The American Theocracy - Phase Two

When I first set off on this little rollicking adventure, my objective was modest. As I wrote in the introductory post, this brief series "will have 10 parts beyond this introduction and will span no more than 3 days." However, as I wrote an entry for each commandment, it dawned on me that I was letting off the fundamental right far too easy! Their movement has opinions on just about every major issue of our times as well as many issues of their own making.

So, Phase 2 of this series will take a look at where they stand on a myriad of topics. Posts most likely will not appear as frequently because, while I intend to maintain my tongue-in-cheek approach, I actually will be conducting a bit of research in order that I can quote and paraphrase their positions more accurately. Satire only works when what you're poking fun at contains a semblance of truth.

If any of you would like to take a run at an issue from the standpoint of the American Theocracy, drop me a note.

As with almost everything else on this blog, what I (or a guest columnist) will present merely is one person's opinion. Please don't take it as anything more than that. There will be times in which many of you may strongly agree with my stated points. However, just as often, you may think I've missed the mark entirely. Either perspective or a combination of the two comes with the territory.

While my approach will seem whimsical, humorous, melodramatic and/or oversimplified at times, my intent underlying this satire is serious: A theocratic America is to be resisted!

If you're interested in reading more from this tongue-in-cheek series, go to the The American Theocracy Index page.

Line by Line - Verse 3, Line 2

not to prize articles which are difficult to procure is the way to keep them from becoming thieves;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Not collecting treasures prevents stealing.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Do not treasure goods that are hard to obtain So the people will not become thieves
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

If you give things too much value, you're going to get ripped off.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Let's see how three of my Taoist blogging compatriots view this line.

Bragging about what you have may incite someone to take it away from you. Not only is it wrong type of speech, it may prove to be dangerous. A wise man does not count his money while walking down the street.
~ Roshi Hogan ~

And of course it is because we place such a high value on physical possessions that we begin to covet and steal them. If everyone stopped caring about whether they had enough of necessities and luxuries of life, wouldn’t there be plenty of both for everyone? What if you alone chose to live this way?
~ Chris Bryan ~

By simplifying, and living that way, no one would rob or need to, government would not be required.
~ Ta Wan ~

As we continue our slow journey through the Tao Te Ching line-by-line, what matters most is NOT what I or others think about each line. No, what matters most is what YOU think. That's the underlying point of this whole exercise!

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.

The American Theocracy - Number Ten

You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's.
~ Exodus 20:17, RSV ~

Application: Of all the 10 Commandments, this one is the hardest to legislate because, in many cases, our desires are internal. While the Bible teaches that committing a sin in the heart is just as bad as actually committing the sin itself, even in theocratic America, it will be more difficult to preempt bad behavior.

Consequently, I envision the new president setting up a theocratic program akin to Americorp VISTA. However, instead of recruiting Americans to work to rid our nation of poverty, discrimination, environmental degradation and the like, volunteers will serve as domestic spies to try to uncover instances of the beleaguered working class (now exceeding over 50% of the population) "coveting" the largess stolen by the wealthy elite.

Watch lists will be expanded greatly and, anyone who doesn't toe the fundamentalist Christian line, will be watched intently for ANY missteps. The worst part of this new ideology is that far too many people will unknowingly buy into it and everyone will be watching everyone else in order to report "suspicious behavior" to the proper authorities.

Exceptions: The most glaring exception to this new policy will be in terms of continued US military aggression. In almost every case, war is about coveting what someone else has. Yet, while our leaders will harangue us with the evils of desiring that which is not ours, it will be one the chief motivating factors as US military forces launch one invasion after another. Sadly, few Americans will notice the connection.

Of course, the other arena in which coveting will be a-ok is when corporate powers and the wealthy elite want something YOU have. If your home happens to be located in a place where they want to build or they've identified some resource in your possession, you're shit out of luck!

How can you defy them? It's all part of God's plan!

If you're interested in reading more from this tongue-in-cheek series, go to the The American Theocracy Index page.

