Category Archives: Culture

Moore Trouble Than It’s Worth

Culture, Politics

 

Having been born and raised in the South, I still bristle at some of the unfair stereotypes portrayed in cartoons and movies of anyone who uses the term “y’all” or thinks white sauce with sausage crumbs makes everything taste better.  Yet for every Nobel laureate or Pulitzer Prize winner from below the Mason-Dixie line, there is always someone stealing the spotlight who sets us back a century or more.  The most recent recipient of the “What New South?” award is the Republicans’ chosen candidate for the U.S. Senate from Alabama.

roy-mooreOver the best efforts of the Republican establishment (or what’s left of it post Trumpism), twice ousted, former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court Roy Moore was nominated to fill Jeff Sessions unfinished term.  Just in case you’re not familiar with Judge Moore, here are a few of his greatest hits.

  • Terrorist attacks and mass shootings “are sparked because Americans are losing acknowledgment of God.”
  • When reminded Vladimir Putin shares his view of same-sex marriage, said, “Maybe he is more akin to me than I know.”
  •  Still believes Barack Obama was born in Kenya.
  • “[Islam is] a faith that conflicts with the First Amendment of the Constitution.  The Constitution and Declaration of Independence has a direct reference to the Holy Scriptures.”
  • Muslims should not be allowed to serve in Congress.
  • “There is no such thing as evolution. That we came from a snake? No, I don’t believe that.”

On September 26th, Moore garnered 54.6 percent of the 480,000 votes cast in the Republican runoff election, not surprising in a state Comrade Trump carried by a margin of 28 percent.  On December 12th Moore will face Democrat Doug Jones, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama.  Jones first came into the national spotlight when he prosecuted the two remaining Ku Klux Klan members responsible for bombing the 16th Street Baptist Church resulting in the death of four African-American girls.

Both parties are pouring money into this campaign and the latest polls suggest the race may be more competitive than it should be in such a scarlet red state.  However, this race should NOT be Moore versus Jones or a referendum on Trump or Steve Bannon’s coattails.  This is a chance for the voters of Alabama to show Americans who they really are.  Yes, an alt-right loony won the Republican nomination.  But that victory resulted from 262,000 Moore ballots out of the current total of 3.3 million registered voters.

Rather this is chance for Alabamans to make a statement and demonstrate that Southerners can be conservative without also being cruel or ignorant.  My hope is a majority of Alabama voters will consider the following as they enter the voting booth.

I may be pro-life, I may believe in trickle down economics, I worry about my right to own a firearm and I fear single-payer health care is just one more step on the path to socialism.  But, most of all, I still believe in the First Amendment, that facts matter and America’s future depends on a system of justice where all are treated equally.  And that’s why I’m voting for Doug Jones.  Not because I agree with him on policy.  In fact, if the Republicans put up a responsible candidate in 2020 when Jones runs for re-election, I am likely to switch my vote.  But NOT TODAY.  We are better than this.

So to the 3.1 million Alabama registered voters who have not yet cast a ballot for a disgraced, xenophobic, homophobic supposed defender of  the rule of law, you have a choice.  On the morning of December 13, I will have one of two reactions to the option you select.

Damn!! The decent people of Alabama stood up for American values.  They showed us Southern conservatives do have a conscience and country does come before party.

-or-

DAMN IT!! I guess I was wrong.  Maybe there is more truth to the Southern stereotype than I want to admit.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

Half a Century

Culture, Politics, Religion

 

This weekend I attended my 50th high school reunion.  An enlightening experience to say the least.  Of the 70+ members of my graduating class in attendance, perhaps 10 percent were immediately recognizable.  (Do they have deteriorating portraits of themselves in their attics?)   Another 60 percent were the older versions of themselves you might expect–a few more wrinkles, a little less or grayer hair.  The remainder, however, required a quick glance at their name tags.  Time had not been so kind to them.

