As always, it's great news to hear that more Congresspeople are joining the Congressional Freethought Caucus, even if there isn't a single Republican who can see their way clear to endorsing the idea of the separation of State and Church. What I think we need to do now is mobilize the Caucus to start calling out Donald Trump and his Republican flunkies on their violation of that principle and frankly making a big noise about it.
Christian Nationalism is taking a foothold in the United States, and using the Caucus to bring attention to that and oppose it would be a good first step on the road to stopping it.
Current Republicans' pension for pandering and virtue signaling is a well-known phenomenon. I don't think it was always that way, though, and I wish we could find a path to get them back to what they were perhaps half a century ago.
The problem, of course, is that they would need a Republican to lead them in that direction, and at this moment, I can't think of so much as one who could do the job.
Edit: Actually, it occurs to me that Adam Kinzinger would make an excellent Pied Piper to this effort, though I suspect he is so sick of Republicans' current delusions that he wouldn't want the job.
Goldwater is part of the problem. He's the one who invited the Klan and John Birch Society into the GOP. He set the stage for Nixon's Southern Strategy and Reagan's openly-racist campaigns.
I think it comes down to the modern GQP. It is a party of authoritarians dedicated to imposing their worldview on everyone else. There is only one correct belief system (theirs), one correct way to behave (not the one they do, but the one they say), and anyone who doesn’t do as they say is demonic. It is simply pointless to argue with fanaticism. I would be perfectly happy if they all ran off to TX and seceded.
Unfortunately, they are a very large and (for now) very powerful pariah caste, and they labor mightily to smite all enemies (see their enthusiasm for violence and ICE abuses, rewarding felons among their ranks (looking at you Kyle Rittenhouse, you murderous sociopathic little shit, and I don't care what that idiotic jury said or believed), enabling illegal thugs (ICE, and the many wannabe thug groups such as the Proud Boys), howling "he/she was a terrorist" every time ICE murders another American citizen with impunity, bombarding state and local officials with demands to allow their religion (and ONLY theirs) into every aspect of public life and have it codified into law....
If they are ever defeated and the country returns to any sense of normality, it won't be just the MAGAts who are the pariahs. In the eyes of the world, all Americans will be tarred with their taint. It'll be "The Ugly American 2.0" ramped up 1000 percent.
Eisenhower was a decent man, but even he had his flaws, particularly in how he allowed a great deal of the initial fractures between State and Church to happen during his administration. He may be the last decent Republican to have served, but I can't overlook what he did or rather did not do to preserve the secular nature of our government.
Reagan invited in the evangelical preachers with promises he never kept or intended to. What began as a political ploy to win an election turned into the preachers hanging around to largely co-opt the Republican party. A problem we deal with to this day.
Dictator for a Day is now available on streaming! Laughter IS the New Resistance!--Donald Trump is the leader of the Republican party and its regressive policies and perverse priorities. To laugh AT Trump is to disdain all that follows him.
Here's where you can find the MAGA Musical for the Masses:
The idea that atheists are tolerated by politicians is expanding. Heck, some of us can even BE politicians (on the local level anyway, which is where national politicians usually start).
I doubt I'll see the day where being an atheist in this country is completely unremarkable, but you have to start some place.
I've always thought that it's weird that politicians running for federal offices have to proclaim some kind of religious belief, but no one cares about that at the state and local level (obviously depending on the state you live in). It makes no sense whatsoever. I'm waiting for a candidate for federal office to say, when asked, that their faith is their personal business, it's nobody else's business, and, in any case, it isn't relevant to the job.
OT: more good news: Clergy at record low in public perception of their honesty and ethics. Even better, clergy are going downhill faster than anyone else (except maybe POTUS? )
On another upbeat note, when I had to run an errand to Tallahassee the other day, I saw a very large group - several large groups actually, one on each corner of a main intersection, holding an anti-Trump and anti-ICE signs, and chanting "Fuck Ice, Fuck Trump." Almost every passing car honked, waved and gave the thumbs-up. I drove home with a smile on my face.
