Is there anything we can believe about the election now? How does one separate the ½ truths from the ¾ truths and so on? Sources that I came to trust over the decades of my life are no longer reliable, and it seems that is it an ever increasing battle to root out the truth. Sooner or later each of us becomes tainted by this darkness. What really happens is that we begin to form our own misguided precepts that make us feel good. Truth is not about feeling good. Truth should be the basis with which we evaluate if someone is worthy of our vote.
If our candidate is exposed by a hint of scandal, or a partial lie, what do we do? Do we hunker down and deny it? At the very least I am guilty of that. We immediately discredit the source in our mind, be it good or bad or maybe even true. That is a very unhealthy situation. Nevertheless, the network video engineers rule the roost.
The spectacular dirt dug up on each and every candidate will surface, true or untrue, and eventually will be thrust in our faces with music, sound effects, and the latest flashing, blinking technology. Madison Avenue used to call this subliminal advertising, or messages. Now it is in your face exploding video messages. Brainwashing by our media which burns in the lies, half-truths, and whatever message the advertiser chooses to thrust on the public, is the beginning of the grab for power. Greed and the accumulation of money is how the election will be won. Yes and a skillful collection of deceptions and deviousness will be at the forefront of the march toward office.
Horror of horrors, there is always the latest poll. While I was perusing various news outlets political pieces, I was struck by the hundreds and hundreds of polls, which were emblazoned with red, white and blue American Flags, that were not worth the ink and drawing it cost to present them. I think it sad to say that there will be hundreds of thousands of people, maybe millions, misled by the anecdotal evidence they represent.
Election-2008 will break all previous spending records. The estimates now are in excess of a billion dollars. When it is all said and done this November, what will the hundreds of millions of dollars have accomplished, that some simple, truthful, and meaningful editorials about each new candidate would not have achieved?
U-Tube Clips, Cable Networks, Main Stream TV Media, Talk Radio, Print Media
After reading and listening to various portions of the above sources of news and information these last few weeks, I, for one, have become disillusioned about the veracity of any of it. The amount of money being spent on this upcoming election is beyond any human’s capacity to comprehend neither the meaning nor the impact of its use. The goal is winning. Lies become truth. Truth becomes a lie. Truth looses it meaning. The voting public is on the outside looking inside. The hundreds of promises declared by the candidates become blurred and meaningless. If this over-saturation continues, and it will, we may see a voting apathy occur in 2008 that will set a sad new record.
When one adds to that media bombardment the impact of the Internet and the Blog sites, it no wonder that people are beginning to feel everything associated with polls, talking heads, newscasters, reporters, editors, publishers, etc. etc is out of control. I am completely convinced that it is a physical impossibility to be well informed about Election-2008 without standing back and putting your own research effort into gear. I mean by this that you alone will have to evaluate each fact, bit by bit, and come to your own conclusions. Not only that; but, you will need to go back and start from scratch. I have been, and maybe you too, have been brainwashed. The unequivocal truth is that it is nearly impossible to be well informed with this years overwhelming media saturation about the pending Election-2008; because, it has become a farce and the lies and distortions are just beginning. Think about that!
May be it is just me; but, I am sick of the lies, distortions and self-serving political parties and the people associated with them. Politics is all about money, power, and the promises of those who claim to want to represent the people. Very shortly each political party will host their farcical national conventions, which will be led-off by a Hillary dominated democratic week. I urge each one of you to put on your thinking cap, and whatever you do, please go to the polls and vote your own true beliefs. Not that of some network, announcer, liar, promoter, or newspaper.
Charlie Courtois
Forsyth, Georgia
This blog will feature: Spiritual Reflections, stories about real life, family,church and other general interest current events.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
The Right To Life, The Election, and What Some are Doing About It
We can close our eyes and not see abortion, but this culture of death is all around us and it aids and abets choices in our lives which God will make us accountable for when the time comes.