As we exchanged personal histories and career paths over the past 50 years, there was  a moment of enlightenment.  Those attendees who appeared in good health and still vibrant were the doctors, lawyers and other professionals.  Many had left their hometown and lived in places like Washington, D.C., Boston or Los Angeles.  Those who were overweight and seemed a bit worn down had stayed at home and pursued blue-collar careers.   I am not suggesting they were unsuccessful in their fields or unhappy.  But there was a clear cultural divide which for some reason was either transparent or unimportant when we were teens.

This class distinction (pun intended) was most evident as attendees sat down for dinner.  One need only look at how people self-selected those with whom they chose to share dinner conversation.  And then it hit me.  I had never been close to or socialized with most of people at the “others” tables.  Some I did not know at all.  There had always been a cultural divide.  However, without the influence of talk radio and 24 hour cable news to remind us of it, it was just a fact of life.  The order of the day was, “Live and let live.”  And most importantly, there was no concern those on the other side of the cultural divide affected my ability to succeed in life.  We did not believe in an economic zero-sum game.  We were all masters of our own fate.

And maybe that is the lesson for these troubled times.  Perhaps we need to quit wasting time trying to close the cultural gap.  It has always been there and probably always will be. Possibly, we need to rethink the social contract.  The foundation would be agreement on a few basic tenets, some of which are already embedded in the Bill of Rights.  It might require the addition of others which define a civil society.  Then, within that framework, Americans of all walks of life could choose careers and lifestyles as long as they did not violate these principles  or expect others to make the same choices.

Some might say that sounds “libertarian.”  But just as there is no such thing as pure democracy or a pure free market economy, there is no reason to believe any pure ideology is feasible.  This blended approach might best be described as, “Accept always.  Impose never.”  I know this is much easier said than done.  And it would certainly be tested in the courts.  Take, for example, the baker who refuses to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.  The baker needs to accept the right of any two people in love to marry but knows it does not require he attend same-sex weddings or even socialize with members of the LGBTQ community.  Likewise, the couple must accept the baker’s religious objection to same-sex marriage knowing the baker cannot impose his views on them.

You probably think this is unrealistic?  So do I.  But not because it doesn’t make sense.  Rather, because we would need to overcome the most rampant virus affecting American society today–“snowflake-itis.”  How can we accept other perspectives when we are offended by the slightest challenge to our personal world view?  And we are all guilty at one level or another.  I bristle at the sight of a Trump bumper sticker or a MAGA red cap.  But these symbols have no impact on my life.  I still write my blog.  I choose not to associate with Trumpsters.  I will continue to do what I can to call out Trump’s incompetence and lack of character and to ensure he inflicts minimal damage to the country or the planet.  And as one did, a Trumpster can tell me I need to take my meds.  Just don’t force them down my throat.

A Wednesday Postscript

Speaking of things that were different a half century ago.  That was when the Christmas season was ushered in by Santa’s appearance at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.  Over time, the starting line was moved back to the day after Halloween.  Last night, I had to check my watch to be sure it was only October 17th.  Surely 60 days  each year should be enough to get into the holiday (oops, excuse me, the Christmas) spirit.  Guess not.  Or at least at Hallmark.

While waiting for the Cubs/Dodgers baseball game to come on, I was surfing through channels when I landed on the Hallmark Channel which was promoting (and I’m not making this up) their forthcoming Christmas movie marathon to begin on November 5th.  This increasing infringement on the secular calendar deserves its own label.  Perhaps it should henceforth be known as “Xmas Creep.”

It is one thing for a cable network to use Christmas as an advertising ploy.  It is their right.  As I have the right to flip the channel and find entertainment somewhere else.  As private companies and individuals, both Hallmark and I are guaranteed the right under the First Amendment to conduct our religious affairs any way we choose.  And the language in that amendment makes it clear that CONGRESS does not have the power to make laws establishing a national religion.  Unfortunately, it does not apply to the chief executive.

As he has with most business deals during his career, Comrade Trump has found a loophole where he can do whatever he wants without technically violating the law.  Last Friday night at the socially conservative  Values Voter Summit (a oxymoron if there ever was one), Trump challenged the spirit of the Constitution if not the letter of the law.

You go into a department store.  When was the last time you saw ‘Merry Christmas?’ You don’t see it anymore. They want to be politically correct. If I’m president, you will see ‘Merry Christmas’ in department stores, believe me, believe me.

