Re: 2020 Political Chatter
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ides1056
"The great problem of American political discourse has always been – strangely for such a Biblical culture – a refusal to accept the idea of original sin. Tragic narratives are driven by some version of this idea: something went wrong at the beginning and, until it is confronted and expiated, it will continue to play itself out in havoc and pain.
Biden has to create a bold departure from the hollow promises of the American dream and towards a new, real equality.
The mainstream American narrative has worked in the opposite direction. The foundational acts are sacred. If the present has gone wrong, it is because we have deviated from our origins. We must return to those foundations and we will be great again. Trump repeated exactly this story; Biden must break from it once and for all."
https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...ca-great-again
Speaking of biblical, going off tangent, but what I have always found peculiar about American political discourse is how "God" is uttered at almost every turn, starting with "God bless America", whereas many countries go out of their way to not mention that 3 letter word in order to at least appear to be consistent with the notion of separation of church and state. I think that an interesting exercise would be substituting every utterance of "God" with the analogue (some might characterise it as the synonym) from another culture, "Allah", and see what sort of impression Americans get from the same discourse.
Back on topic (of sorts), I suppose this shouldn't be surprising, but I still find myself shaking my head:
'I’m facing a prison sentence': US Capitol rioters plead with Trump for pardons
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
I have thought the public admonishment of God to bless America expressed a singular arrogance and misunderstanding of this fundamental relationship, State to Almighty, or State<Almighty.
Bless God, America is more like it.
Were this the object of the christian right.
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
She's not actually that into you, but you might be a getting a visit from the FBI!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/techn...ting-app-bans/
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ides1056
I have thought the public admonishment of God to bless America expressed a singular arrogance and misunderstanding of this fundamental relationship, State to Almighty, or State<Almighty.
Bless God, America is more like it.
Were this the object of the christian right.
And also to quote/add on to Chik (can’t figure out how to do two quotes)...
Interesting few paragraphs about this/ separation of church and state/ how other countries are insistent on NOT plastering « In God we trust » etc everywhere in Fareed Zakaria’s excellent book « Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World ». One line is (this is from memory so not a direct quote) « how would Americans feel about the phrase if you substituted the word Allah for God every place you saw the phrase? »
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ides1056
I have thought the public admonishment of God to bless America expressed a singular arrogance and misunderstanding of this fundamental relationship, State to Almighty, or State<Almighty.
Bless God, America is more like it.
Were this the object of the christian right.
I'm always amazed at my christian friends on the right who don't quite understand that this Country was founded on Religious Freedoms. A portion of the Founding Fathers were Deist's not Christian, and it blows their minds when they Google it. Most of them then have to figure out what a Deist actually is they got tired of the Mad King telling them how to Worship.
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
I listened to FDR's "Four Freedoms" speech last week and thought, freedom of worship is also freedom from worship; freedom of religion is freedom from religion.
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
When testifying in a US court, does one still have to put a hand on the Bible and swear to be truthful? Or, is that no longer done?
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
We should maybe start grifters gonna grift thread.... but in our ongoing fish rotting analogies... but maybe shit attracts flies is better here.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...wayne-lapierre
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Chik
When testifying in a US court, does one still have to put a hand on the Bible and swear to be truthful? Or, is that no longer done?
Still done in some jurisdictions but not universal/mandatory. I'm surprised the damn thing didn't burst into flames when I've touched it in that setting. I'd feel better if they used a copy of The Rider.
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Chik
When testifying in a US court, does one still have to put a hand on the Bible and swear to be truthful? Or, is that no longer done?
In my experiences of court (in upstate NY as well as NH) - this wasn't done. As a fact witness all I had to do was "affirm" that I was telling the truth.
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
Quote:
Originally Posted by
monadnocky
In my experiences of court (in upstate NY as well as NH) - this wasn't done. As a fact witness all I had to do was "affirm" that I was telling the truth.
I do some online trivia with some of my buddies via Zoom each week and this exact issue is in one of my questions. Presidents may recite the oath of office and may "affirm" that they will uphold the duties rather than "swear" that they will uphold the duties. Which president did this? Also, not all presidents have used a Bible. Name one who didn't?
Given the charged days we live in, presidential trivia has been my hot topic to stump my friends.
Back to the point, there's no doubt in my mind that "God" is used far too much in public context in which it has no place here IMHO - "In God We Trust", "One nation, under God....", etc. Some conveniently seem to forget the "with liberty and justice for all" part but I digress.
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Saab2000
...Also, not all presidents have used a Bible. Name one who didn't?
I just looked up the answer, as I had no idea, and this certainly wasn't in my top 5 guesses.
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
To say that the trump administration was completely bizarre and nonsensical is the understatement of the century, but i think one of the funnier ones is the My Pillow guy. on what planet does the president of the united states listen to an advisor who's qualifications include a spammy pillow company and not much else. the conspiracy theories are so far fetched, but i guess you can always find someone to agree with you and egg you on...
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mypillow-...015719953.html
Quote:
During the meeting, Lindell says that he informed President Trump—who after inspiring a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol last week still hasn’t accepted that his Democratic opponent beat him in the 2020 presidential election—that materials alleging China and other nations’ involvement in a supposed anti-Trump election-hacking operation were “all over the internet,” but were being suppressed by Big Tech.
In the brief meeting, Lindell, a staunch Trump ally (who has also been a major financial backer of several legal efforts and rallies to try to nullify the 2020 election outcome) told the president, “Mr. President, this is real, you really won by at least 10 million votes.”
Lindell said Trump replied by saying, “Well, yeah, we all know there was fraud, Mike.”
https://deadline.com/wp-content/uplo...006.jpg?w=1024
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AngryScientist
To say that the trump administration was completely bizarre and nonsensical is the understatement of the century, but i think one of the funnier ones is the My Pillow guy. on what planet does the president of the united states listen to an advisor who's qualifications include a spammy pillow company and not much else. the conspiracy theories are so far fetched, but i guess you can always find someone to agree with you and egg you on...
He was also a crack addict and alcoholic, and downgraded by the BBB and sued for false claims in CA. He's so much more than a pillow guy.
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
A classmate of my brother's when he was in boarding school was caught shagging his pillow, earning the moniker "Pillow Man" for the rest of his school days, maybe more.
I think of this every time this clown shows up.
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ides1056
A classmate of my brother's when he was in boarding school was caught shagging his pillow, earning the moniker "Pillow Man" for the rest of his school days, maybe more.
Thread Drift: My high school had "The Coke Bottle Kid" ...I sometimes wonder if the poor guy ever escaped that stigma.
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bigbill
He was also a crack addict and alcoholic, and downgraded by the BBB and sued for false claims in CA. He's so much more than a pillow guy.
Love to read the CV of these Far Right guys at the top of the administration. And all that financed by taxpayers.
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
Some orange but on the side of beauty. Lydon and Ginger Baker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq7JSic1DtM
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bigbill
He was also a crack addict and alcoholic, and downgraded by the BBB and sued for false claims in CA. He's so much more than a pillow guy.
I downgraded someone? Sounds like he deserved it...
Re: 2020 Political Chatter
I am darkly amused at the grasping for excuses I see from rioters, particularly those who claim they were acting as citizen journalists. After 4 years of shouting about fake news and journalists who need to be jailed you now claim the right to declare a press pass for yourself?