The subject Pro Life affects every one who is alive. What the phrase often implies, wrongly to many, is that we humans make the choice of life ourselves. This could not be farther from the truth. The right to life is a gift from our Lord and Savior! The voluntary participation of the many in the work of “40 Days for Life,” depicted in the video presentation below, is just one small effort to pray and act against the abomination of abortion.
For most of my life I went around thinking that our courts had decided about abortion, partial birth abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research and other related life issues. These things were not on my radar screen. Now I realize that these civil law decisions are a violation of the 10 commandments that God handed down to us from our church fathers and as Disciples of Christ we are expected to stand up for the truth and to try to do our part in letting those who do not realize the error of their ways to understand what they are doing is against God’s will.
Two vital pieces of the “Right to Life” issue is the understanding of it and the doing of something about it:
UNDERSTANDING: http://www.worksforchrist.org/right%20to%20life.htm at the bottom of the noted URL you will find the heading, “The Fetus is a Baby and a Life. “ This is about the technical and the truth about life in the uterus.
DOING: This URL was produced by the “40 days for life” volunteers to promote what it is that they are doing in support of God’s Will to inform the protagonists and antagonists of abortion. Through prayer and peaceful support we can do a tiny something about this gargantuan issue.
The 39-minute video is a comprehensive case study of a very successful 40 Days for Life campaign that was held in Fargo, North Dakota.
You'll hear from their entire campaign team – as well as other volunteers and leaders, including a local radio station owner, the North Dakota leader of Concerned Women for America, and Catholic Bishop Samuel Aquila:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=120
The 2008 election is close. I hope this presentation will make you think about the 50,000,000 million, or so, deaths attributed to abortion in the U.S. since “Roe versus Wade” and what effect this election will have on the prospects for overturning this 1973 law in the States, the Courts, and our everyday lives.
Charlie Courtois
The subject Pro Life affects every one who is alive. What the phrase often implies, wrongly to many, is that we humans make the choice of life ourselves. This could not be farther from the truth. The right to life is a gift from our Lord and Savior! The voluntary participation of the many in the work of “40 Days for Life,” depicted in the video presentation below, is just one small effort to pray and act against the abomination of abortion.
For most of my life I went around thinking that our courts had decided about abortion, partial birth abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research and other related life issues. These things were not on my radar screen. Now I realize that these civil law decisions are a violation of the 10 commandments that God handed down to us from our church fathers and as Disciples of Christ we are expected to stand up for the truth and to try to do our part in letting those who do not realize the error of their ways to understand what they are doing is against God’s will.
Two vital pieces of the “Right to Life” issue is the understanding of it and the doing of something about it:
UNDERSTANDING: http://www.worksforchrist.org/right%20to%20life.htm at the bottom of the noted URL you will find the heading, “The Fetus is a Baby and a Life. “ This is about the technical and the truth about life in the uterus.
DOING: This URL was produced by the “40 days for life” volunteers to promote what it is that they are doing in support of God’s Will to inform the protagonists and antagonists of abortion. Through prayer and peaceful support we can do a tiny something about this gargantuan issue.
The 39-minute video is a comprehensive case study of a very successful 40 Days for Life campaign that was held in Fargo, North Dakota.
You'll hear from their entire campaign team – as well as other volunteers and leaders, including a local radio station owner, the North Dakota leader of Concerned Women for America, and Catholic Bishop Samuel Aquila:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=120
The 2008 election is close. I hope this presentation will make you think about the 50,000,000 million, or so, deaths attributed to abortion in the U.S. since “Roe versus Wade” and what effect this election will have on the prospects for overturning this 1973 law in the States, the Courts, and our everyday lives.
Charlie Courtois
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Who is Guarding the Financial Chicken-coop in Our Country?
A Brief Comment of Modern Finance and Where It has Taken Us!
Mortgage lending has been in the headlines for months. The figures reported for bad loans, those the banks call non-performing, are at astronomic heights. Most of us can not fathom the impact one/half a trillion dollars in loses or more. To save face we hear of many, many schemes to bail out the lenders, the property purchasers, the brokers and just about everybody involved in these sub-prime loans. According to the F.B.I. reports, they are beginning to take some criminal action toward the perpetrators; two Bear Stern operators, and 406 individuals around the country. One such scenario of many is inserted below.
