The following is the transcript from Limbaugh's program on Thursday, speaking of the Haiti Tragedy:
Justin of Raleigh, North Carolina: "Why does Obama say if you want to donate some money, you could go to whitehouse.gov to direct you how to do so? If I wanted to donate to the Red Cross, why do I have to go to the White House page to donate?"
Limbaugh: "Exactly. Would you trust the money's gonna go to Haiti?"
Justin: "No."
Limbaugh: "But would you trust that your name's gonna end up on a mailing list for the Obama people to start asking you for campaign donations for him and other causes?"
Justin: "Absolutely!"
Limbaugh: "Absolutely!"
To read another opinion on Rush Limbaugh, check out Roger Ebert's open letter to Limbaugh.
A Letter to Rush Limbaugh
Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Dangers of Religion
This is not a post designed to speak out against a specific religion, or even the general concept of religion, but to simply sound a warning. Religion has always been used as a tool of understanding and comfort. To paraphrase the musician Jon Brion, we all need filters to view the world, because the whole truth is too overwhelming, and religion is one of these filters. It can be used as a support system, a system of community. But religion can be used to harm as well, and no matter which religion you subscribe to, most would agree with that. Religion is the biggest psychological weapon in history, and like a virus, it spreads person to person.
The KKK, the largest hate crime organization in American History, was, and still is fueled by the Protestant faith, and it targeted minorities such as African Americans, Jews, Foreigners, and other Christian denominations. The exact number of lives lost due to their ignorance and hatred ranges in the thousands. And all of this was morally correct in their minds because their God told them this was the right thing to do.
Uganda is an African Nation largely made up of Christians, 83.9% to be exact (42% Protestant, 41.9% Catholic) and as we speak, they are trying to pass a law that would ban homosexuality, and actually enforce the death penalty on those individuals. Ugandan leaders behind this bill have very close ties to The Family, the most politically well-connected fundamentalist Christian organization in America. The Family, which is comprised of such members as Senator Bill Nelson, Senator Sam Brownback, and Senator Chuck Grassley to name a few, is known for redefining Christianity as a religion of the powerful. It doesn't matter what you do, according to The Family, if you hold a position of power.
The inspiration for this post should be obvious. Earlier this week, Haiti was hit by the biggest earthquake it has experienced in 200 years. Casualties are still unknown, but expected to be in the realm of 100,000 people hurt or killed. The country has been shaken to rubble, and they need help more than ever. And if you can't offer help with money, you can offer help with your words and thoughts. But Mr. Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh decided not to do that. Pat Robertson, the famous American televangelist, stated that Haiti "swore a pact with the devil". “They said, ‘we will serve you if you will get us free from the French.’ True story. And so, the devil said, ‘OK, it’s a deal,’”
“But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after the other,” says Robertson, “That island of Hispaniola is one island. It is cut down the middle on the one side is Haiti the other is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty.” And with that, Robertson blames this natural disaster on the people feeling its wrath. And worse than that, millions of Robertson's followers now subscribe to that same thought: that it was Haiti's fault, and God did this to them. It was God who killed thousands of Haitians, according to Robertson, and they deserved it.
On a more secular note, but equally racist and inflammatory, Rush Limbaugh had to follow with his own comments. Below is an excerpt of a Politico article.
"Speaking on his radio show Wednesday, Limbaugh said the earthquake has played into Obama’s hands, allowing the president to look 'compassionate' and 'humanitarian' while at the same time bolstering his standing in both the 'light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country.' He added: 'We've already donated to Haiti. It’s called the U.S. income tax.'"
Religion is dangerous because it can reach into the deepest parts of genuinely good people and change them. "God's Will" is used freely by opportunists like Robertson, and it means just as much every time it's used. It's a weapon with unlimited ammo, and the only protection from it is a sense of humanity. Haitians are suffering more than Pat Robertson has ever suffered, and they need support from fellow humans. There are so many ways you can give, some of those ways are listed below:
Donate to the Red Cross through iTunes
Partners in Health
This week's planned Human Politics post was postponed for more pressing matters.
The KKK, the largest hate crime organization in American History, was, and still is fueled by the Protestant faith, and it targeted minorities such as African Americans, Jews, Foreigners, and other Christian denominations. The exact number of lives lost due to their ignorance and hatred ranges in the thousands. And all of this was morally correct in their minds because their God told them this was the right thing to do.
Uganda is an African Nation largely made up of Christians, 83.9% to be exact (42% Protestant, 41.9% Catholic) and as we speak, they are trying to pass a law that would ban homosexuality, and actually enforce the death penalty on those individuals. Ugandan leaders behind this bill have very close ties to The Family, the most politically well-connected fundamentalist Christian organization in America. The Family, which is comprised of such members as Senator Bill Nelson, Senator Sam Brownback, and Senator Chuck Grassley to name a few, is known for redefining Christianity as a religion of the powerful. It doesn't matter what you do, according to The Family, if you hold a position of power.