The American Theocracy - Number Nine

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
~ Exodus 20:16, RSV ~

Application: Currently, there are many forms of being untruthful that can land a person in legal doo-doo. The new American theocracy will strengthen most of the current laws and insure that the penalties are more stringent. As outlined previously, blasphemy will be added via federal legislation with severe punishments. In addition, new laws will be added against making scientific claims that contradict fundamentalist Christian belief as well for ANYONE who seeks to instruct or indoctrinate any person in a belief system not congruent with Evangelical Christianity!

Exceptions: Government and church leaders -- in time, it will be difficult to discern the difference -- will be immune from all such laws. They will be able to promise falsely anything under the sun in order to convince the American populace to part with what's left of their meager money, to get them to go along peaceably with the most draconian policies, and willingly to sign-up to go off to fight in and die for every imperialistic war that comes down the pike.

Major corporations will be allowed to continue to lie through their teeth via advertising. They may continue to tell you that their products are healthy and have been tested using the latest unbiased scientific techniques, even when a first grader knows this to be untrue.

The mainstream media will be allowed to sidestep these sorts of regulations as well. The American theocracy will support the mainstream media when they tell the viewing public that they are providing all the news there is to know -- particularly when authorities KNOW the media is barely scratching the surface!

In essence, what these sorts of laws will boil down to is this: We commoners will be held to very strict standards under threat of severe penalties; everybody else can lie at will!

If you're interested in reading more from this tongue-in-cheek series, go to the The American Theocracy Index page.

Tao Bible - Exodus 3:2

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
~ King James version ~

Tao is and follows the way of the cosmos.
~ possible Taoist alternative ~

According to this verse in the Book of Exodus, God appears to Moses as a flaming bush. Defying the laws of nature, the bush burns, but the plant itself is not consumed.

Tao performs no tricks. Though we humans do not understand all the processes that govern the cosmos, Tao is and follows the internal nature of all that is.

If you're interested in reading more from this experimental series, go to the Tao Bible Index page.

The American Theocracy - Number Eight

You shall not steal.
~ Exodus 20:15, RSV ~

Application: As it now stands, stealing is already against the law. So, the new American theocracy won't need to spend much time passing or updating current statutes, though they definitely will work to stiffen the penalties.

Exceptions: While the police, prosecutors and courts will continue to focus almost all of their self-righteous zeal on the crimes of commoners, corporate crime will continue and steadily increase unabated.

Now that religion and government are intertwined, the utilization of eminent domain will take on a perverse spin. The Church will be allowed to take whatever private property it deems "necessary" and the payment of "fair compensation" will become a farce. In fact, in most cases, religious authorities will try to convince property owners to forgo any compensation at all by reminding them that God favors those who are more willing to give than to receive!

Corporations will continue to receive various tax advantages, outright subsidies, no interest loans and taxpayer-funded bailouts. Following the current trend, they will continue to externalize the costs of business. In addition, massive tort reform will shield corporations from significant liability and punitive damages when they despoil the environment, jeopardize the health and safety of workers, and/or their products and services maim and kill members of the general public.

If you're interested in reading more from this tongue-in-cheek series, go to the The American Theocracy Index page.

The American Theocracy - Number Seven

You shall not commit adultery.
~ Exodus 20:14, RSV ~

Application: Laws would be passed to make adultery illegal and punishable by the theocratic court. Current laws on pornography (adultery in the heart) would be strengthened and, under this guise, the government would move to regulate the internet. Only permissible Christian-based websites and blogs would be allowed to continue operation. Stiffer penalties against common prostitutes would be included as well.

Exceptions: As mentioned previously, men convicted of adultery would be fined, but women (those temptresses of God-fearing men!) would be subject to the death penalty.

Church and government leaders would be exempt from punishment under the pornography laws because, well, they need a way to blow off steam after a day spent running the free world, for God's sake!!

While streetwalkers would be subject to heavy fines and long prison sentences, officials would look the other way when it came to high-class call girls -- you know, the ones they have liaisons with before heading home to embrace their "family values"?

In another interesting twist, a presidential Executive Order would be drawn up to shield all clergy from criminal and civil charges in relation to the sexual abuse of minors. Instead of punishing them for their misdeeds and "sins of the flesh," they merely would be transferred to a different church in another region. Hmm. Sort of like they do now!