The total impact of this financial debacle is a long way from being settled. These crimes and abuses of power appear to be more far reaching than the Savings and Loan scandals in the early 1980’s. The S & L’s were bailed out by the Federal Government, and to the best of my recollection nobody did any real hard time for those abuses. This time these greedy, mendacious loans were executed at several levels. The fallout and financial impact of thousands of unsuspecting victims, those who failed to read the fine print of their mortgage contracts, and a small army of bankers, brokers, lenders of all stripes, and now a whole new agglomeration of predators poised to scam the unsuspecting, will be decided in large part with tax payer dollars, a declining stock market, and an untold amount of financial instability.
The scariest part of all this is that it will be a long, long time before the financial institutions will reveal the complete extent of the losses which they are supposed to declare. Since the numbers are in the billions, it is bound to have long term implications for hundreds of thousands of people. In the fall of 2007, I said of the first announcement from one of the big banks: “This is going to be like discovering cockroaches; if you find one or two there are probably 100’s.” Well, we have heard about 200-300 billion.
We talk about billions and trillions today without really understanding what the numbers translate to in life impact for the average citizen. In Lee Iacocca’s book, Talking Straight, he describes what you can think of a billion as in terms of time. It would take you and me around 33 years to count to one billion. Who is guarding the financial chicken-coop? It sounds like the Fox is to me!
Charlie Courtois,
Forsyth, Georgia
Mortgage lending has been in the headlines for months. The figures reported for bad loans, those the banks call non-performing, are at astronomic heights. Most of us can not fathom the impact one/half a trillion dollars in loses or more. To save face we hear of many, many schemes to bail out the lenders, the property purchasers, the brokers and just about everybody involved in these sub-prime loans. According to the F.B.I. reports, they are beginning to take some criminal action toward the perpetrators; two Bear Stern operators, and 406 individuals around the country. One such scenario of many is inserted below.
Instead of stealing an identity to secure a credit card, scammers have been zeroing in on people they think have a lot of equity in their homes. They steal their identities, then go online and get a home equity line of credit on that person's house and take the money. The FBI said the possibilities seem to be endless, and even in a down market, there are many opportunities for scam artists. NY Times 6/21/2008
The total impact of this financial debacle is a long way from being settled. These crimes and abuses of power appear to be more far reaching than the Savings and Loan scandals in the early 1980’s. The S & L’s were bailed out by the Federal Government, and to the best of my recollection nobody did any real hard time for those abuses. This time these greedy, mendacious loans were executed at several levels. The fallout and financial impact of thousands of unsuspecting victims, those who failed to read the fine print of their mortgage contracts, and a small army of bankers, brokers, lenders of all stripes, and now a whole new agglomeration of predators poised to scam the unsuspecting, will be decided in large part with tax payer dollars, a declining stock market, and an untold amount of financial instability.
The scariest part of all this is that it will be a long, long time before the financial institutions will reveal the complete extent of the losses which they are supposed to declare. Since the numbers are in the billions, it is bound to have long term implications for hundreds of thousands of people. In the fall of 2007, I said of the first announcement from one of the big banks: “This is going to be like discovering cockroaches; if you find one or two there are probably 100’s.” Well, we have heard about 200-300 billion.
We talk about billions and trillions today without really understanding what the numbers translate to in life impact for the average citizen. In Lee Iacocca’s book, Talking Straight, he describes what you can think of a billion as in terms of time. It would take you and me around 33 years to count to one billion. Who is guarding the financial chicken-coop? It sounds like the Fox is to me!
Charlie Courtois,
Forsyth, Georgia
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Will America Cutback on Fuel Without Being Forced?
Will America ever cutback on fuel without being forced to?
Your editorial on “fuel consumption” touches a sensitive nerve in each of us. As a senior citizen, I am fed up with the band-aid solutions that Congress offers up for solving oil price situation. This purchasing halt of reserve oil is one of the most ridiculous things I ever heard. Talk about sending a boy to do a man's job!
