why is it

• Congress people who are opposed to the high benefit packages and retirement programs for Federal Union employees fail to mention  that they have even better ones themselves?

• Congress people that are so adamant about cutting what they call 'entitlement' programs forget that without an alternative, people will starve, lose their homes, and perhaps die? DO they have an alternative to offer? If so, why don't we hear about that? If not, do they just not care?

• Religious folk that a generation ago were concerned about feeding the poor, giving a voice to those people that couldn't speak for themselves, and social justice, are now obsessed with bedroom activities, restricting marriage benefits, restricting birth control and abortions and advocating that an entire class of people be second class citiziens

•  No one seems to have any problem with a supreme court that rules that corporations have the same rights as individuals, and can donate huge sums of hidden money to the politicians of their choice.

• Politicians are allowed to voice misinformation about issues and facts and it is the media that is sanctioned if they question it? How can a politician make an outright lie and then excuse himself by saying that the lie 'was not meant to be a factual statement' later on?

• Fiscal conservatives can advocate a balanced budget that would bring spending back to 1970's levels when costs by private businesses dealing with the government are at 2011 prices. Could any of us go back to the salary levels of 1970 when gas was .35 a gallon and still pay 4.00 for that same gallon?

inquiring minds want to know. There must be some rhyme or reason to these beliefs. Educate me please.

The NAR nightmare

I understand that Rick Perry has finally declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president. This has got to be one of the most frightening developments in modern politics. Unlike Michelle Bachman whose firm grasp of reality prompts high school students to challenge her to a debate on the constitution, Mr. Perry is a man who's ignorance is well masked by obviously savvy political advisers not named Marcus, and spins facts to his advantage to hide the disaster that is Texas.

Now this in itself is not an unusual attribute for a politician seeking national political office. What is unusual is his constituency base. Have any of you heard of NAR? No, I don't mean the National Association of Realtors. I mean the New Apostolic Movement, an extreme far right religious movement whose vocal avowed goals are to take CONTROL of all aspects of American life (called the Seven Mountains) and turn the United States into religious theocracy.

On the surface, these folks are so far to the right that they make the old time John Birch Society seem like a democratic progressive organization. The believe such things as

• The democratic party is controlled by demons (literally)
• The Statue of Liberty is a demonic symbol
• Only Christians are entitled to religious freedom in the US (and only certain denominations)
• The emperor of Japan sleeps with a sun demoness
• Gay civil rights will bring about the end of civilization. Gay folks should be illegal, arrested, and possibly executed
  
• Women should be subservient to men and should not have independent careers outside the family
  
• The end of the world including the rapture is something that needs to be actively sought after

Now, who am I to tell these people not to believe this stuff. If they want to go about their business and pray for the end of the world, GO FOR IT! The problem is that they are backing Rick Perry for president and are supplying him with large amounts of money for this purpose.
These are the principle backers of his so called 'RESPONSE" prayer meeting in in Texas last week (christians only, no one else need apply) where they

• prayed for rain ( I don't know if they did a rain dance or not)
• prayed for the total mass conversion of Jewish folks to Christianity
• decided that the country's problems were so horrible that there is nothing we can do about it except pray (check out how well it worked for the rain thing).

This is what is so dangerous about Rick Perry. I have no idea whether he is only trying to use these folks to help get him the nomination or truly buys into this crap (although he has publicly stated that he feels a religious calling to run for president). Either way, it is a dangerous game and he is putting us all at risk.

These people are the Christian Taliban. Society under their rule would not only be undemocratic, it would make life under the Nazis seem mainstream.

I am actually a bit nostalgic for the old Republican party, controlled by big money and corporations whose only goal was to make us captive consumers to the production of corporate profit.

Where is Carl Rove when you need him?