If you're interested in reading more from this tongue-in-cheek series, go to the The American Theocracy Index page.

The American Theocracy - Number Six

You shall not kill.
~ Exodus 20:13, RSV ~

Application: Various laws will be updated or passed that make certain kinds of killing illegal (or, interestingly enough, legal). For example, if a husband has incontrovertible evidence that his wife has been unfaithful, he may either kill her himself or present her to the local government jurisdiction who will order her death by stoning. Homeowners will be granted the right to kill anyone who trespasses on their private property or molests them or their belongings in any way.

Exceptions: They are legion! For one thing, wives who have incontrovertible evidence that their husbands have been unfaithful will not be allowed to kill them. A wife must present her evidence to the local government jurisdiction, and, if the husband is found guilty, a fine will be levied.

While homeowners, in general, will be granted the right to defend their person and property with deadly force, in cases in which the homeowner is non-white and particularly when the decedent IS white, the incident automatically will be reviewed by the appropriate local court to decide if it was indeed justified. Woe to those who are found to have killed unjustifiably!

Law enforcement will be given blanket permission to utilize deadly force, whenever they alone deem it appropriate. Except in those cases in which an important person is killed, such events will not be subject to review.

Illegal immigrants coming from south of the border may be shot on sight at any time with no questions asked.

The death penalty -- state-sanctioned killing -- will be expanded as the preferred sentence for a long list of crimes, including such subversive activities as interracial marriage, anything that smells of homosexuality, utilizing a science-based argument against approved faith-based beliefs, etc.

Of course, the biggest exception will concern US military aggression. Since the US will only wage war at God's behest, anything goes as we invade one non-Christian nation after another.

If you're interested in reading more from this tongue-in-cheek series, go to the The American Theocracy Index page.

Line by Line - Verse 3, Line 1

Not to value and employ men of superior ability is the way to keep the people from rivalry among themselves;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Not exalting the gifted prevents quarreling.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Do not glorify the achievers So the people will not squabble
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

If you toss compliments around freely, people will waste time trying to impress you.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

As Derek Lin writes in his book,

When we glorify achievers and set them aside for special treatment, people will compete aggressively and step over one another to achieve that glory.

Of course, this is precisely the kind of mentality that pervades American society. People will engage in all sorts of antics -- many of which are wholly unethical -- to win their 15 minutes of fame.

As we saw in the last lines of the previous verse, selfishness is the barrier between each of us and selflessness. The selfless person has no need or use for glory!

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.

The American Theocracy - Number Five

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
~ Exodus 20:12, RSV ~

Application: It will be mandated via Executive Order that ALL school curriculum will include instruction in the principles of honoring one's parents. This order will be extended to include the honoring of elected leaders because as Jesus is head of the Church and husbands are head of each household, the government will be viewed as surrogate parents for all citizens.

Exceptions: As part of the system of honoring parents, child protective services will be eliminated. Most child abuse laws will be stricken from the books because sparing the rod goes against the will of God. New statutes will be added that make it a crime to teach children about other religions and/or to not see to it that each child is enrolled in Sunday School.

While parents are to be honored, this dictate will not apply to single parents who are poor and non-white. Children will be given the right to petition the court to be removed from single parent households and placed into a family with a mother AND a father. Single mothers will be strongly encouraged to marry any "upstanding" man who proposes marriage.

If you're interested in reading more from this tongue-in-cheek series, go to the The American Theocracy Index page.

The American Theocracy - Number Four

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
~ Exodus 20:8, RSV ~

Application: Americans will be strongly encouraged to make attendance at church the focal point of each Sunday. However, in an interesting twist, this encouragement will not be set down in law. Though not a legal mandate, most of the wealthy will treat it as such anyway.

Exceptions: While there will be some debate at reinstating "Blue Laws," the theocratic powers will decide that such laws would put too much of a damper on American capitalism. With most of the high wage jobs now overseas, consumer spending will play a much greater role in keeping the national economy solvent. The malls MUST REMAIN OPEN.