If ever there was a time for urgent action on the "OIL PRICE CRISIS” it is now; not in 2009 after the newly elected politicians will get started jawboning. Soon 20-30 million Americans won't be able to afford to drive to work when the gas pumps hit $5.00 a gallon! Inflation and gas prices are already changing everything we do.
What will the people earning 8-25 thousand dollars a year do? Lose their jobs when they can't afford gas? Get on unemployment? Give up altogether? Start riots? If ever there was cause for concern it is now. Not later!
Rationing and drastic cuts in speed limits sounds draconian; but, the time has come for real action. We MUST stop using so much OIL, period... We all know people will not discipline themselves. So, what choices are left?
Our Government and Congress have had 35 years to act since the 1973 oil crises; but, now it's even worse. How about some serious dialog about: What every citizen MUST do to help lower demand? We need to turn the “Somebody-Else-Will-Fix-It-Switch” off.
Published in the Macon Telegraph, May 15th, 2008
Charlie Courtois
Your editorial on “fuel consumption” touches a sensitive nerve in each of us. As a senior citizen, I am fed up with the band-aid solutions that Congress offers up for solving oil price situation. This purchasing halt of reserve oil is one of the most ridiculous things I ever heard. Talk about sending a boy to do a man's job!
If ever there was a time for urgent action on the "OIL PRICE CRISIS” it is now; not in 2009 after the newly elected politicians will get started jawboning. Soon 20-30 million Americans won't be able to afford to drive to work when the gas pumps hit $5.00 a gallon! Inflation and gas prices are already changing everything we do.
What will the people earning 8-25 thousand dollars a year do? Lose their jobs when they can't afford gas? Get on unemployment? Give up altogether? Start riots? If ever there was cause for concern it is now. Not later!
Rationing and drastic cuts in speed limits sounds draconian; but, the time has come for real action. We MUST stop using so much OIL, period... We all know people will not discipline themselves. So, what choices are left?
Our Government and Congress have had 35 years to act since the 1973 oil crises; but, now it's even worse. How about some serious dialog about: What every citizen MUST do to help lower demand? We need to turn the “Somebody-Else-Will-Fix-It-Switch” off.
Published in the Macon Telegraph, May 15th, 2008
Charlie Courtois
The Oil & Gas Problem Is Not About Speculation
Blame the Speculators Floyd Norris from the NY Times article 6/19/2008
In Washington, some high prices are deemed better than others. Stocks should go up, and so should home prices. Commodities should go down.
Senator Joseph Lieberman, the Connecticut Democrat turned Independent, has unveiled suggested legislation to deal with the spate of speculation that is blamed for driving oil prices to record highs, and for making food too expensive.
One proposal would require regulators to set strict limits on how many futures contracts could be owned by financial types, as opposed to buyers and sellers of the real commodity, who could keep trading so long as they were hedging.
The Problem is not about Speculation
Woe is you who wander around believing our oil and gas production is what it should be and that there is little the average voter can do about it.
If our US oil and gas giants were allowed to drill in US controlled properties we could impact the supply and demand from a US needs’ perspective. Let’s not forget that the US Congress is the one thwarting the production and exploration of crude on US properties.
There are now close to ½ a billion Chinese being moved into the major cities of China. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to compute the demand for motor driven vehicles.
Let’s worry less about environmental concerns and pay more attention to managing our resources. Money, exploration, trade, etc. We are the largest and most successful economy in the world; so, let’s get on the ball and do something about it.
Charlie Courtois
In Washington, some high prices are deemed better than others. Stocks should go up, and so should home prices. Commodities should go down.
Senator Joseph Lieberman, the Connecticut Democrat turned Independent, has unveiled suggested legislation to deal with the spate of speculation that is blamed for driving oil prices to record highs, and for making food too expensive.
One proposal would require regulators to set strict limits on how many futures contracts could be owned by financial types, as opposed to buyers and sellers of the real commodity, who could keep trading so long as they were hedging.
The Problem is not about Speculation
Woe is you who wander around believing our oil and gas production is what it should be and that there is little the average voter can do about it.
If our US oil and gas giants were allowed to drill in US controlled properties we could impact the supply and demand from a US needs’ perspective. Let’s not forget that the US Congress is the one thwarting the production and exploration of crude on US properties.
There are now close to ½ a billion Chinese being moved into the major cities of China. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to compute the demand for motor driven vehicles.
Let’s worry less about environmental concerns and pay more attention to managing our resources. Money, exploration, trade, etc. We are the largest and most successful economy in the world; so, let’s get on the ball and do something about it.
Charlie Courtois
Friday, May 30, 2008
Illegal Immigration! A USA Moral Dilemma!
What do you believe you would do if you owned a large multinational corporation about the problem?
I pose the question, not from a bureaucratic position; but, from a profit making enterprise perspective. I list just a few tidbits to stir the pot for a lively discussion.
1.Keep on doing very little just like we have for the last decade. Now we have somewhere between 12 and 20 million illegal aliens; plus, their family and relatives who are eager to get on our Social Security and Medicare rolls, according to various sources.
2.Lobby to get them all proper identification, work visas and setup a plan that deports the offenders if they don’t follow the “new” plan, whatever it is.
3.Keep on talking about a fence?
Or maybe you have some ideas the politicians have not put forth already. As a country, we already have immigration quotas; but, they are meaningless in the face of millions of illegal aliens every year, that seek a home here. Notwithstanding the fact, that we have over 10,000 miles of border to patrol. Peoples rights, budget-busting, moral thinking, safety, security are all in the mix.
CharlieC
I pose the question, not from a bureaucratic position; but, from a profit making enterprise perspective. I list just a few tidbits to stir the pot for a lively discussion.
1.Keep on doing very little just like we have for the last decade. Now we have somewhere between 12 and 20 million illegal aliens; plus, their family and relatives who are eager to get on our Social Security and Medicare rolls, according to various sources.
2.Lobby to get them all proper identification, work visas and setup a plan that deports the offenders if they don’t follow the “new” plan, whatever it is.
3.Keep on talking about a fence?
Or maybe you have some ideas the politicians have not put forth already. As a country, we already have immigration quotas; but, they are meaningless in the face of millions of illegal aliens every year, that seek a home here. Notwithstanding the fact, that we have over 10,000 miles of border to patrol. Peoples rights, budget-busting, moral thinking, safety, security are all in the mix.
CharlieC
Thursday, May 29, 2008
MI LUCHA CON ESPAÑOL por mis amigos Latinos
Hace más de dos años comencé a estudiar español solo, en casa. Esto era el reto y también la tarea que yo había tenido hasta este momento a la vista. Naturalmente, comencé con unas herramientas de aprendizaje. ¿Cuales eran aquellas? Había un par libros de textos en español, inglés, unos diccionarios bilingües, unos discos, y un deseo grande para conquistar el idioma español.
Lo demás del reto largo y duro era una lucha por el éxito, lo que yo no hubiese imaginado; especialmente, sin un maestro ni mucha ayuda de otros. Esta idea del éxito era una sorpresa grande por mí; porque, ya había aprendido dos otras lenguas, francés y alemán, cuando era un joven universitario. La edad de mí cerebro debe de ser la causa de la desilusión; porque, hace muchos años aprender fue mucho, mucho más fácil.
A pesar del hecho hay miles de hispanos en Georgia; desgraciadamente, no hay muchos aquí en Forsyth. Los que conozco acá son muy ocupados y no tienen suficiente tiempo para enseñar ni ayudar otros con el español.
- ¡Adelante, manos de la obra! - concluyó la parte atrevida de mi ser moral. Con la ayuda del Internet, la lectura, me gusta leer, uno o dos horas, de vez en cuando, escuchando las telenovelas en español; el estudiar continuamente hacia al éxito era u es, lo más difícil que he aguardado; especialmente, porque soy un estudiante viejo.
Ahora hay otro problema, que no es fácil de resolver. ¡Mi oído! Día por día, se hace peor y peor. Oír es entender. ¡Qué lástima! La vejez ha llagado, pero ganaré la lucha sin o con buen oído.
