Archives for November 2015

Dear Moron Majority readers. I am closing shop for the next two weeks for a much needed holiday break. I am re-posting “The New American Majority.” Have a great Thanksgiving!

The New American Majority

A serious disease has infected our country. No one really talks about it much although signs of this contagion have existed for quite some time. Like a slow growing cancer, the symptoms have gotten progressively worse to the point where they are no longer avoidable. They cannot be denied. The problem we now face is that this cancer has metastasized to an extent where a cure, or even treatment, is very doubtful.

Our media, politicians and business elites have known about this disease for years. They have not only stood by as the disease spread, but have encouraged – and profited from- its propagation. Like a seemingly caring doctor wanting to spare the patient needless pain, the prognosis offered is that all is fine and there’s nothing to worry about.

What is this sickness I am talking about? In one word… stupidity.

We, as a country, once had the “silent majority.” Then came the “moral majority.” Today we have been transformed into a new majority… the “moron majority.”

Is there any doubt we’ve become a nation of morons? Just look around you the signs (symptoms) are as clear as could be. The late night infomercial claiming that drinking a milk shake will make you lose 30 pounds in only two weeks… no exercise needed! The drug company claiming your itchy skin can be a thing of the past if you only take their pill… and, oh yes, the side effects can be vomiting, diarrhea, hearing loss, and, in rare instances, death! Yes, death! But not to worry… just ask your doctor if Itchamedaphin is right for you!

But there is no greater proof that we’ve become a nation of morons than by simply looking at some of our elected political “leaders.” Yes there have always been plenty of buffoons, scoundrels and hucksters in our body politic but the sheer number of such blockheads at the top of today’s political ladder is astounding! Just look at some of the 2016 Republican presidential hopefuls … Ted Cruz, Bobby Jindal, Rick Santorum, Carly Fiorina, Ben Carson, and “The Donald!” Could the clown car get any more crowded?

The dumbing down of America has been a slow, gradual process. The first sign that it had reached critical mass became evident during the Bush v. Gore presidential race. An election that should have been an easy victory for Gore (could you have picked a more intellectual lightweight than GWB?) became a defeat (well, sort of!)

The pivotal moment of that election was the first debate. As Bush answered questions in less than a clear and intelligible manner, the camera kept focusing on Gore and his facial expressions. Gore was caught rolling his eyes, shaking his head, frowning and sneering. He was deemed the clear loser of the debate not on the content of what he said but on his body language! Gore came off as the intellectual snob who only has condescension for the less gifted competitor. A veritable Mr. Goody two-shoes. Certainly not the type of guy you’d want to have a drink with! Now Georgie… there’s a guy who can relate to the common folk! Gore tried to change his style in later debates but it was too late. The mold was set right then and there.

Only a nation of morons could elect a dim-witted, draft-dodging, hard drinking frat boy with his “gentlemen’s C” average at Yale over a Harvard graduate (cum laude), Viet Nam War veteran and Vanderbilt Law School graduate. And while there are those who still think Bush stole the election thanks to his brother’s help in Florida, with a big assist from the Supremes, it should never have gotten to that point. As GWB famously said, “Fool me once, shame on… shame on you. Fool me – you can’t get fooled again.” Oh yeah, enough voters got fooled again by reelecting you, sir.

Image courtesy of artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I hate to admit this, but I spent the day doing something that even a person with half a brain would not do: read a bunch of crazy comments on various political blogs on the issue of Syrian refugees being allowed into the U.S. The consensus across the political spectrum was a loud and emphatic: hell no!

Many of the commenters believed that all Syrian refugees are terrorists; that they would be coming here to kill us; that our president is an idiot for thinking otherwise. The heck with compassion and American values! No way Jose … or should I say Abdullah?

Almost every Republican presidential candidate and Republican governor is opposed to the idea of letting Syrian refugees settle in the U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has stated he will be introducing legislation preventing Syrian refugees from entering the United States.

The details of Cruz’s bill are not yet known but in an effort to pander to his Evangelical base, he did agree we should open our borders to Syrian Christians. “There is no meaningful risk of Christians committing acts of terror,” Cruz said.

Government officials have stated that no Syrian will be granted asylum within the U.S. without a thorough vetting. Several federal agencies, including the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Department, the National Counterterrorism Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, are all involved in the process, which Deputy State Department Spokesman Mark Toner recently called, “the most stringent security process for anyone entering the United States.”

The real issue boils down to one of trust; can our government screen out the potential bad actors? Consensus within the blogosphere seems to be a resounding “no.”

While I believe the gauntlet a refugee would have to run through is sufficient, the major concern of many otherwise sympathetic Americans is this: what about the children?

