Saturday, February 26, 2011

Olive Branches & Limits Of Compromise

On Feb. 26, 2011 the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel offered the editorial "Offer an oliver branch" as advise to Wisconsin's Republicans. This editorial suggests that Wisconsin Republicans compromise with the Legislature's Democrat Senators. As the Editors pointed out, this would NOT be a reflection of what Democrats did, two years' ago, when the People reelected that Party to control of our State's government and a tax increase bill was inflicted, without debate, on Wisconsin by Democrats.

Keep in mind: Compromise with a child's (Or the wearers of jail-house-orange shirted mobs') tantrums only encourages more of the same; Compromise with law breakers (eg Street criminals, unlawfully absent teachers and State Senators) does the same; Compromise with pirates (As in Somalia), dictators (eg Hitler) and other evil men only encourages them to expand their evil.

This is based on both the evidence of scientific psychology and the examples of history. (To paraphrase: Those who do not study, learn from and act upon the lessons of history will be condemned to repeat it.)

In other words, there is a boundry between "compromise as the "life-blood of politics" and illicit, asinie and crime-producing compromise. The noted editorial encouraged the latter.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Christ & Self-Defense

Jesus the Christ sent his disciples out without any possession to spread "The Good News" (Luke 22:35). Upon their return and (Can we assume?) because of what they experienced on that earlier expedition on the dangerous roads and among the contentious people of Israel and surrounding areas, He had other instructions and commands for them.

Among those other commands was that they should do every thing possible (Including selling their most basic garments) to obtain swords. When his disciples presented him with the two such weapons they had, He said: "They are sufficient" or "They are enough" (Variation by translation for the balance of Luke 22:35). Since the Christ was NOT sending out armies to reestablish an independent Israel (A disappointment to some of his followers), two swords appeared to be "sufficient" to protect his law-abiding followers on their travels.

Now--I have read a variety of interpretations of these verses which all appear to be pathological pacifists' misreadings of plain text. Some have claimed that Jesus was being sarcastic or ironic or using a parable--Without any proofs of that and in opposition to the most direct statement and the usual parable-style of His other teachings.

Others have claimed that Jesus, the "Prince of Peace", would not support the arming of his followers with swords (The AK-47s or AR-15s of that era), conveniently forgetting his whipping out of the money changers in the Temple, his words about child abusers and Judas and the frequent Words about the punishment of evil doers and unworthy servants.

Yes--He did teach peace and "turning the other cheek"--To insults. However, there is nothing in the Gospel teaching that anyone should submit to such criminal attacks as murder, rape, robbery, genocide (The use of which are supported by the Koran, Nazi ideology and practices and the injustices inflicted by other tyrants now and throughout history),

We should also remember: The advice of St. John the Baptist to the soldiers, which was NOT to give up their swords and profession; The writings of St. Paul as to the State's authority to use the sword to punish wrongdoers; And, the very clear advise of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (In his De Laude Novae Militae) as to waging war against those who attack Christians (Muslims in his time and, as likely as not, in our time).

Pathological Pacifists Worshiping Death

In recent months I have had many contacts with a couple who I can only describe as “pathological pacifists”. These individuals BELIEVE that it is against the teachings of Jesus the Christ to offer any resistance to evil doers, even murderers, rapists, child-molester, arsonists, the Jihad-waging followers of the false prophet Mohammed and others of that ilk. They BELIEVE that no Christian should ever, never, use deadly force to resist those monsters.

I could not get them to directly address the Christ's acts and words of violence. Most specially I could not get them to directly address Jesus' absolute command to his disciples to arm themselves with swords (The AK-47s and AR-16s of that time) as noted in Luke 22:36-38; Two swords being enough to protect the disciples on the bandit infested roads of that day, yet not enough to give the impression of any attempt to set up a worldly kingdom.

Those pathological pacifists, in fact, worship death and, doing so, are no better than the Thugee of India, the blood cultists of the Aztecs Hitler's SS and, most specially, those who follow the teachings of the Koran.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Teach Intolerance!

Today I noted some return address labels, in my collection from various charitable organizations, which read "Teach Tolerance".

Rather I would prefer such as state "Teach Intolerance!"! That is, teach intolerance of murder, genocide, rape, enslavement, perpetual war, those who oppose real science and creative arts, equal and Natural rights for all humans and the like.

In other words, teach intolerance of Nazism, Fascism, Atheistic Communism AND, especially in this era, Islam (As there are no declared "moderate Muslims").

Oh, I threw the noted labels away.

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Congress & GOP Leading By Example---NOT

Buried in today's paper was an article noting that the Congress has proposed a cut in its budget much smaller than that proposed for the other parts of our government.

Now that the Republican Party has control of the House Of Representatives, out of which all money spending Bills must come, there is no excuse for this horrid example of "do as I say and not as I do" anti-philosophy.

I will "believe" that Republicans are sincere and effective about controlling our Federal government's spending when they initiate and force through such measures as would: Reduce their salaries by 10% until such time as we have a balanced budget without borrowing money; Require Members and their staff to pay "fair market value" for such fringe benefits as retirement, health insurance, hair cuts, meals in the Congress' restaurants and the other like "goodies" they get; Require members to cut their staff budgets by 10% (Same condition as above; And, without "out-sourcing")

The House can also cut the number and grossly over-pay of Federal bureaucrats; And, should start with Mr. Obama's Czars who are not subject to the same Congressional control as the already in-place Department Secretaries and Under-Secretaries.

Any refusal by Democrats will make good "ammo" for the GOP's use in the 2012 election. Refusal by Republicans would provide the "other Party" with far too much like "ammo".

I will believe the effectiveness of "Tea Party" organizations when they make very public either parties' Members refusal to go along with such measures