El viejo......gringo desconocido
Lo demás del reto largo y duro era una lucha por el éxito, lo que yo no hubiese imaginado; especialmente, sin un maestro ni mucha ayuda de otros. Esta idea del éxito era una sorpresa grande por mí; porque, ya había aprendido dos otras lenguas, francés y alemán, cuando era un joven universitario. La edad de mí cerebro debe de ser la causa de la desilusión; porque, hace muchos años aprender fue mucho, mucho más fácil.
A pesar del hecho hay miles de hispanos en Georgia; desgraciadamente, no hay muchos aquí en Forsyth. Los que conozco acá son muy ocupados y no tienen suficiente tiempo para enseñar ni ayudar otros con el español.
- ¡Adelante, manos de la obra! - concluyó la parte atrevida de mi ser moral. Con la ayuda del Internet, la lectura, me gusta leer, uno o dos horas, de vez en cuando, escuchando las telenovelas en español; el estudiar continuamente hacia al éxito era u es, lo más difícil que he aguardado; especialmente, porque soy un estudiante viejo.
Ahora hay otro problema, que no es fácil de resolver. ¡Mi oído! Día por día, se hace peor y peor. Oír es entender. ¡Qué lástima! La vejez ha llagado, pero ganaré la lucha sin o con buen oído.
El viejo......gringo desconocido
Do We Listen Enough for the Truth?
Politics and truth seems like an oxymoron. . .
I dare to juxtapose the two words, politics and truth as a compound subject, only because we are in the heat of battle for the presidency of the United States in this year, 2008; and struggling to find the truth in today’s news and political rhetoric is becoming harder and harder. Very few good and decent people seem to speak out about lies and deceit promulgated in the main stream press. Are we just too busy doing something else? Or, is our conscience numb or dead? When our children lie do we let it slide? I don’t think so! But the problem seems so gargantuan now that we feel overwhelmed to address the issue head-on. We can do better than that.
First let us define politics. A simple dictionary definition defines it as:
activities or affairs involved in administering of a government or relating to governmental or state matters
dealings, methods, or maneuvers involved in controlling, administering, or seeking to control a government
science or art of government or of the management of state or local affairs
political opinions, convictions, or affiliations
factional scheming or intrigues for positions of power within a group
Politics is the art of the possible.
Otto Von Bismarck, remark, Aug. 11, 1867, German Prussian politician (1815 - 1898)
Maybe, Bismarck got it right. There are many vagaries associated with the word.
Second let us define truth:
that which is true: the pursuit of truth, to speak the truth
a state or quality of being true or accurately reflecting reality or fact: to doubt the truth of a statement
accepted or verified fact, principle, or the like
in truth. Really; actually: The ugly frog was in truth a handsome prince. [Old English, honor, fidelity, covenant]
A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author. G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936)
The definitions of truth and politics seem straight forward. But, at first glance words like: scheming, intrigues, dealings, methods or arts referring to “politics” seems to put truth in jeopardy right away. These words are a playground for obfuscation. Truth, on the other hand, has no wiggle room. A lie is an untruth. Going back to Moses’ time a lie was a sin against God, and it still is.
That the moral conscience of our nation has come to accept lies as common place is the point at which I begin. Accepting untruth is just one part of the contemporary sickness called “moral relativism,” the means by which, many, come to accept: half truths, lies, obfuscation and any other form of deception known to man as acceptable. “Acceptable,” in this case is defined as unchallenged when in truth the facts are not completely true and the lie is allowed to stand. Why call a spade a spade? Well, because that is exactly what it is! It is certainly not a shovel as the saying goes.
Politicians Words
Hillary Clinton, Letter to Constituents from Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Iraq Policy
Let us analyze the following quote from Hillary’s letter to her constituents in N.Y.
Dear Constituent: “Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding Iraq. As you indicate, the situation there is very serious and is a major and constant focus of mine. I believe that the President should abandon his escalation of the war in Iraq and offer a change in course to his failing strategy.”
