My 3rd Essay Topic: American Paradox

I am now on my third essay in my English - so called - critical thinking class and after two previous essays about gender and Hollywood hero-myth I’m onto American culture paradoxes. Such paradoxes would be, “America’s curious dichotomy between cultural Puritanism and a capitalistic tendency,” and “The contradiction between America’s materialistic adoration of money and possessions and its profound commitment to religion and spirituality.” This article, which goes on to list three additional paradoxes, is just more disappointing drivel not unlike the other articles I’ve read in this required school book, “Signs of Life in the USA.”

This article is clearly over-simplistic and unreasonably concludes that it’s a paradox and puzzling. I am concurrently taking Western Humanities 300 which illustrates the cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Ancient Greece and Rome and the same “paradoxes” are clearly in each of these historical cultures. In any culture there is always a necessary and healthy tension between two poles and without this tension and balance the culture becomes very unhealthy. A reasonable example of this would be the Victorian Age of ultra-Puritanism or the sexual revolution of the 60s and 70s; these are clearly sexual extremes. Another “paradox” of my own observation would be that of the American desire to be potent in the world’s affairs and a power for justice but then people’s concern and longing for the deployed men and women in arms. However, this is far to general and the fact this is the tension between the love for self and the love for the community. My cousin’s husband is deployed in Iraq currently and while I’m concerned for both of them, I also realize what he’s doing in Iraq is important for America. If I only cared for the individual I’d never condone war (protection of community) and if I only condoned war (at all costs) I’d undervalue the individual.

I am sure there are dozens of other examples but there’s a difference between hypocrisy and cultural tensions. These articles, always found wanting, are such typical liberal oversimplifications of “Signs of Life in the USA.” Another example that comes to mind that they can’t comprehend, due to their lack of moral compass, is the rational for being for the death penalty and against abortion. Nevertheless, if it weren’t for this book I probably wouldn’t appreciate well written books and well articulated arguments.

Political Payback

In this video, Tom Bates, President of the Bucks County AFL-IO pledges to show local Democrat candidates how politically powerful the AFL-CIO is. We’ll show the candidates of Bucks County what we can do for them, he dreams.

“And just think what they will do for us later,” he says and recites a litany of union subsidies such as Employee Free Choice, health care, and project labor agreements. “Just think what that will do for labor and working people.”

Money and volunteers may be Tom’s only draw because his presentation style… well, lacks charisma.

Broken Colored Pencils And The Stolen Ring

I’m speechless…

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First off, how does this narcissistic, immature search for self-worth and validation compare with what I do?

Granted, I’m not really a 13 year old, pimply private school kid who really hasn’t a clue, period.

I think this comparison is brought home to me because when I thought about his clip as though I were a 13 year old boy, parts of it made perfect sense. I understood him. Sadly.

I’m glad I grew up. I’m glad my friends didn’t put up with stupidity. I’m glad my parents made me play outside and encouraged my love of reading and Legos and digging holes and climbing trees and swimming and biking.

Seeing what this boy wants: approbation and girls; what he’s willing to do to get them: lie, steal, cheat; and how he feels about it: glee; I’m quite sure his parents, teachers, and peers have modeled for him behavior of a normal but despicable variety.

I wanted almost the same things at his age, and even yet where we differed in desire I did not usually resort to his methods, and when I did I knew I was wrong and did not feel glee about my deception, much less go on the internet and tell 300,000 of my ‘friends’ what I’d done.

His apparent social situation and the prescriptions for fixing him as found in the comments, recommending the standard “get laid”, as though that is the magic wand which fixes all idiocy and immaturity, present little hope of this boy ever getting far out of the morass he’s in.

The only thing which can change him is Christ, and His work is needed all around this boy, his family, and his friends. Who shall tell him?

Until I or another finds him though, his parents ought to pull his computer out of his room, take away his webcam, and make him go outside to play with the neighborhood children. Then perhaps he’ll get the slap he so richly deserves from the little girl, and learn that breaking pencils and stealing rings do not a handsome rogue make.

Apologies

I’m sorry for not being more regular with my blogging of late. And from here on I solemnly pledge to be sorry again when if it happens again.

Quick Takes, October 15th, 2007

Democrat House staffers recommend getting full immunizations before going to NASCAR events. Recommended immunizations include the Hepatitis B (an STD) vaccine. Apparently their caricatured idea of NASCAR fans include homosexual and promiscuous hicks of varying degrees of uncleanness openly engaging in sexual acts in the stands and infield.

…either that or they think conservatism is transmittable. Heh, they have no idea.

(Ain’t worth a)Hill(of beans)ary Clinton says that for African Americans, she’s going to be Clinton.

…and how long ago did she drop Rodham?

…and that means they should vote for her, why? The inscrutable logic simply does not follow.

…and for all the Chinese- and Mexican-, and German-, and British-, Australian-, Swedish-, Spanish-, Brazilian-, and every other (hyphen) Americans, who will she be? Urkel?

Run, Al, run!

…anything to give the nutroots more choices. They are pro-murder “pro-choice”, right?

Speaking of running: Harry Reid may want to start running, along with Clinton, Schumer et al.

Democrats push through bill making sure we all know the Turks committed genocide 60 years ago.

I don’t deny it’s a good thing to be accurate, especially about such heinous events and crimes as genocide. But they’re our staunchest ally in the Mid-east region. And we need some clout with them to keep them from beginning a war on the northern border of Iraq with Kurd rebels who are taking shelter among some of our strongest supporters inside Iraq, the Kurds.

Either intelligence on the left side of the isle is lower than even I thought, or ego is even larger. Do we really have to lose at all costs?

It was aliens, I knew it.