The inspiration for this post should be obvious. Earlier this week, Haiti was hit by the biggest earthquake it has experienced in 200 years. Casualties are still unknown, but expected to be in the realm of 100,000 people hurt or killed. The country has been shaken to rubble, and they need help more than ever. And if you can't offer help with money, you can offer help with your words and thoughts. But Mr. Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh decided not to do that. Pat Robertson, the famous American televangelist, stated that Haiti "swore a pact with the devil". “They said, ‘we will serve you if you will get us free from the French.’ True story. And so, the devil said, ‘OK, it’s a deal,’”
“But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after the other,” says Robertson, “That island of Hispaniola is one island. It is cut down the middle on the one side is Haiti the other is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty.” And with that, Robertson blames this natural disaster on the people feeling its wrath. And worse than that, millions of Robertson's followers now subscribe to that same thought: that it was Haiti's fault, and God did this to them. It was God who killed thousands of Haitians, according to Robertson, and they deserved it.
On a more secular note, but equally racist and inflammatory, Rush Limbaugh had to follow with his own comments. Below is an excerpt of a Politico article.
"Speaking on his radio show Wednesday, Limbaugh said the earthquake has played into Obama’s hands, allowing the president to look 'compassionate' and 'humanitarian' while at the same time bolstering his standing in both the 'light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country.' He added: 'We've already donated to Haiti. It’s called the U.S. income tax.'"
Religion is dangerous because it can reach into the deepest parts of genuinely good people and change them. "God's Will" is used freely by opportunists like Robertson, and it means just as much every time it's used. It's a weapon with unlimited ammo, and the only protection from it is a sense of humanity. Haitians are suffering more than Pat Robertson has ever suffered, and they need support from fellow humans. There are so many ways you can give, some of those ways are listed below:
Donate to the Red Cross through iTunes
Partners in Health
This week's planned Human Politics post was postponed for more pressing matters.
Monday, January 11, 2010
BREAKING: Sarah Palin signs with Fox News
In another attempt to established their "Fair and Balanced" news reporting, Fox News signed on a multi-year agreement with Sarah Palin, adding another passenger in the Noah's Ark of conservative insanity that is Fox News. As if Fox didn't already broadcast her opinions enough, now she gets paid by them to do it, and with them on her side, she has another megaphone as a tool to spread fear, prejudice, and misinformation. More on this as details develop.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Week in Review 01/01: Giuliani, Net Neutrality, & the Death Penalty
Rudy Giuliani states that "we had no domestic attacks under Bush"
On Good Morning America, Rudy Giuliani decided to pitch in his two cents regarding the Christmas Day incident. On the show, Giuliani declared that "we had no domestic attacks under Bush" and "one under Obama." I don't know if this was a piece of history revision or simple forgetfulness. It's hard for me to believe that, out of anyone, Giuliani would forget the exact time and circumstances of September 11th, so I feel comfortable in assuming that this is a GOP strategy. This isn't the first time we've heard this talking point. In fact, Dana Perino (former White House Press Secretary and ironically appointed to Broadcasting Board of Governors by Obama) stated, word for word, that we had no terrorist attacks under Bush on Fox News in November.
Argument by Repetition is a dangerous fallacy, and one well known by politicians in every party. If major political figures continue to publicly state that America was never attacked under the Bush Administration, people will believe it, and history will be socially revised. The GOP is going up against the toughest competitor out there: facts. The largest terrorist attack in America's history occurred under the Bush Administration, and there were signs that they dismissed. Following 9/11, Anthrax killed 5 people and threatened thousands, including Senators. And after that, we had the shoe-bomber, who was as unsuccessful as this last plot. If we're going to criticize, we must use the same standards. It is way too early to start bending factual history to fit the bill, and it is far too disrespectful to disregard the lives lost under Bush, here at home and abroad.
Comcast and the FCC continue to fight over Net Neutrality
Courts are now in the process of deciding whether or not the FCC has the authority to force major internet providers such as Comcast to treat all internet content equally. This started when Comcast decided to significantly cripple or full-out block high traffic BitTorrent downloads. This goes completely against the entire concept of the internet. For the most part, the internet is the closest thing we have seen to a true Democracy in the real world. No matter what the content may be, or even what the source of the content is, it has a place on the internet. Technically, a small blog like this has just as much of an audience potential as a large website like CNN.com does. If Net Neutrality becomes a thing of the past, large companies like Comcast would be able to control bandwidth flow to benefit themselves and their partners. Comcast argues that they would offer "premium" services for higher prices, which would cut the free flow of information to people who could not afford it. The beauty of the internet is that with a phone line, you have access to the same information and education as everyone else. The internet is a classless system that works for everyone except multi-billion dollar companies, and while there's really nothing wrong with seeking more revenue through advertising and more services, the internet must remain classless.