These are the first two sentences of the letter. Let’s look at the 2nd sentence. [President should abandon war escalation and change course in a failing strategy.] Is the sentence true?
1. Well, is there war escalation? No, there are increased U.S security troops and these troops are for the Iraqi people’s protection. We are training the Iraq police to protect themselves. The terrorists were killing many Iraqi people. 80-90% less people have been killed since Hillary called for “war escalation abandonment.”
2. Is the “strategy” called war in this sentence failing? Not exactly, the violence in Iraq is down dramatically since the U.S. increased security patrols and we know that the antagonists are terrorizing the people. Al Qaeda and others have been thwarted in their ability to carry out raids on the population in Iraq because of U.S. presence there.
“In January, the President announced his “surge” strategy to create space for Iraqi political reconciliation. This has not happened. ”
This sentence is patently deceptive and implies the surge was for political means. We know the ‘surge’ strategy was to protect the Iraqi people. The ‘strategy’ has reduced the violence and, there was also another goal; to create confidence, so that Iraqi legislators could take control of their own government. Some new legislation has passed in Iraq. Notably, an equitable division of oil revenues between the territories was enacted. This legislation concerned “the” most contentious issue between the parties. “This has not happened.” is a lie in my opinion. You be the judge.
Obama: Culture in Washington Must Change, Implement Tough Ethics Reform Tuesday, August 21, 2007, A speech to his peer group in the senate.
“Let me be clear, I do not begrudge businesses for trying to make a profit, and I do not begrudge them for hiring lobbyists to plead their case before Congress. It is protected political speech, and we appreciate that there are many lobbyists who represent their clients well and fairly. But it’s time we had a Congress that tells the drug companies and the oil companies and the insurance industry that while they may get a seat at the table in Washington, they don’t get to buy every chair.”
Above we see, Obama, the quintessential orator. In the first sentence he says it’s OK with him if business makes a profit and lobbyists petition congress. What he does not say is if he would do anything about the drug companies making from 2,000 to 4,000% profit margins? While the majority of the country is drowning in exorbitant, mendacious profiteering; we hear a nice sweeping proclamation that the big interests: drugs, oil and insurance, don’t get to buy every chair. Who knows what that means? What is the truth?
To the average listener and reader, and I call myself average, Obama’s words are eloquent, sincere and meaningful; until, you ask yourself what he really meant by them. Determining the truth is a responsible, prudent and productive way for each one of us to live our lives. It is no harder than evaluating: the subject, the verb and the object of a sentence to determine the facts that the writer presents. Or better, that which is omitted.
There are no perfect political candidates. But, we can use our common sense and moral values to decide what box to check when the time comes: by “listening for the truth.”
Charlie Courtois, Retired Entrepreneur, Forsyth, Georgia
I dare to juxtapose the two words, politics and truth as a compound subject, only because we are in the heat of battle for the presidency of the United States in this year, 2008; and struggling to find the truth in today’s news and political rhetoric is becoming harder and harder. Very few good and decent people seem to speak out about lies and deceit promulgated in the main stream press. Are we just too busy doing something else? Or, is our conscience numb or dead? When our children lie do we let it slide? I don’t think so! But the problem seems so gargantuan now that we feel overwhelmed to address the issue head-on. We can do better than that.
First let us define politics. A simple dictionary definition defines it as:
activities or affairs involved in administering of a government or relating to governmental or state matters
dealings, methods, or maneuvers involved in controlling, administering, or seeking to control a government
science or art of government or of the management of state or local affairs
political opinions, convictions, or affiliations
factional scheming or intrigues for positions of power within a group
Politics is the art of the possible.
Otto Von Bismarck, remark, Aug. 11, 1867, German Prussian politician (1815 - 1898)
Maybe, Bismarck got it right. There are many vagaries associated with the word.
