All Posts Tagged With: "Proud to be a Liberal"
Hypocrisy of Being Green
I just read a fascinating article by Alice Thompson of the Times Online who was discussing a new book “Not In My Name - A Compendium of Modern Hypocrisy” by Julie Burchill:
The premise is that as the economy gets worse, people no longer care about being green because they can’t afford it any more. It makes perfect sense. When you were making a good salary and had enough to satisfy your basic needs then you had the extra to buy the higher priced green items. But today, when money is tight, buying green is a luxury available only to the upperclass or “toffs”.
Perhaps because most people can’t afford to go green, there is a growing trend to mock the rich who are green. There is a collective sarcastic laugh by the masses when Al Gore and his ilk continue to lecture everyone else. In a bad economy that “Truth” of Gore’s is not simply “Inconvenient” but is now ridiculous. Who is going to pay extra for green
foods when they have barely enough to put any food on the table? Not only are people backing away from the expensive green ideology but they are also laughing at far left greenies and monitoring their hypocrisies. The conservative bloggers and other right wings take delight in finding and counting the hypocrisy of Gore and other greenies who preach that we must be green while they fly around in their private gas guzzling jets.
Although Gore and his Hollywood sycophants still tout the green doctrine, the politicians are observing which way the wind is blowing and are now changing their tune.
Maybe that’s another reason Gore is such a lousy politician, but even Obama has given fewer and fewer green speeches. Because as long as the economy is lousy, only Kermit can afford to be green.
Treating Flood Victims Equally
Last week all up and down the Mississippi entire towns were immersed under water as levees were breached or destroyed. Throughout the sporadic news coverage you couldn’t help but noticed the unacknowledged elephant in the room. Although none of the reporters mentioned it, the public whispered among themselves what the politically correct news organizations were afraid to discuss. Of course I speak of New Orleans.
I was going to say that it was impossible to watch the horrible results of the century breaking floods without comparing it to the floods in New Orleans except that the mainstream media did just that – ignored any comparison to Katrina. The sad truth is that if someone did do the comparison they would risk being called racist because any comparison of Katrina vs. today’s flood victims would not be favorable to the residents of New Orleans, who just happen to be African American. And God help the journalist who gives a nonfavorable report about blacks, even though it is true.
During the floods tens of thousands of people in the Midwest were homeless as their houses were literally washed away or engulfed to the roof tops in water. And yet there was no outrage at being jammed into relief areas, nor was there any talk of gunshots or rapes or even looting as there was with Katrina. There was some concern about FEMA but there were also a lot of discussions about simply helping out their neighbors and themselves. These displaced citizens talked about rebuilding their towns and communities whereas after Katrina it seemed as if the cry to rebuild primarily came from outsiders, actors, musicians and the like, and not from the residents. Multiple fundraising events were held for the New Orleans residents but you haven’t heard of too many celebrities coming to the aid of Iowans. Nor have you heard of these Midwesterns looking for cash handouts such as initially occurred after Katrina.
Yes, some of the difference is due to local politics, with New Orleans government being known as corrupt and inefficient. I honestly don’t know much about the local politics of the affected towns last week but I doubt if they are as scandal ridden as New Orleans and Louisiana. But the major difference is the people themselves. And that is what no one dares to mention because you would immediately be labeled as racist. Next thing you know you have to apologize to everyone, take diversity training and be reprogrammed to be politically correct in the future.
The sad thing is that the way the politically correct ran to aid New Orleans is the racist action, whereas comparing them to those in the Midwest is an act of equality. Comparing the two groups is saying that both are equal to each other regardless of color. You are granting each the same respect as the other and treating them as equals. Shouldn’t we make a judgment based on character and the actions of a person or group of people with no regard to race? And isn’t that the goal – to treat everyone equally?
On the other hand, those who pleaded and sobbed and lectured the country to assist the residents of New Orleans did a major disservice to them. Yes they needed assistance but these politically correct activists treated the New Orleans citizens as helpless victims who needed to be taken care of. That kind of “help” strips away self esteem and any initiative to help themselves. Think about it. Apparently the politically correct assume that the flood victims in Iowa and elsewhere can take care of themselves but those affected by Katrina couldn’t. How insulting and racist is that?
A Better Not Bitter America
As I sit here watching the Pope and listening to his sermons I can’t help but think back to the “preaching’s” of Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Add in the bitter statement last week by Barack Obama and I have come to some interesting conclusions.
The Pope in his very first speech at the White House concluded with “God Bless America”. I don’t know if it was intentional but I bet a lot of folks were comparing that to Wright’s “God Damn America”. So far, the Pope has been preaching a sermon of forgiveness, encouragement and love. Wright, on the other hand, seems to spend a lot of time preaching about blame and anger and even hatred.
In addition to comparing the Pope’s message of love and forgiveness to that of Wright’s hate and anger filled sermons, throw in Barack Obama’s message last week. If Barack does attend a church that preaches hatred then you can almost understand why he might think that bitter people turn to religion when they are frustrated.
If your church reflects your frustration and anger with the world then I suppose it would be appealing to a frustrated bitter person. But most people who go to church go to one that preaches a message of love and forgiveness similar to the Pope’s sermons.
Mixing all of these thoughts together and I am arriving at two interesting conclusions. First, it isn’t small town folks who are bitter but the Democrats. Liberals, like Obama, seem to be very frustrated and bitter and angry at the USA. These liberals have yet to forgive anyone; not the people, the Supreme Court, Republicans, Southerners, Floridians nor anyone else who they think helped to elect President Bush in 2000 and again in 2004.
On the other hand, the most successful Republicans, like Reagan, campaign on the promises of hope and a better tomorrow. Their positive messages reflect that of main stream churches. History has shown that most people want leaders who are positive, who offer the masses hope and encouragement to be a better person, a better country. Actually it isn’t only Republicans who are elected if they have a message of hope. Think of FDR, Kennedy, even Bill Clinton. All of them encouraged the people that there would be a new tomorrow filled with hope and a better life.
Obama had initially started off campaigning on hope and the offer to bring Americans together again. But after the divisiveness of Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s proclaimed spiritual advisor, then Obama himself began to be tainted with the brush of liberal anger and hatred. Obama then compounded the problem with his bitter statement. He probably will still be the Democratic nominee for President. But if McCain can emulate the Pope and past successful Presidents by giving Americans a message of hope and optimism he just might win over an opponent who is portrayed as seeing a bitter not better people and country.