Really? Trump thinks he can require department store employees to say “merry Christmas.”  I’ll let William Shakespeare respond.

It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

 

Short Lives Matter

Culture, Politics

 

Following Comrade Trump’s tweet in which he referred to his most recent critic as “Liddle’ Bob Corker,”  AOL reported:

The president (sic) has reportedly remarked on Corker’s size before, telling aides that the 5-foot-7 lawmaker was too short to be his secretary of state, a position that Corker was reportedly in the running for.

For me, as Yogi Berra most famously remarked, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”  I had the same feeling on June 13, 2008 when NBC journalist Tim Russert died of a myocardial infarction at age 58.  I, too, was 58 years old at the time and any misconceived fantasies of immortality were shattered in a “heartbeat.”

Like Bob Corker, I am 5-foot-7.  And can only  assume any hopes of ever being in Trump’s cabinet are “SHORT-lived.”  I began to wonder what other superficial traits might disqualify me for any position of responsibility.  That I wear BRIEFs instead of boxer underwear.  That I am addicted to PEANUTs.  That I enjoy SLIGHT of hand magic.  That I sometimes refer to the alleged Trump video from the Moscow Ritz-Carlton as the WEE-WEE tape.  Obviously, in Trump’s world, size matters.

Which led me to a new realization about the firing of James Comey.  Trump’s willingness to admit the FBI director’s termination was “all about Russia” was just one more lie.  It was never about unraveling possible collusion with the Kremlin during the 2016 campaign.  Rather, Trump’s ego could not tolerate dealing with an adversary who towered over him.  (Although Trump is 6-foot-2, Comey is 6-foot-8).  Which also explains Trump’s anger at Jeff Session’s recusing himself from the Russian investigation.  At 5-foot-4, Sessions was someone he could TOY with.

Martin Niemöller (1952).jpgThere is a biblical verse, “The beginning of wisdom is get wisdom.  And with all thy getting, get understanding.”  New insights should bring clarity and comfort.  Sadly, that is not the case.  With apologies to Martin Niemöller, the Protestant pastor who publicly defied Adolph Hitler and spent seven years in a Nazi concentration camp, perhaps it is time to revise his warning no one was safe from Hitler’s animus.

First he went after the Mexicans, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Mexican.

Then he went after the Muslims, and I did not speak out— 
Because I was not a Muslim.

Then he went after the transgenders, and I did not speak out— 
Because I was not transgender.

Then he went after football players, and I did not speak out— 
Because I was not a football player.

Then he went after us–short people like Bob Corker and me—and there was no one left to speak for us.

So, if you are one of the Trumpeteers who believes, because you are a natural born, Caucasian, Christian American, you will never be subject to the “wrath of con(man),” think again.  In the end, there is only one, small population cohort that remains safe from Trump’s contempt, the narcissist-in-chief himself and his equally clueless off-spring.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

 

GOVspell, The Musical

Culture, Politics

 

The latest chapter in the life of God’s appointed huckster Joel Osteen sheds additional light on why Comrade Trump was able to con enough voters to become disciplines of his faux populism.  Osteen, as you may know is the poster boy for what has become known as “the prosperity theology,” described on Wikipedia as:

… a religious belief among some Christians, who hold that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to religious causes will increase one’s material wealth. Prosperity theology views the Bible as a contract between God and humans: if humans have faith in God, he will deliver security and prosperity.

The doctrine emphasizes the importance of personal empowerment, proposing that it is God’s will for his people to be happy. The atonement (reconciliation with God) is interpreted to include the alleviation of sickness and poverty, which are viewed as curses to be broken by faith. This is believed to be achieved through donations of money, visualization, and positive confession.

Sound familiar?  To paraphrase, the mantra “Make America Great Again” is nothing more than “a contract between Trump and humans: if humans have faith in Trump, he will deliver security and prosperity.”  And the congregation responds with positive confessions such as “Lock her up,”  “Build the wall” and “Jews will not replace us.”  As the Atlantic Magazine reported following Trump’s “I Alone Can Fix It” acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, “Breaking with two centuries of political tradition, Donald Trump didn’t ask Americans to place their trust in each other or in God, but rather, in Trump.”