Second let us define truth:
that which is true: the pursuit of truth, to speak the truth
a state or quality of being true or accurately reflecting reality or fact: to doubt the truth of a statement
accepted or verified fact, principle, or the like
in truth. Really; actually: The ugly frog was in truth a handsome prince. [Old English, honor, fidelity, covenant]
A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author. G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936)
The definitions of truth and politics seem straight forward. But, at first glance words like: scheming, intrigues, dealings, methods or arts referring to “politics” seems to put truth in jeopardy right away. These words are a playground for obfuscation. Truth, on the other hand, has no wiggle room. A lie is an untruth. Going back to Moses’ time a lie was a sin against God, and it still is.
That the moral conscience of our nation has come to accept lies as common place is the point at which I begin. Accepting untruth is just one part of the contemporary sickness called “moral relativism,” the means by which, many, come to accept: half truths, lies, obfuscation and any other form of deception known to man as acceptable. “Acceptable,” in this case is defined as unchallenged when in truth the facts are not completely true and the lie is allowed to stand. Why call a spade a spade? Well, because that is exactly what it is! It is certainly not a shovel as the saying goes.
Politicians Words
Hillary Clinton, Letter to Constituents from Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Iraq Policy
Let us analyze the following quote from Hillary’s letter to her constituents in N.Y.
Dear Constituent: “Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding Iraq. As you indicate, the situation there is very serious and is a major and constant focus of mine. I believe that the President should abandon his escalation of the war in Iraq and offer a change in course to his failing strategy.”
These are the first two sentences of the letter. Let’s look at the 2nd sentence. [President should abandon war escalation and change course in a failing strategy.] Is the sentence true?
1. Well, is there war escalation? No, there are increased U.S security troops and these troops are for the Iraqi people’s protection. We are training the Iraq police to protect themselves. The terrorists were killing many Iraqi people. 80-90% less people have been killed since Hillary called for “war escalation abandonment.”
2. Is the “strategy” called war in this sentence failing? Not exactly, the violence in Iraq is down dramatically since the U.S. increased security patrols and we know that the antagonists are terrorizing the people. Al Qaeda and others have been thwarted in their ability to carry out raids on the population in Iraq because of U.S. presence there.
“In January, the President announced his “surge” strategy to create space for Iraqi political reconciliation. This has not happened. ”
This sentence is patently deceptive and implies the surge was for political means. We know the ‘surge’ strategy was to protect the Iraqi people. The ‘strategy’ has reduced the violence and, there was also another goal; to create confidence, so that Iraqi legislators could take control of their own government. Some new legislation has passed in Iraq. Notably, an equitable division of oil revenues between the territories was enacted. This legislation concerned “the” most contentious issue between the parties. “This has not happened.” is a lie in my opinion. You be the judge.
Obama: Culture in Washington Must Change, Implement Tough Ethics Reform Tuesday, August 21, 2007, A speech to his peer group in the senate.
“Let me be clear, I do not begrudge businesses for trying to make a profit, and I do not begrudge them for hiring lobbyists to plead their case before Congress. It is protected political speech, and we appreciate that there are many lobbyists who represent their clients well and fairly. But it’s time we had a Congress that tells the drug companies and the oil companies and the insurance industry that while they may get a seat at the table in Washington, they don’t get to buy every chair.”
Above we see, Obama, the quintessential orator. In the first sentence he says it’s OK with him if business makes a profit and lobbyists petition congress. What he does not say is if he would do anything about the drug companies making from 2,000 to 4,000% profit margins? While the majority of the country is drowning in exorbitant, mendacious profiteering; we hear a nice sweeping proclamation that the big interests: drugs, oil and insurance, don’t get to buy every chair. Who knows what that means? What is the truth?
To the average listener and reader, and I call myself average, Obama’s words are eloquent, sincere and meaningful; until, you ask yourself what he really meant by them. Determining the truth is a responsible, prudent and productive way for each one of us to live our lives. It is no harder than evaluating: the subject, the verb and the object of a sentence to determine the facts that the writer presents. Or better, that which is omitted.
There are no perfect political candidates. But, we can use our common sense and moral values to decide what box to check when the time comes: by “listening for the truth.”
Charlie Courtois, Retired Entrepreneur, Forsyth, Georgia
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