A second consideration against reinstating Blue Laws is that it would make it more difficult for the wealthy elite to keep their lawns mowed and landscaped (among other things). Since the average work week will have increased from 40 to 60 hours and all minimum wage laws have been rescinded by this point, working class individuals may only be available on the Sabbath for the kind of jobs that used to go to illegal Latino immigrants -- those who are now barred completely from entry into the country.

If you're interested in reading more from this tongue-in-cheek series, go to the The American Theocracy Index page.

The American Theocracy - Number Three

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
~ Exodus 20:7, RSV ~

Application: Slander and libel statutes would be rewritten to include the crime of blasphemy. National leaders would encourage citizens to spy on and report to the police or FBI anyone who invoked the name of the Lord to legitimize fraudulent claims to authority.

Exceptions: Televangelists and evangelical speakers would be immune from these laws. They could continue at will to claim anything and everything consistent with fundamentalist beliefs as a method to try to fleece more and more monetary contributions out of their captive American audience.

Elected leaders would also be immune. They could continue to tell Americans that God himself had ordained whatever draconian policies they were instituting or that God himself had instructed them to attack the foreign land of the month.

Average citizens, however, would be dealt with severely if found to be committing blasphemy. Long prison sentences or worse would be par for the course.

If you're interested in reading more from this tongue-in-cheek series, go to the The American Theocracy Index page.

The American Theocracy - Number Two

You shall not make unto you any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth
~ Exodus 20:4, RSV ~

Application: Symbols and imagery that are not connected to Evangelical Christianity will be outlawed. There will be a brief grace period to allow such images to be removed from the public space. After the grace period ends, government officials will order removal and bill the offending party.

In addition to the requirements related to public spaces, clinics will be set up to examine body art on all US residents. Any symbol or image that does not celebrate God/Jesus' mercy on humankind will be removed at the individual's cost plus a punitive fine of $500.

Exceptions: Though it will never be explained to the public, 60 foot tall Jesus statues will be erected in every county. Crosses, depictions of the crucifixion, and all sorts of church-related sculpture and artwork depicting God somehow will be exempt too. If a person tries to point out the rampant contradiction here, they will be thrown in jail.

If you're interested in reading more from this experimental series, go to the Tao Bible Index page.

The American Theocracy - Number One

You shall have no other gods before me.
~ Exodus 20:3, RSV ~

Application: Federal legislation will be passed requiring a prayer to God/Jesus and the Pledge of Allegiance to be recited at the beginning of each and every school day, public event or ceremony, and workday in every American workplace with two or more employees. While it will not YET be mandated (wink, wink), weekly church attendance will be strongly encouraged.

In the beginning stages of the American Theocracy, congregations of other religions will be allowed to continue to meet, but no new building permits will be approved and such institutions will lose their tax-exempt status. After the American Theocracy has taken a firm hold, efforts will be undertaken to outlaw any religion other than Evangelical Christianity.

Exceptions: While the conservative Christan God will be front and center, citizens will be allowed to continue to worship the God of Nationalism as well as the God of Consumerism. Of course, while our leaders pledge their allegiance to God, our Heavenly Father, they will spend most of their time worshiping a far different deity: the God of Earthly Power & Money!

Because most of us peons will be forced to engage in all sorts of church-related activities -- unpaid servitude -- we will be too harried to notice that the wealthy elite is ripping us off left and right. Besides, our ministers and pastors will reinforce the notion that bountiful riches come to those with the greatest faith.

If you're interested in reading more from this tongue-in-cheek series, go to the The American Theocracy Index page.

The American Theocracy

Yes, I'm at it again! I am introducing another one of my patented series. (Have you figured out yet that I really like the series format?) This one will be brief. It will have 10 parts beyond this introduction and will span no more than 3 days.

Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin are the motivating forces. It is a response to something Beck said yesterday from his self-anointed podium at the Lincoln Memorial: "America today begins to turn back to God."

It got me to thinking. What if, in these mixed up times, enough people drink the kool-aid and elect the kind of leaders who will put Beck's rhetoric into practice? What would the new American theocracy look like?

That's when it hit me! We would jettison (actively ignore) all those parts of the US Constitution that conservatives don't like. You know, things like allowing freedom of speech, assembly and religion to those they disagree with. At the same time, we would continue to embrace those parts of the constitution that conservatives love like the right to bear arms.