Less and less executions happening in the US
On a good note, the number of executions happening in the US is diminishing. Kansas is close to being the third state in the United States to ban the death penalty. This is a huge step forward for America. Whatever argument you may have for or against the Death Penalty, it comes down to the fact that the government has the right to kill any of its citizens. No one has the right to take someone's life away, let alone a government. Crime is a complicated social problem, and it can't be solved by simply killing those who commit it. To quote one of my favorite authors, Douglas Coupland, "I believe that what separates humanity from everything else in this world [...] is that humanity alone has the capacity at any given moment to commit all possible sins." Crime needs to be solved socially, not clinically, not fatally.
Next Week on Human Politics
The last decade launched three Revolutions, and for better or worse, they will determine our future. That's next time, on Human Politics.
On Good Morning America, Rudy Giuliani decided to pitch in his two cents regarding the Christmas Day incident. On the show, Giuliani declared that "we had no domestic attacks under Bush" and "one under Obama." I don't know if this was a piece of history revision or simple forgetfulness. It's hard for me to believe that, out of anyone, Giuliani would forget the exact time and circumstances of September 11th, so I feel comfortable in assuming that this is a GOP strategy. This isn't the first time we've heard this talking point. In fact, Dana Perino (former White House Press Secretary and ironically appointed to Broadcasting Board of Governors by Obama) stated, word for word, that we had no terrorist attacks under Bush on Fox News in November.
Argument by Repetition is a dangerous fallacy, and one well known by politicians in every party. If major political figures continue to publicly state that America was never attacked under the Bush Administration, people will believe it, and history will be socially revised. The GOP is going up against the toughest competitor out there: facts. The largest terrorist attack in America's history occurred under the Bush Administration, and there were signs that they dismissed. Following 9/11, Anthrax killed 5 people and threatened thousands, including Senators. And after that, we had the shoe-bomber, who was as unsuccessful as this last plot. If we're going to criticize, we must use the same standards. It is way too early to start bending factual history to fit the bill, and it is far too disrespectful to disregard the lives lost under Bush, here at home and abroad.
Comcast and the FCC continue to fight over Net Neutrality
Courts are now in the process of deciding whether or not the FCC has the authority to force major internet providers such as Comcast to treat all internet content equally. This started when Comcast decided to significantly cripple or full-out block high traffic BitTorrent downloads. This goes completely against the entire concept of the internet. For the most part, the internet is the closest thing we have seen to a true Democracy in the real world. No matter what the content may be, or even what the source of the content is, it has a place on the internet. Technically, a small blog like this has just as much of an audience potential as a large website like CNN.com does. If Net Neutrality becomes a thing of the past, large companies like Comcast would be able to control bandwidth flow to benefit themselves and their partners. Comcast argues that they would offer "premium" services for higher prices, which would cut the free flow of information to people who could not afford it. The beauty of the internet is that with a phone line, you have access to the same information and education as everyone else. The internet is a classless system that works for everyone except multi-billion dollar companies, and while there's really nothing wrong with seeking more revenue through advertising and more services, the internet must remain classless.
Less and less executions happening in the US
On a good note, the number of executions happening in the US is diminishing. Kansas is close to being the third state in the United States to ban the death penalty. This is a huge step forward for America. Whatever argument you may have for or against the Death Penalty, it comes down to the fact that the government has the right to kill any of its citizens. No one has the right to take someone's life away, let alone a government. Crime is a complicated social problem, and it can't be solved by simply killing those who commit it. To quote one of my favorite authors, Douglas Coupland, "I believe that what separates humanity from everything else in this world [...] is that humanity alone has the capacity at any given moment to commit all possible sins." Crime needs to be solved socially, not clinically, not fatally.
Next Week on Human Politics
The last decade launched three Revolutions, and for better or worse, they will determine our future. That's next time, on Human Politics.
Friday, January 1, 2010
The Era of American Humility
The last decade had to be one of the worst decades in American History. It began with September 11, 2001, and it ended with the worst recession in our nation's history since The Great Depression. For the majority of the last 10 years, America was under the control of an opaque Administration that used questionable and possibly Unconstitutional methods to "protect" it, all while destroying America's image internationally. Things were bad. America, be it the government or the people who elected it, decided to make the first decade of the new Millennium one of bridge burning, and destructive decisions that would take much longer than 10 years to undo. And now, on the first week of a new decade, we are left with the rubble. So what is there to do? We must make this new decade into the complete opposite of the last. America must stand for Peace and Diplomacy rather than War and Invasion. We must recognize the World Community, join it, and work with other Nations, instead of rejecting the concept of Foreign Policy. We have to begin a new Era of American Humility.
