln.” “Sherman’s March” through the South, laying waste and burning everything in sight, was still in the memories of many Southerners like a raw wound. It seems many white people found having to plow their own fields and actually work for a living objectionable. They longed for and idolized the “good old days” when they were waited on hand and foot by subservient slaves. Their mantra was that the North and the Federal Government in particular had ruined their way of life. So it was they were ripe for a party that promoted the notion of “protecting the Southern way of life.”

Franklin Roosevelt began the integration of the United States military. Made a lot of sense when you’re in the middle of a World War. The United States needed the resources of ALL it’s citizens to win. When Black soldiers who had fought to liberate Europe returned, Franklin Roosevelt made them eligible for the “New Deal” along with everyone else. Harry Truman continued in Roosevelt’s footsteps by creating a “Presidential Committee on Civil Rights” and ordered an end to discrimination. You can imagine how this went over in the “Jim Crow” South. In 1948 when the Northern Liberals led by Hubert Humphrey adopted an anti-discrimination plank at the Democratic National Convention, 35 Southerns walked out. They wanted to remove Harry Truman’s name from the ballot in the South. To do this they formed a short lived “State’s Rights Democratic Party” with Strom Thurmond as their Presidential nominee. The Dixiecrats held their convention in Alabama. When you hear Republican candidates referring to “State’s Rights” they’re paying homage to the segregationist platform of the old Dixiecrat party.

Following his nomination in 1980 Ronald Reagan’s first speech was delivered at the Neshoba County Fair just a few miles from Philadelphia Mississippi where Civil Rights workers were murdered in 1964. In his speech he said:

“I believe in states’ rights…. I believe we have distorted the balance of our government today by giving powers that were never intended to be given in the Constitution to that federal establishment.”

Whenever political candidates blow the “dog whistle” of “State’s Rights” what their target audience hears is, “I believe that the South had the right to secede. I believe the South has the right to discriminate against Black people. I believe the South has the right to own slaves.”  The Dixiecrats began reaching out to conservative Northern Republicans and bit by bit their ideology began infecting the Republican party. The final straw came in 1964 when President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. Several Dixiecrats simply left the Democratic party and joined the Republican party, but the bottom line was, the Republican party became the place for those whom believed in the ideologies espoused by the Dixiecrats. No, there was no massive defection of Dixiecrats who took over the Republican party. That was not necessary. An idea is like a virus. It can infect and spread. What happened to the Republican party is not unlike the story of the Farmer’s daughter who in a moment of extreme passion was told by her date, “I’ll only put the tip in.”

The “tip” begins with the notion that smaller government is good. Fact is, most people philosophically agree with this premise. Paying lower taxes is good. Who wouldn’t agree with this? The Government would be smaller if it got out of the business of the States. Getting a bit nervous now. Back in the 60’s some States didn’t recognize interracial marriages. Some States in the South had a “poll tax” for Black voters. Some States practiced “Jim Crow” and flagrant segregation. It was the Federal Government that ended these practices. Thus when you join a group you really need to know about more than just the *TIP* of what they believe in. Sooner or later you’re going to get the *SHAFT.*

When it comes to Black Republicans, you have those whom identify as Republican merely because that is their family tradition. Then you have those who are Republican because the espoused tax policies of the Republican party are in their interests. Professional athletes who are worth millions, successful businessmen and woman who again are worth millions, entertainers, actors and others, who have accumulated substantial wealth, are voting their own self-interests when they vote Republican. I’m not mad at them. These are not the people I’m calling deluded. I disagree with their selfishness, but I understand it.

The Black Republicans whom I’m calling deluded are the ones usually who are solidly in the “Middle Class” but identify as Republican for reasons that have nothing to do with what is actually in their interests. Financially, I am pretty close to the Republican Party representing my own personal interests. I pay easily over $100 thousand a year in taxes. Thus, if it were just my wife and myself, I could hold my nose and vote Republican… If they ran a candidate with a brain! The problem for me is, I have family and friends whom have yet to be as fortunate. Some of them cannot afford health insurance. Some of them have been through foreclosure. Do I turn my back on them? Personally, I cannot.

These Republicans have bought into the “tip” or wedge issues that the Republican party promotes to specifically target them. For years now, the Republican Party has marketed it’s self to “Blue Collar” workers. I have a relative who *thought* he was a Republican because he had started his own business. I asked him how much he was netting from his business. Proudly he said, $40 thousand a year. I pointed out, “that’s a job!” He was working 12 hour days, 7 days a week and barely scraping by. He wasn’t making enough, to pay enough in taxes for Republican policies to benefit him. If his wife didn’t have good insurance from her job, he’d of been completely screwed having to buy his own health insurance. Good thing too. He recently had a heart attack and had to have 6 stints installed. Without his wife’s insurance he’d be bankrupt today.

Then you have those who are seduced by the poison pills crafted for religious people. Abortion and Marriage equality. Let’s deal with abortion first. The problem with this issue is, *IF* you are truly pro-life, you are pro ALL life. This means you are also against the death penalty. Why shouldn’t you be? With the advances in DNA technology, hundreds of people have been moved from “death row” and released. What nobody wants to talk about is, based on these statistics, the State has murdered innocent people who were not guilty of the crimes of which they were convicted. Yet, many so called “pro-life” Republicans fully support the death penalty. If you’re pro-life, by definition you have to be against war and military conflict. Let’s be clear, whenever we go to war there is ALWAYS what we euphemistically refer to as “collateral damage.” That is a tidy way of saying innocent civilians get killed. When civilians are killed in our foreign wars, we call it collateral damage. When they brought down the “Twin Towers” over here, we called that terrorism. Yet, many “pro-life” Republicans have no problem with and support an expansion in military spending and have no problem with our government turning to the “military option” without exhausting all methods of diplomacy and sanctions.

If you’re pro-life and want women to have their babies, there is a cost associated with this. Children require care, opportunity and education. Many of these needed essentials are provided by publicly funded clinics and programs. Yet, Republicans are all for cutting funding for WIC, food stamps, Head Start, inner city schools, etc. The message is, we care about the fetus, but once it’s born, you’re on your own. If the child grows up, we’re all for sending him or her into our military where often they do not come back. Many who do return bear the marks of war in their bodies and guess what! We are cutting the funding to the programs designed to help them deal with their wounds and reintegrate into society. Pro-life? Not really. Yet, it makes for a great wedge issue to seduce the uninformed.

Marriage equality is another good one. This one comes wrapped in a sugary “family values” coating. The irony is, many of the most stalwart defenders of family values and marriage equality are people who are on their 3rd, 4th and in some cases 5th wives. They’ve had numerous affairs. Have children that span multiple marriages, yet the words “family values” doesn’t seem to split their lips when it spews from their hypocritical mouths. The United States of America is a secular society. Freedom of religion and freedom *FROM* religion is something we enjoy and heretofore have been extremely proud of. This is *NOT* a Christian nation any more than it is a Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim or Jewish nation. So strongly did the founders believe in this principle, they encoded it into our Constitution. Once we penetrate the veil of the separation of Church and State, where do we stop? Should working on the Sabbath be declared illegal? Should eating pork be banned? How about banning the eating of meat period? There are religious groups here who pay taxes just like everyone else who teach that eating meat is to be avoided. There are many books with many people believing in those books. In point of fact, amongst those who identify as Christians, there are disputes. Yet they’re claiming to read from the same book. This is why you have all the different “Christian denominations.” Each can prove that all the others are in error.

What is marriage? Is it a sacred covenant between a couple and God? Is it a status recognized by the State? It is both. From the religious perspective, you go to your religious institution and have your marriage solemnized by a cleric from your faith. However, you also get a marriage *license* from the State. Why? If it were purely a religious institution, you would neither need nor want recognition from the State. Why do you want State recognition? Because there are benefits granted by the State to married couples. According to law, all citizens are equal. This is why the statue of “Lady Justice” wears a blindfold. Thus the State should not discriminate against any two adults of contractual age wanting to enter into a marriage arrangement. Your marriage is unaffected by my behavior. I lived with my wife for 10 years before getting married. During that 10 years, quite a few people simply assumed we were married. Most simply didn’t give a damn and NOBODY went and filed for divorce upon learning that we were not married. When we did finally get married – had more to do with the IRS and the beating we were taking on taxes – nobody’s marriage was affected.

Thus the notion that two people of the same sex, who call themselves married, and are receiving benefits from the State, somehow wreck havoc on the marriages of others, is purely specious. The issue is a non-issue created and promoted by people who do not believe in it themselves. It is designed to trick, deceive and bring the Churches on board. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard quasi literate preachers thumping their Bibles with great conviction, telling their mentally malleable congregations that “they cannot vote for a candidate who supports Gay marriage or Abortion.” They of course have no problem rolling over in bed right into the arms of a Party that takes food from the mouths of children, believes in putting innocent people to death and profits from unnecessary wars in which children are called “collateral damage.”

There is another type of Black Republican. This one is the worst. This Black Republican suffers from self-loathing feelings of inadequacy. These are often the most vocal. They are also the ones you’ll see appearing in the media commenting on various media outlets. His or her delusion comes in basically two flavors. The first, manifests in this time when we happen to have a Black President and stems from their inability to conceptualize that there exists a Black person who is literally light years beyond their capabilities. Because they cannot conceive of this reality, they are quick to look for ANYTHING that points to conspiracy or a rigged system. After all, they worked hard. They went to school. They’ve applied themselves… but they haven’t met with the success they believe they deserve. Thus, they look at President Obama with suspicion and mistrust. How could he truly be all the things they are not? Black preachers envy his oratory skills. Republican Black professionals can’t conceive his organizational abilities. Thus it must be a fluke! Some trick played on them and they hate him.

To these wights I would remind them of his visit to the Republican Caucus early into his term. the Republicans were laying in ambush for him. They were going to teach him a lesson. They invited the cameras in because they wanted his defeat and unmasking preserved on tape for posterity. They were going to put this young upstart Black President in his place. President Obama walked into that den of lions without a teleprompter. Without a laptop. Without a staff to aid him and defanged and whipped every last Republican single handedly. So severe was their beating, their first response was “Never Again would they have him come to their caucus!” Then they caught themselves and amended that to, never again with cameras rolling. My question to them is simple: Could any of them have walked into such a hostile environment and fared even half as well? The answer is no.

The other manifestation of the deluded Black Republican takes the form of a Black person who has been so culturally conditioned by the institutionalized racism in our society, they’ve come to accept and believe the myth that white people are simply superior to Black people. My grandfather who had his own business back in the early 1920’s called it, “the white man’s ice is always colder” mentality. Back then you really had an “Ice Box.” You would purchase ice for your ice box from ice vendors who went around with large blocks of ice on the back of wagons and would sell ice to people in the neighborhood. This was how you kept your perishables cold. There were actual Black people who wouldn’t buy from a Black ice vendor because they simply believed that what the white man was selling was superior. Sadly this mentality still exists in some Black people today. They will go on the air and attack President Obama and his policies, often armed with nothing more than Fox News talking points. When you ask a couple of more questions, they are embarrassed. They will defend the polices of George Bush in abject defiance of historical fact and they will support Mitt Romney who from childhood to adulthood was immersed in a religion that taught that Black people were inferior and cursed with Black skin. I’m sorry, but there are some bye-gones that cannot be allowed to remain as bye-gones.