Well the only libertarian who's ever been well-known enough for me to come across was Penn Jilette, and he was an atheist. Mind you, he's finally decided it's all bullshit – not before time. His embracing of libertarianism made me doubt his intelligence to be honest, but from what I can gather he thought it was all people helping other people on a personal basis and charity and stuff. I think he's figured out it wouldn't work.
Off topic, on an under-reported poll in the news, via Ground News.
A new Yahoo!/YouGov survey conducted after the Super Bowl found generally positive reactions to Bad Bunny’s halftime performance, with more viewers saying they liked the show than disliked it and broad support for his decision to perform entirely in Spanish.
The poll showed strong approval for his message of unity and immigrant pride, highlighted by visuals promoting love over hate and his onstage “God bless America” remark.
When asked who better represents America, respondents were narrowly split, but slightly more chose Bad Bunny over Donald Trump.
I neither liked nor disliked. It was as boring as the halftime shows the last several years, so I played solitaire on my phone. Being in Spanish didn't matter much as I don't generally understand lyrics even when they are in English. The best thing about it was that it annoyed the Rethuglicans.
Since this is a big election year (I know midterms usually aren’t, but I think this one is shaping up to be huge), if enough religious nut jobs get voted out, it’s possible we could see a swell in Free Thought ranks. 🤞🏼
Being that both my senators are Trump apologists, I won't waste my time trying to talk them into getting into the CFC. I may take a look at my representative, as she is a Democrat and may be amenable.
OT: main stream media doesn’t seem to be covering what independent media have been talking about for several days now about tensions between the US and Canada.
You can check reliable sources for news such as the CBC, BBC, &c. There is no such article at any of those sites.
The aggressive AI propaganda being pushed to YouTube is intended to destabilise the country (worse than the GOP has). The best thing to do is if you have an account there, don't downvote it, just report it.
I have been checking MSM and the disparity was notable but I’m also at the point of wondering how good MSM still is. WaPo is a shell of its former self.
My husband got caught out on one of these videos, something about Supreme Court intervening and stopping Trump. (That's the part that tipped me off!) He's smart too.
As always, it's great news to hear that more Congresspeople are joining the Congressional Freethought Caucus, even if there isn't a single Republican who can see their way clear to endorsing the idea of the separation of State and Church. What I think we need to do now is mobilize the Caucus to start calling out Donald Trump and his Republican flunkies on their violation of that principle and frankly making a big noise about it.
Christian Nationalism is taking a foothold in the United States, and using the Caucus to bring attention to that and oppose it would be a good first step on the road to stopping it.
Congressional Republicans tend to pander to the preachers while viewing human decency as a character flaw and something to be ashamed of.
Current Republicans' pension for pandering and virtue signaling is a well-known phenomenon. I don't think it was always that way, though, and I wish we could find a path to get them back to what they were perhaps half a century ago.
The problem, of course, is that they would need a Republican to lead them in that direction, and at this moment, I can't think of so much as one who could do the job.
Edit: Actually, it occurs to me that Adam Kinzinger would make an excellent Pied Piper to this effort, though I suspect he is so sick of Republicans' current delusions that he wouldn't want the job.
Goldwater was clear-eyed on this subject.
Goldwater is part of the problem. He's the one who invited the Klan and John Birch Society into the GOP. He set the stage for Nixon's Southern Strategy and Reagan's openly-racist campaigns.
I didn’t say he was perfect.
He was indeed. Sadly, he too is unavailable.
I think it comes down to the modern GQP. It is a party of authoritarians dedicated to imposing their worldview on everyone else. There is only one correct belief system (theirs), one correct way to behave (not the one they do, but the one they say), and anyone who doesn’t do as they say is demonic. It is simply pointless to argue with fanaticism. I would be perfectly happy if they all ran off to TX and seceded.
I gotta wonder if Mexico would even want them back.