Quote:

You do not negotiate peace until you’ve kicked somebody’s rear end.
~Rush Limbaugh

Good Article About Iran

I found this interesting article about Iran. We all know that this nation and Syria are involved in the battle in Iraq but this article puts forth a reasonable arguement for not going to war with them… It’s worth the read…

I wouldn’t go to war with them ONLY because I know we don’t have the political spine for it…

World Tribune LINK

The Masterful Watchmaker

With a shout to Mom loves being at home, this is a simple but powerful telling of the watchmaker argument for intelligent design and creationism.

The Masterful Watchmaker

When Is Good Enough?

Social conservative Christian leaders meetings are being trumpeted by the media. The talking heads crowing that the current crop of Republican presidential contenders are not conservative enough on certain issues and that movers and shakers such as Dr. James Dobson are planning on voting for a third party or not at all if the eventual chosen nominee of either of the two main parties does not support traditional family values such as opposing abortion and support marriage for one man and one woman exclusively.

I agree with these leaders that we desperately need strong leadership, morals and values in our President, without them we really do not have a chance as America. It has been rightly noted that the next President may very well nominate several more Justices to the Supreme Court, and with the current balance of ideology in the Court, the next Justices will direct the Court firmly in either direction.

Things we know for sure:

Hillary will appoint Ginsburg’s and similar justices. Men and women whose moral compass is screwed wrong. This is not a question or a chance, it is a known and acknowledged fact. She is not ashamed to say it. These Justices will direct the court towards the globalization of our legal authority, the affirming and legalization of abortion, the normalization of homosexual “marriage”, and the legal protection of terrorists and the aiders, abettors, and sympathizers, among other things. The Justices will practice judicial activism and will deny the will of the people and their elected representatives and the original intent of the constitution. They will hasten the destruction of America in immorality, wickedness, and the blood of our children.

The front runners of the Republican race, Guiliani and Romney, would appoint justices similar to Scalia and Thomas, who believe in the rule of law and the strong original intent of the Constitution. As such, the will of the people and their elected representatives when codified in law, is the law to them and they would not change it or define it into oblivion. They would deny the constitutionality of Roe V Wade, they would uphold the rights and protections of American citizens and the entire world by denying the supposed “rights” of enemy combatants and terrorists. They would uphold the will of the people in their laws and constitutional amendments protecting marriage between one man and one woman.

I have serious disagreements with the social ideas of Guiliani and qualms about the religious view of Romney, but when the option is Hillary, I will throw my whole weight of support behind them for our Country’s sake.

Of the two, I support Romney right now. He has changed his mind on social issues, but in the right direction.

So what of Thompson, McCain, and the others? Thompson has not done much since he announced his candidacy, wowing few and wooing fewer. He is not consistent in cutting spending or on social issues. I’d support him just as heartily if he were to be the nominee, but I will not support him in the primary. McCain is not good for America. His highest aim is his own preeminence and he can only be trusted to to what is expedient for himself. A selfish man is not a man to whom one gives authority.

Huckabee is trying too hard to be all thing to all people, the funny man, the cool man, the smart man, the right man. He is all things to all, and nothing true. This is sad. I had hoped he’d be a good man for the job, but he would be polling and focus-grouping as much as the last President from Arkansas. And with a name like Huckabee, how can he be elected?

As for Paul, to (mis)quote a bastion of English (French?) literature: “I fart in (his) general direction”. There is neither honor, honesty, nor leadership potential in that man. He tickles the ears of his listeners with good ideas mixed with bad. With false libertarianism and fake posture. His listeners and adherents are as enthusiastic as they are deluded and I pity them, and have little patience for them.

Do I wish there were a strong Christian man with history and depth, with values and strength? Yes. It is a sad commentary on the state of the lazy and bloated, idle Christianity which defines our Country that we do not have a strong man leading the way, an obvious and unimpeachable choice, a shoo in who no one can say wrong about because He is right and good.

We do not have such a man, and to search elsewhere for one is to run the risk of finding ourselves lost in history as those who forsook the good hoping to find the impossible.

Given The Authority

I wrote a response to Herman who had written about theistic evolution and here’s his response.

Hello, whoever you may be.

Thanks for writing.

No one walking on this Earth, besides myself, is an expert on Genesis. Do not

even listen to anyone else trying to expound what Genesis is saying, for they do

not understand the text. There is no “creation account” in Genesis. There is no

such thing as a “creation/evolution” contest. It is “evolution” verses the

“Observations of Moses”, given to Moses by God in 1598 BC, in biblical order,

as revealed by the Living Word (Jesus) in the Gospels.

The world of theology (and creationism) has never understood Genesis, so of

course they would not have told us about this earlier, since they never did their

“homework”. Each day in Genesis, from Gen. 1:2 thru 2:3 was a 24-hr day,

shown to Moses, taken from seven different weeks (1 day from Creation Week,

6 days from 6 restoration weeks), and each week was from a different geologic

age. Genesis chapter two covers about a 200 year period, starting in about 7200

BC, and has nothing to do with chapter one.

There was no “evolution”. There was Creation, followed by extinction, then six

periods of restorations, with five more extinction events in between. If you have

comments, issues, or questions, direct them to me (ephraim7@aol.com ), or read

the book “Moses Didn’t Write About Creation!”.

Why is it that you could not comprehend that the Fourth Day is the earliest in time,
then the fifth day, then the sixth day? The book further explains each day and the
time period that they were taken from.

If you have questions, I’m the one that has been given the authority to answer them.

Please advise,
Herman

Isn’t this the funniest thing ever!

Watching You

Contemplating, as I am, the future and responsibility, I nearly teared when I heard this song on the radio today.

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