When President Obama met with the Emperor of Japan last year, he bowed down in respect, and the media went wild.
This was considered a sign of weakness and shame to a lot of Americans. The President of the United States should never bow to anyone, said many pundits. How can we demand respect from other nations if we are not willing to respect them back? How could we ever work together with other nations on making the world a safer, cleaner place if we don't come to the table with humility? We need to stop viewing humility as a sign of weakness, but as a virtue. The reason why President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize is because he ran his campaign with a message of humility and hope, rather than power, force, and fear. The reason he won is because he actually showed the International Community that America wanted change, and that America would change. This recent terror plot on Christmas Day shows that we cannot keep America safe by ourselves. We cannot reverse the effects of Global Warming by ourselves. We need help, a lot of it. And it's in every country's interest to help us, to help each other, to help themselves. We could lead a movement of International cooperation. That is diplomacy. That is what we are suppose to be the best at.
Big Stick Diplomacy has been America's unofficial policy since the early 1900s. "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick" is a quote credited to President Theodore Roosevelt, and it's taught in every High School American History Class. It's that big stick that has damned America in the eyes of the world. It's that Mafia-like method of sweet-talking while holding a person hostage that makes America look arrogant and dangerous. It puts America on the dark side morally, no matter how hard we tout that we are a force for good. It doesn't matter how softly you speak, as long as you're holding on to that stick, with the intent to use it. The longer we hang on to that stick, the more people will try to take it away from us by force. The more we continue to use brute force, the more brute force will be used against us. We need to drop the stick act. That doesn't mean America has to literally drop our guard, but we must figuratively do so. We must prove to the world that the soft spoken words are true and meaningful, rather than just a formality or precursor to attack. We have to give the stick a rest and let our genuine desire to help come through. That is the best policy of homeland security. That's the only way we can ever achieve long-term security and peace.
On that note, let me end this entry with a quick note about this blog. This has been my first update in several months, and for that, I apologize. Starting this year, I will try my hardest to consistently update this blog. Every week, I will round up the headlines and write short opinion pieces on a few interesting events. Whenever something big happens, I will then write a Special Comment entry about it. Whoever you are out there, reading this, I hope this blog makes you think, or at least make you pause. There are so many sides to everything, and it's my honest belief that if you choose respect, humility, and understanding, you will always be on the right side.
Thanks, and Happy New Year.
Andre
When President Obama met with the Emperor of Japan last year, he bowed down in respect, and the media went wild.
This was considered a sign of weakness and shame to a lot of Americans. The President of the United States should never bow to anyone, said many pundits. How can we demand respect from other nations if we are not willing to respect them back? How could we ever work together with other nations on making the world a safer, cleaner place if we don't come to the table with humility? We need to stop viewing humility as a sign of weakness, but as a virtue. The reason why President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize is because he ran his campaign with a message of humility and hope, rather than power, force, and fear. The reason he won is because he actually showed the International Community that America wanted change, and that America would change. This recent terror plot on Christmas Day shows that we cannot keep America safe by ourselves. We cannot reverse the effects of Global Warming by ourselves. We need help, a lot of it. And it's in every country's interest to help us, to help each other, to help themselves. We could lead a movement of International cooperation. That is diplomacy. That is what we are suppose to be the best at.
Big Stick Diplomacy has been America's unofficial policy since the early 1900s. "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick" is a quote credited to President Theodore Roosevelt, and it's taught in every High School American History Class. It's that big stick that has damned America in the eyes of the world. It's that Mafia-like method of sweet-talking while holding a person hostage that makes America look arrogant and dangerous. It puts America on the dark side morally, no matter how hard we tout that we are a force for good. It doesn't matter how softly you speak, as long as you're holding on to that stick, with the intent to use it. The longer we hang on to that stick, the more people will try to take it away from us by force. The more we continue to use brute force, the more brute force will be used against us. We need to drop the stick act. That doesn't mean America has to literally drop our guard, but we must figuratively do so. We must prove to the world that the soft spoken words are true and meaningful, rather than just a formality or precursor to attack. We have to give the stick a rest and let our genuine desire to help come through. That is the best policy of homeland security. That's the only way we can ever achieve long-term security and peace.
On that note, let me end this entry with a quick note about this blog. This has been my first update in several months, and for that, I apologize. Starting this year, I will try my hardest to consistently update this blog. Every week, I will round up the headlines and write short opinion pieces on a few interesting events. Whenever something big happens, I will then write a Special Comment entry about it. Whoever you are out there, reading this, I hope this blog makes you think, or at least make you pause. There are so many sides to everything, and it's my honest belief that if you choose respect, humility, and understanding, you will always be on the right side.
Thanks, and Happy New Year.
Andre
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