Both of these types of deluded Black Republicans can be recognized by the vituperativeness of their attacks. A lack of logic and their inability to substantiate their positions with facts. I too can disagree and often do with a great many people on a great many issues. However, I always have a rational reason for my disagreement. I can present my reasons on demand. For instance, don’t tell me that your objection to President Obama is his tax policy when he’s cut taxes for small businesses and the middle class. Don’t tell me you disagree with President Obama over his foreign policy when his administration has had success after success. Bin Laden is dead and GM is not. Don’t tell me your problem with President Obama is his refusal to unilaterally change the Constitution and our legislative process, declaring by Presidential fiat abortions illegal. He swore an oath to uphold the Constitution. That also covers protecting full equality for all citizens even in their marital decisions.

If you are a multi-millionaire and you are a Black Republican, I’m not mad at you for voting in your own self-interests. If you are a Black Republican because that is your family tradition, I can understand that as well. Just don’t give me the boiler plate reasons which now have no basis in truth. Fiscal responsibility is no longer the hallmark of the Republican party. The national debt has gone through the roof under Republican administrations. Don’t tell me it’s because of smaller government. The Constitution shredding “Patriot Act” was passed and enacted under a Republican administration. Don’t tell me it’s because you believe that Republicans are better on security and national defense. The attacks on September 11, 2001 occurred on a Republican administration that had advance warning. Once you accept the “Tip” you will invariably get the “Shaft.”

Republican Propaganda Fail!

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Republican Propaganda

by Benjamin T. Moore, Jr.

REPUBLICAN PROPAGANDA FAIL!

Came across this photograph while visiting one of the “Liberal Forums” I frequent. From time to time, Republicans want to crash the party. We don’t mind them, because their presence suggests two things. The first is, if you’re not attracting Republican “Trolls” you’re not being effective at getting the message out. The second is, every now and again, you get a rational Republican who realizes he’s only being spoon fed one side of the issues and is truly interested in hearing the other side. They usually pose intelligent questions and give intelligent responses. Do we convince or convert all of these people? Of course not. However, they go away with a slightly different perspective and usually have much to think about they had not previously considered.

It was in this vein I came upon this picture with a comment indicating that the picture was from one of Mitt Romney’s Ohio campaign stops. The size of the crowd was used as an indication of how popular Gov. Romney is in Ohio. The poster further went on to say, “don’t tell me *Mr* – not President – Obama is leading in Ohio!” Well, of course it should be obvious, if Mitt Romney got that size of crowd… ANYWHERE it would be all over all the news stations. Fox News would be using it as “B-roll” for almost all of it’s lead-ins. That crowd is larger than the crowd at this years Republican National Convention. However, let us do our due diligence and actually examine this picture.

Upon closer inspection you notice some very unusual – dare I say impossible – things. The first thing you notice are the shadows. On a sunny day there is only one light source. Thus all shadows cast will fall in the same direction depending on the time of day, time of year and position of the Sun. This is governed by well established laws of physics. Anytime you see shadows going in multiple directions, you know immediately there has to be an additional light source. Since we only have one Sun, all shadows MUST fall in the same direction. When examining this photograph, you can count at least four different directions shadows are being cast. We could stop right here because this proves the photograph is a composite of several photographs assembled to create an illusion.

The next thing you notice is the composition of the crowd. Look at the colors in the crowd on the far left of the photograph. they seem natural. As the crowd swells to the right and into the distance, everything becomes purplish and red in hue. Again, this is not natural. Distance or size doesn’t change color. Next, pay attention to the podium or stage. Notice the banners in apparent disarray? Why are they on the back of the podium and not the side facing the crowd? Why are they in disarray? Doesn’t the banner on the far right actually look like an Obama banner? What’s an Obama banner doing at a Romney rally?

Then there is the small “Press Stage” in the immediate foreground. Which way are the people on that stage looking? They’re not looking at the stage. They’re looking almost directly to their right. They’re not looking at the crowd. What are they doing? Bottom line? This is a carefully crafted, composite photograph that some with limited knowledge put together to create a false impression. Actually it makes me smile. When they go to these lengths, you know you’ve got them on the run.