The biggest change, however, would be incorporating the 10 Commandments (the popular version from Exodus 20:1-17) into all aspects of American life. Every courthouse and government building in the land would be required to post the 10 Cs in a prominent location. All places of worship -- regardless of the religion -- would be required to teach the 10 Cs and, if the leaders of the synagogue, mosque, church or whatever else refused, they would be shutdown.

The 10 Cs would become a regular part of public school curriculum -- along with "creation" science. The 10 Cs would be on billboards, in grocery stores, at the mall, on gas pumps and just about anyplace else a person can think of. Nobody would be able to say they were unaware of the 10 Cs because they would be so ubiquitous!

Over the next 10 posts, I will take an individual look at each of the 10 Cs. Each post will begin with the "holy word" from our heavenly father (written with dripping sarcasm). I will then take a tongue-in-cheek look at how each commandment would be applied as well as all the important exceptions to the rule.

I think this will be fun!

Slumlord Millionaire

As most of my fellow Americans are painfully aware, statistics in regards to the housing market are down across the board. As NPR reports, "New home sales in July were at the weakest levels since the government began keeping records 47 years ago. Existing home sales weren't much better." The median sales price for houses on the market is 20 - 40% lower than it was a few years ago. More and more people are facing foreclosure and/or simply walking away from their homes.

While economists keep telling us that things are bound to turn around -- though reality seems to keep undercutting their rosy forecasts -- it does cause one to question who, if anyone, can rescue so many unoccupied buildings.

Banks aren't lending. One in five Americans is unemployed or under-employed. Most people don't have a few hundred thousands dollars sitting around gathering dust. So, who can afford to jump start housing sales?

In thinking about this issue, the answer I came up with is slumlord millionaires. This is what Wikipedia has say about the word, slumlord:

Traditionally, real estate is seen as a long term investment to most buyers. Especially in the developed world, most landlords will properly maintain their properties even when doing so proves costly in the short term, in order to attract higher rents and more desirable tenants in the long run. A well-maintained property is worth more to potential buyers.

In contrast, slumlords do very little maintenance on their property (ordinarily, just enough to meet minimum local requirements for habitability), and in turn offer low rent rates to lure tenants who will not (or cannot) pay high rent (and/or who might not pass background checks should these be required to live in the higher rent areas). Slumlords of this kind typically prosecute many evictions.

It is not uncommon for slumlords to buy property with little or no down payment, and also to receive rent in cash to avoid disclosing it for tax purposes, providing lucrative short term income. (Thus, in the U.S., slumlords would normally not participate in government-subsidized programs such as Section 8, due to the requirements to report income and keep properties well-maintained.) A slumlord may also hope that his property will eventually be purchased by government for more than it is worth as a part of urban renewal, or by investors as the neighborhood becomes gentrified.

Some slumlords are more interested in profit acquired through property flipping, a form of speculation, rather than rental income. Slumlords with this "business model" may not maintain their properties at all or pay municipal property taxes and fines they tend to accrue in great quantities. Knowing it will take years for a municipality to condemn and seize or possibly raze a property, the slumlord may count on selling it before this happens. Such slumlords may not even keep up with their mortgage payments if they become equity-rich but cash-poor or if they feel they can sell the property before it goes into foreclosure and is taken by their lender, typically a 6-8 month process at the quickest...

Think about this for a moment. With banks not lending to the vast majority, it makes it next too impossible for a working or middle class family to purchase a home in these times. With so many houses on the market, this has led to a decrease in sales prices. So, those few with the money can swoop in to buy lots of property with cash-on-hand or a pool of funds from likewise fat cat investors. And, since the wealthy elite certainly don't want to mix with our kind, it is far more likely that they will be absentee owners.

Who knows? Maybe we will return to a bygone era in which most people live in something akin to a company town. We will live in houses owned by the few who also, by the way, own the local grocery store, newspaper, television station, hospital and the area's elected leaders.