Talk about targeted marketing?  Who better would be susceptible to Trump’s impersonation of Huey Long, among others, than followers of Joel Osteen and his ilk. Congregants treated to a weekly dose of spiritual perversion in which the rich will inherit the earth and sending your hard-earned cash to televangelists in Armani suits promises a five-star return on investment.

govspellThe only thing missing is an off-Broadway musical with a toe-tapping soundtrack to fill the flock’s idle minds.  UNTIL NOW.  From the producers of MacTrump and West Wing Story, I bring you GOVspell, a melodic romp through what one can only hope is an abbreviated one-act play.  And you won’t want to be without the soundtrack which includes the following.

  • Prepare Ye the Way from the Left
  • Bless the Loan
  • Turn Back, O Manafort
  • Save the Putin
  • A Lash for You
  • Date by Date
  • All Good Grifts
  • Learn Your Alt-Facts Well
  • Links of the World
  • We Bescreech Thee

Previews open and close this fall at the Robert Mueller Theater (formerly the U.S. District Courthouse) in Washington, D.C.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

Great Non-White North

Culture, Random Thoughts

 

The title of today’s post is an obvious play on the SCTV sketch originated by a very young Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas in which they played the Mackenzie brothers, the ultimate stereotypes of clueless, beer guzzling Canadians.  Moranis is said to have disliked playing his character although he and Thomas appeared in 41 TV segments, two movies and commercials for Pizza Hut and Molson Beer.

Based on our experience the past two days in Winnipeg, either the parody was a gross misrepresentation of Canadian life or much has changed since Doug and Bob Mackenzie exited the airwaves.  Far from clueless, the Canadians seemed to have figured it out.  I could provide dozens of observations about the diversity which is visible throughout Winnipeg but I will focus on two specific examples.

Image result for canadian human rights museumThe first was a visit to the Canadian Human Rights Museum (CHRM) pictured here.  It stands in stark contrast to the American approach of individual halls dedicated to ethnic groups in Washington, D.C.  The seven levels of exhibits address the challenges and responses by the Canadian government and people to injustices based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientations.  The message is a clear and common theme.  EVERYONE DESERVES THE SAME HUMAN RIGHTS.  Equally important, the curators spared no effort in reminding visitors of past Canadian anti-human rights policies and attitudes that represent a stain on the country’s history.

One presentation was particularly striking.  It told the story of the Acadians from the time of the “Great Expulsion” of the Acadians in 1755-64 to their repatriation and the decision to make both English and French the official national languages.  One cannot help but see the parallels between the Acadians and Mexican-Americans.  An enlightened society would recognize that accepting Spanish speaking immigrants into American society is similarly repatriation of an ethnic group which lived in the Southwest prior to 1848.  Imagine if the United States followed a similar track, accepting Spanish as an official part of the American experience and culture.

There is also a hall which includes video testimonies from those who have been the beneficiaries of Canada’s current approach to human rights.  For me, the most touching was the story of Ali Duale, a Somali refugee who is now a member of the Halifax Fire Department and coaches a youth basketball team.  Too bad Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions have not seen this video.  Duale, when asked why he emigrated to Canada, replies, “It was not for a better life or money.  It was to survive.”

Image result for folkloramaThe second example is the reason we chose Winnipeg as a destination for this vacation.  The city is currently hosting Folklorama, a two week international festival with cultural pavilions representing more than 40 nations.  Last night we attended an event at the Cuban Pavilion for which all the performers were life-long Canadian residents who found outlets in Winnipeg and Edmonton to learn and perform their native music and dance.   The same was true of the “ambassadors” from several other national exhibits.  Whether Serbian or Polish, the answer to the question, “How long have you been in Canada,” the answer was always, “My whole life.”

In this morning’s Winnipeg newspaper, there was an article about the skyrocketing cost of housing in the area.  This should come as no surprise.  Want people to come visit and live in your community?  It’s simple.  Make them feel welcome.  And as the residents of the “Great Non-White North” have found, they can contribute much more than they take away.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP