Monday, July 25, 2016

The drama heats up in politics - Democrats and Republicans share equal blame.



Oh brother . . .

As if we didn't have enough drama last week with plagiarism and last-minute Scott Baio cameos, this week with the Democrats promises to be something special.

Julian Assange, founder of Wiki-leaks (a media association that publishes secret information that is leaked from anonymous sources), released 20,000 emails from the Democratic National Committee this weekend - right before the Democrat's Convention this week.  The emails are pretty damaging - damaging enough to force the Democrat National Committee Chairwoman to resign.  

I am not as interested in the politics of it - more interested in the humanity of it.  What I mean to say is that it doesn't matter what political ideology you subscribe to - we are all human and capable of some very manipulative and short-sighted behaviors.

Here is what these emails reveal . . .

 - In one section, the CFO of the Democrat National Committee tries to put Bernie Sanders in a position where he has to talk about his agnosticism - which would presumably cost him votes in a very Christian Kentucky:  "I think I read he's an atheist.  This could make several points difference with my peeps.  My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist."  Now, not only is this bordering on racism but it is plainly manipulative.  His recipients return emails chiming in with 'amen.'

- In other emails, directors within the DNC talk about donors as "clowns" and compare who gave certain amounts of money and whether they get better seats closer to the president of the United States.  They even used donation amounts in ranking who gets to sit where.  It is almost Orwellian the way that they talk about people as pawns in their game of politics.

- In still other emails, leaders of the party are purposefully trying to derail Bernie Sanders' campaign.  These leaders were supposed to be impartial and let the people decide who the nominee should be but it is obvious they are strategizing over how to take Bernie down.  There are plans of payments being made to people who would counter political arguments on social media.  At one point a strategist proposes delivering a narrative that Sanders never had his act together.

. . . the whole thing is a mess.  

And if you think the Republicans operate any differently you are sorely mistaken.  

The true casualty here is Bernie Sanders.  This is what he said:

"I told you a long time ago that the—that the DNC was not running a fair operation, that they were supporting Secretary Clinton. So what I suggested to be true six months ago turns out, in fact, to be true. I’m not shocked, but I am disappointed." 

Sanders goes on to suggest Shultz, the leader of the DNC be fired . . . and that is exactly what happened.  The long-term loyalist to Hillary Clinton was dumped in a heartbeat and the convention will go on with forced smiles and closed curtains.  

And if this is the kind of stuff that is done to get elected - regardless of your political affiliation - can you imagine what might happen if these people were actually in power?

Drama.

One of the dozens of reasons I don't put my faith in Republicans or Democrats . . . and neither should you.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

We don't need more education and laws . . .


This is a dark time in our world . . .


Four weeks ago almost 50 people are shot in a club in Orlando.

Two weeks ago IS was bombing a new city everyday.  Hundreds were killed.

Last week 5 police were shot to death amid days of anti-police protests.

In the last instance the only way to neutralize the situation was to strap a bomb to a robot and blow up the assailant.   I would not have done anything differently - but this is the land of the free, where you are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.  Apparently even justice needs a bomb when evil people decide to capriciously take the lives of the innocent.  We are in a different age - there is a war in our streets.

And all we can do is argue on social media whether you should or should not say, "Black Lives Matter."  

Seriously?

And the best we can come up with is more education.  More laws.  We have the most legislated and educated generation of humans to ever walk the planet and we still are incapable of governing ourselves.  Because for as much as we try to educate or indoctrinate we are human.  

Human - in God's image - capable of realizing great dreams . . . and great nightmares.

Sadly, as humans, we prefer the darkness to light.  Darkness blocks out the light.  Darkness says we prefer to do this on our own.  We can make our own laws.  We just need to educate others about what we are enlightened about.  Jesus is a nice moral example.  The Bible is a nice collection of stories.  Real solutions come from the halls of power and the application of the human will.  It is an error of pride - we can do it ourselves.

This leads to evil.  We don't prefer evil - we just naturally are bent to evil because we think we can do it on our own.  When that backfires it seldom drives us to the light - we prefer the darkness because it hides our ineptitude to govern ourselves.   John 3:19-20 says it well:

God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.  All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 

Without ever admitting we need help in this we will never come out of the darkness we are in.  Pray that we have the sense to turn to God and ask Him to lead us out of this mess.