Secular Humanity

Sarah Palin chose probably the slowest news cycle time in the entire summer to drop a bombshell announcement, that not only is she not going to run for a second term as governor, she is quitting and leaving Alaska to the Lt. Governor. She claims it's to save Alaska from the cost, both time and money, spent defending baseless accusations against her governorship. What's really behind it?

Did Sarah Palin commit political suicide? Probably, but was it on purpose? Is she really going to fade to black, leaving political aspirations behind and thinking only of family? Or does she think she is outsmarting the opposition, looking to propel her political career into a 2012 presidential run, or at least an anchor job on FOX News?

The early commentary is that she ruined her chances, nothing short of a political disaster. I don't think it's over for her yet. True, the Republicans did manage to find themselves a major candidate even dumber than George Bush. But I think the gamer in Sarah Palin sees something, and it's not just Russia.

Joan of Arc, or Sarah of Wasilla?

She sees a conservative base more and more angry, afraid, and lashing out. She sees people sure the end of the world is around the corner and Socialism is its name. And like any rabid fundamentalist movement, they need a martyr.

Sure, she comes off to many Americans as letting Mark Sanford drop a spot on the crazy Republican governor list. That she imagines herself a conservative Joan of Arc, being burned at the keyboard of the liberal media just reinforces the image. But what's our Sarah to do?

Look for her to show up here and there, especially in support of conservative candidates, and on FOX News. Hell, she may even get a spot following Huckabee. And she will milk that martyr image for all it's worth. And she will draw huge crowds. Crying conservatves with signs like "Run baby, run!" Will it work to get her a party nomination? It well could. And smart liberals would welcome it.

A strong Sarah Palin movement will only serve to further alienate the conservative base as a movement on the edge. The edge of sanity, some might say - but at least the edge of the mainstream, unable to reach out in any meaningful way to centrists.

Of course, I could be completely wrong, she could be sincere in her words about moving away from politics, but her speech sounded more like a badly disjointed political rally. And that won't hurt her a bit with her fans. Time will tell, indeed.

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You can't have a valid opinion on climate change if you think the earth is 6,000 years old.

July 2nd 2009 00:27

Science and religion mix like oil and water. Most people have heard that before - I would say science and religion mix like rocks and water. Sure, enough rocks can hold back alot of water, but sooner or later, if there is enough water, it spills over the rocks of ignorance and knowledge moves ahead.

It's interesting to note, those who believe some of the most outlandish mythologies are the first to deny real knowledge. Not surprising, really. Since people first began to question the world around them mythologies have arisen to explain the unexplainable. As time went on, what had been explained through myth gave way to scientific method.

Still, many find themselves either unable or unwilling to move out of the shadows of myth and embrace knowledge. It's easier to continue the myth, to stay with the familiar. What, for example, is the factor most responsible for determining what religion a person will follow?

Where they are born, of course. A child born in South Carolina isn't likely to grow up to become a Muslim, unless that is his or her family tradition already. Kids in Iran aren't overwhelmingly Christian. Some move on from the comforting power of myth and seek real knowledge, but their numbers aren't big in fundamentalist societies.

The tragic arises from the fact that every fundamentalist thinks their way is the only way, and the others are dismissed as heretics or even worse "non-believers." The non-believer suddenly has less value - and is therefore easier to dehumanize.

What else do all the fundamentalist religious sects share? A disdain for knowledge, for art, for anything not reinforcing their narrow world view. They view science as enemy, free thought as poison, and a questioning mind as heresy. The mindset spills over into every facet of life.

The denial of science is part and parcel of the fundamentalist belief, whether it be evolution or climate change, or any other topic of scientific import. And to allow anyone that holds views of obvious denial don't deserve even a minute of respect for those views. It's one thing to say "live and let live, believe what you want," but when those beliefs threaten our ability to tend to clear and present dangers like global climate change.

Sure, not all science denials come from religious fundamentalists. There are plenty of corporate hack "scientists" who will claim anything their handlers tell them to, for the right money. And there are some who don't fit either description, but are so blinded by their ideology as to listen to whatever their spokespeople tell them to. "Dittoheads" could bring themselves to go against Rush anymore than a fundamentalist Christian will go against James Dobson.

They will throw out nonsensical arguments like "the earth is cooling." And it is, right now, a little bit. It's because we are in a period of extremely low sun spot activity. That won't last forever, and the greenhouse foundation will still be there. When Florida is only one county or two after rising sea levels, it's too late to try to stop it.

Point is, we need real solutions to real problems that won't be solved by praying or giving into denial. We need to plan now for a future changed by what we are doing to our environment. And anyone who wishes to believe in fairy tales needs to step aside for real leadership.

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Conservatives and health care in America

July 1st 2009 02:53

Just who are Senate conservatives working for, anyway?

I use the term Senate conservatives because there are enough turncoat Democrats on the take from health insurance companies that real health care reform is in danger. Senators like Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Max Baucus (D-MT) have come out against a public health care option just when we need a solid front for real reform.

Even Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) who is one of my home state Senators, won't come out and endorse single-payer or a public option. He has championed health care reform for years, and is behind his Healthy Americans Act that would go along way - but he hasn't come out for a public option. I admire so much of what Senator Wyden has accomplished for Oregon, I wish he wouldn't disappoint me.