Muslims have shown a predisposition for not assimilating well into western society. Just look at the experience of most European countries. Muslims do not understand, nor do they seem to want to understand, western culture and its way of life. Most of what they see of western society goes contrary to all they believe. In a place where refugee children run the risk of being ostracized within their new country, the lure of ISIS through slick use of social media could very well find an impressionable ear or two. That should be the real concern about taking in the properly screened, non-radical parents.

Does our government have an answer for this “Muslim youth” question? I don’t know the answer but the debate we should be having on Syrian refugees appears to not be the “if” but the “what then?”

Photo | worldvision.org

There are a number of things in this world I don’t understand. One of the most perplexing conundrums for me is how American Christianity has become so divorced from the teachings of the wise rabbi they venerate as their god.

Anyone with even the slightest familiarity with the teachings of Jesus Christ knows that his message is one of kindness, love and empathy for one’s neighbor. As the Bible teaches us:

Matthew 25:35-40  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

Republicans are seeking to play on the fears of their mostly Evangelical base by proposing the United States reject the plight of Syrian refugees and bar them from our shores. It doesn’t matter that the U.S., as opposed to other countries, is taking in a relative small number of the millions of refugees (10,000).

It doesn’t matter that a refugee entering the U.S. undergoes a security clearance check that could take several rounds, an in-person interview, approval by the Department of Homeland Security, medical screening, a match with a sponsor agency, “cultural orientation” classes, and one final security clearance. This all happens before a refugee ever steps on American soil.

The masters of the wedge issues are at it again. The message is simple: Syrian refugees are terrorists. They are coming here to kill us.

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz is planning to propose legislation that would bar Syrian Muslim refugees from entering the country. Christian refuges would be allowed to enter the United States, however. Perhaps there is a Christian data bank I am not aware of?

What Republican presidential nominees and GOP governors are doing to block Syrian refugees from entering our country is beyond shameless. That their message resonates with their religious base is shameful. It only amplifies how American Christian fundamentalists have perverted the message of their purported savior.

Photo | statisticbrain.com

American democracy is under siege. A confluence of factors has created a “perfect storm” that seriously challenges our form of government as never before.

So what is the greatest threat to our system of government? Is it income inequality, social injustice, voter suppression, religious fundamentalism, terrorist threats, gun violence or could it be Citizens United?

No. While the above forces are all tugging at the fabric of our democracy, the greatest threat is something more basic: cynicism.

I’m talking about the kind of cynicism that leads many Americans to believe participating in our representative form of government is meaningless. It’s the often heard, “What does my vote matter anyway; all politicians are corrupt.” The sad fact is that many otherwise intelligent individuals are simply turning off and tuning out.

Conservatives from the time of Reagan have hammered the message that government is bad; that government is the problem, not the solution. Through their obstructionism, which has prevented government from performing its role in promoting the public good, conservatives have turned Reagan’s mantra into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Our government is bad. It does not work.

It is actually understandable why many Americans feel hopeless given our current political climate. But voting and being engaged in the governance of our country are the bedrocks of a participatory democracy. When people stop caring, they quit paying attention. Not paying attention is the moral equivalent of turning your back on America, on democracy.

Conservatives are shrewd. They’ve had a game plan for years and are executing it to a tee. By getting voters to be disgusted with their government and to believe all politicians are the same, they get the result they want: control of our nation by their rich and powerful overlords.

Wake up people. Enough with the cynicism and pessimism. Become an informed citizen … and vote!

Photo |theharlemvalleynews.net

We Americans are shocked and saddened to learn of the massacre that has taken place within your country. We mourn for the dead and those injured in this most senseless, cowardly act by a bunch of Islamic radicals. Hopefully you will go through your period of grief and find the strength and resolve to go forward. Hopefully your political leaders will take the measured steps necessary to respond to this attack and not make the horrible mistakes made by our leaders after 9/11.

Please understand that there is a minority fringe in this country that will use your tragedy to further their political agenda. They will exploit your misfortune for their gain. Some will be elected officials, including current Republican presidential candidates.

These heartless, embarrassing excuses for human brings do not represent the vast majority of Americans. As a nation we stand with you, one of our country’s greatest allies. We are fortunate to have a president who will undoubtedly do all he can for your country during this dark moment.

Please accept that when a politician, such as Newt Gingrich, blames your citizens for this massacre partly because your people do not carry concealed weapons, you are hearing the logic of an idiot.

Please realize that when a Republican presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, calls for the indiscriminate use of air strikes “against the enemy,” he is catering to a frightened American populace for political advantage. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter to many conservatives in this great country that Sen. Cruz does not specify where these airstrikes should take place or what they should be targeting.

Above all, we pray that your citizens do not fall prey to your own political extremists and opportunists who will seek to exploit your loss and divide your country for their own political advancement.

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