Line by Line - Verse 2, Lines 13-14

The work is done, but how no one can see; 'Tis this that makes the power not cease to be.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Work is done, then forgotten. Therefore it lasts forever.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

It is because they do not dwell on success That it never goes away
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

When the job is finished, they move on to the next job. That's why their work is so damn good.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

In way of explanation for the latter portion of Verse 2, I want to share what Wang An-Shih wrote in 11th century China:

The sage creates but does not possess what he creates. He acts but does not presume on what he does. He succeeds but does not claim success. These three things result from selflessness. Because the sage is selfless, he does not lose his self. Because he does not lose his self, he does not lose others.
~ from Lao-tzu's Taoteching: with Selected Commentaries of the Past 2000 Years by Red Pine ~

How can we achieve selflessness? The first step along the journey is to say goodbye to selfishness. When we can accomplish that, we find ourselves much farther along the road than we might ever have imagined.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.

Locke and Key

This is the final installment of a brief 4-part miniseries. If you haven't read Parts 1, 2 & 3, this one might make more sense if you did.

In Part 3, I looked at the concept of improving perfection in terms of tangible property. In this post, I'm going to address the same general theme in terms of intangible things such as ideas and thoughts.

One of the first aspects we need to look at in regards to knowledge is whether or not there is such a creature as NEW knowledge. I am of the opinion that all of the knowledge in the vast cosmos has always been with us. Therefore, nothing in the realm of thought is new. While it may APPEAR new to a person who has never thought of something before, it is timeless information, notwithstanding.

From this standpoint then, not unlike tangible things, all knowledge is perfect. It is what it is and all that it ever needs to be. So, it begs the question I asked before: How can we humans make something that is perfect MORE perfect?

Also, as with the previous post, we can't improve on perfect knowledge; all we can do is alter our perception of it. While there is no question that we CAN improve on our understanding, this understanding doesn't change the perfect nature of that which we seek to comprehend.

If we return to Locke's formulation, that to make improvements upon raw material is what leads it to be considered property, we find ourselves with the same dilemma as before. If we can't improve knowledge, then how can anyone own it?

I suppose it could be argued that all we own are the alterations of knowledge. However, from my vantage point, such an explanation still is problematic. Any idea or conception that you and I can think up is built upon the foundation of the ideas and conceptions of others, both dead and alive. The words that I'm typing right now are not pulled out of thin air. Each one has been used countless times before.

Not only has each individual word been written or uttered before, but the language, grammar, syntax and spelling rules are not original either. Even if no other person has ever put forth the point I'm trying to make right now, it is still built upon the edifice of previous theories and ideas. So, how can I claim exclusive ownership to any of it?

All in all, the concept of property is a human illusion. What we claim as our own belongs to the cosmos. We hold exclusive title to nothing.

Glenn Beck's Little P

Over and over again, Glenn Beck proclaimed that yesterday's conservative shindig in the nation's capitol was NOT a political event. During most of the festivities, both Beck and the other speakers steered clear of obvious partisan politics. More references were made to the Christian God and President Obama's name never came up.

So does this mean that Beck's rally was indeed a non-political one? Hardly!

While it may not have been Political with a capital P, the whole affair WAS about politics.

Politics is about the power relations within any type of group. Politics rears its head when we discuss the power relations within a nation all the way down to the power relations in your local garden club or your family. It's about how decisions are made and who gets to make them. It's about lobbying others to see issues from your perspective. It's about who gets ahead and who's left behind. In reality, life is politics.

When people like Beck (hey, it happens just as much on the left) want to hide the fact that an event or activity implicitly is political, they play a silly game. They go out of their way not to mention specific political parties, leaders, candidates or substantive issues. By steering clear of what would be considered partisan, they are able to claim falsely that no political motivation is involved.

But how can a person genuinely believe that saying we need to return America to God is NOT an expression of that person's belief in a certain perspective regarding power relations? It openly suggests a specific political course. It openly suggests which specific candidates for public office that a person will support. It openly suggests what types of laws and policies a person will advocate on behalf of. It defines a person's political perspective.

Glenn Beck may not have shaken his big P at the assembled crowd, but his little p definitely was on display.

Social Control

Here's the last of the three-part video that was first posted at 7:00 p.m. I will skip tonight's Tao Bible post to allow time to digest these 3 provocative presentations.