What's a big potential problem? Pure and simple, money. The real power behind so much of what is wrong in America today, corporate money. With so much on the line, health insurance companies, big pharmaceutical companies, private hospitals - all have been stuffing the pockets of politicians for years in order to pre-empt change.

So much money and undue influence are in play that the health care battle may just represent the last, best chance for a restoration of American democracy. If the overwhelming majority of Americans who want at least a single-payer option are ignored, it may be the death knell for representative government in America for the foreseeable future. Corporatism will have won out, and we will find ourselves at the whim of the powerful corporate elite.

It's a given that the Republicans in Congress are bought and paid for by corporate special interests. It's a shame that many Democrats may be also. It will help now that Al Franken will be allowed to take his rightfully won Senate seat - yes, the Senate is that tight where one vote counts big.

Conservatives babble on about how including at least a public option will "destroy the best health care system in the world" although stat after stat doesn't bear that out. We pay double the next highest country for health care, and are behind in every measure of outcome. It's broken, and getting worse by the day.

Most Americans know it, and want real action. A recent poll indicated 76 percent of Americans want at least a public option, and 56 percent favor outright single-payer. Where is their voice? Common in the recent protests in Iran were signs that said "where's my vote?" Will Americans need signs asking "when will my vote count?"

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What Americans could learn from Iranians

June 18th 2009 00:58

The election in Iran was pitched as reformer against hardliner, the future against the past. Although little might have changed if the "reformer" Mir Hossein Mousavi defeated "hardliner" Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, so much could have changed.

The presidency of Iran isn't as powerful as many think, with ultimate power being held by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The cleric holds power to overrule the president whenever he sees fit, and to guide him to the policies Khamenei deems important. Still, the president of Iran holds a big spot on the world stage, and has power to address issues, as long as he remains in context with the clerics

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Jim Stillman, SLB, and the "great debate"

June 16th 2009 02:01

My friend Jim Stillman entered into a debate with Orble's most infamous blogger, S.L. Bradish. The topic picked was abortion, a stickng point between right and left, to be sure. Jim did himself and his viewpoint proud, and I commend him for it!

It's a hard thing to do, try to speak logic to a right wing ideologue. I've heard it compared to trying to teach calculus to a monkey. Surely that must be easier. The far right is entrenched in it's firm opposition to women's reproductive rights, and not just on abortion. Every aspect of the reproductive process and a woman's decisions regarding it are targets for the far right

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Single payer health care for America

June 11th 2009 04:21

If you listen to everyone from right wing pundits to the conservative on the street, they will tell you Democrats are bringing "socialized medicine" to America, and it will ruin "the best health care system in the world." Few of them actually understand what that means, or what it would do for American health care.

First, it's a mistake to say "best health care in the world." In reality, it's only the most expensive. Not even in the top 20 in terms of actual results. Why the discrepancy? In short, for-profit insurance companies. Sure, if you've got the money, you'll get great health care. If you can afford Cedar Sinai, you have little to complain about. If, on the other hand, you aren't insured are find yourself under-insured, good luck

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Michele Bachmann and ACORN....two of a kind?

June 7th 2009 03:14

It seems some on the right think ACORN stands for the devil incarnate, out to eliminate the American Way and destroy capitalism whilst corrupting America's virgin youth and eating kittens.

Glenn Beck seems to have taken the point against ACORN, having a special one hour episode on FOX trying to demonize the organization. With zeal akin to Simon Wiesenthal hunting down Nazi war criminals, Beck scoured the country looking for real and imagined ACORN infractions. He found problems, of course. There were, and are, investigations of ACORN and it's employees

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Bush deficits vs. Obama deficits

June 6th 2009 23:38

To say Obama's deficit proposals are better than those of the president who preceded him sounds like a partisan apologist just making a statement. It's not, and here's why. There are differences in what the spending does and how it affects the country and the economy.

The deficits of the Bush Administration were due in large part to excessive and unnecessary war spending as well as irresponsible tax cuts to the wealthy. The extra spending did nothing but increase debt with no tangible returns to anyone except corporate cronies from companies like Halliburton and such. Most Americans saw their real earning power decrease and their debts increase, all while the costs of health care exploded

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Sims 3 allows same-sex marriage!

June 6th 2009 19:36

As America moves toward the inevitable recognition that same-sex couples deserve the same rights as heterosexual couples, another barrier comes down as the latest version of the popular game The Sims allows same-sex marriage.

With the release of The Sims 3, gamers can do something many real people cannot. Of course, that's common in gaming, real people can't fly through walls or shoot a couple of hundred people in an hour. But by allowing gay marriage, the creators of The Sims 3 do more than just allow the fantastic, they help to move social progress ahead

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A solution for the same-sex marriage debate

June 1st 2009 04:55

The debate just keeps on going about gay marriage, even though it is fairly obvious that at some point the wall will come down and gay marriage will not be looked on any differently than other forms of marriage.

What's the most often touted reason those against gay marriage give for their opposition? That it threatens the foundations of what they hold dear. That marriage is a deeply personal and religious matter that they feel is mortally wounded if gays are allowed to marry. So, why not make a compromise that lets them hold on to their ceremony, but makes them no different from the gays they so which to minimize

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