No. MAGAts are a modern pariah caste.
Unfortunately, they are a very large and (for now) very powerful pariah caste, and they labor mightily to smite all enemies (see their enthusiasm for violence and ICE abuses, rewarding felons among their ranks (looking at you Kyle Rittenhouse, you murderous sociopathic little shit, and I don't care what that idiotic jury said or believed), enabling illegal thugs (ICE, and the many wannabe thug groups such as the Proud Boys), howling "he/she was a terrorist" every time ICE murders another American citizen with impunity, bombarding state and local officials with demands to allow their religion (and ONLY theirs) into every aspect of public life and have it codified into law....
If they are ever defeated and the country returns to any sense of normality, it won't be just the MAGAts who are the pariahs. In the eyes of the world, all Americans will be tarred with their taint. It'll be "The Ugly American 2.0" ramped up 1000 percent.
Ein Land, ein Volk, ein Führer, eh?
Eisenhower, maybe. Too bad he's been dead for almost 60 years.
Eisenhower was a decent man, but even he had his flaws, particularly in how he allowed a great deal of the initial fractures between State and Church to happen during his administration. He may be the last decent Republican to have served, but I can't overlook what he did or rather did not do to preserve the secular nature of our government.
It's also true that Eisenhower wasn't as racist as Trump is.
https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1238&context=concomm
Eisenhower was pretty racist, but saved by the bottom-of-the-barrel scrapping new benchmark that is Trump.
"<insert name> isn't as <abhorrent trait> as tRump is" works every time.
Eisenhower was all in on Operation [Racist Slur], which like the current maladministration deported US citizens.
Good data, thank you for that!
Penchant?
Reagan invited in the evangelical preachers with promises he never kept or intended to. What began as a political ploy to win an election turned into the preachers hanging around to largely co-opt the Republican party. A problem we deal with to this day.
THIS!
Dictator for a Day is now available on streaming! Laughter IS the New Resistance!--Donald Trump is the leader of the Republican party and its regressive policies and perverse priorities. To laugh AT Trump is to disdain all that follows him.
Here's where you can find the MAGA Musical for the Masses:
YouTubeTV and YouTube (pay per view)
Apple TV
Google TV. https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Dictator_For_A_Day
Coming soon to other platforms. Learn more at Dictatorforadayshow.com.
They don’t need to be atheists. They just need to be committed to the principle of keeping religion out of government and they’re okay by me.
And still no Republicans. We all know why.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/715bd928b574af75d84a8203da130d070879513fbe90eef45977d0b56289edba.jpg
That is one smart kid!
This is a good thing. I suspect there are others but far too many members pander to the preachers for the votes they control.
I don't care if they're atheists or believers, as long as they're a bulwark against these nutjob Christian Nationalists.
The idea that atheists are tolerated by politicians is expanding. Heck, some of us can even BE politicians (on the local level anyway, which is where national politicians usually start).
I doubt I'll see the day where being an atheist in this country is completely unremarkable, but you have to start some place.
"I doubt I'll see the day where being an atheist in this country is completely unremarkable"
I think I would state it differently, things will change when religion is no longer seen as a social good.
This has largely happened in many other developed countries.
That also isn't happening with the amount of time I have left on this spinning ball, either.
This assumes the USA is a developed country.
I've always thought that it's weird that politicians running for federal offices have to proclaim some kind of religious belief, but no one cares about that at the state and local level (obviously depending on the state you live in). It makes no sense whatsoever. I'm waiting for a candidate for federal office to say, when asked, that their faith is their personal business, it's nobody else's business, and, in any case, it isn't relevant to the job.
OT: more good news: Clergy at record low in public perception of their honesty and ethics. Even better, clergy are going downhill faster than anyone else (except maybe POTUS? )
https://news.gallup.com/poll/700736/nurses-continue-lead-honesty-ethics-ratings.aspx
We still beat telemarketers!
OT- The entire Republican party is a rape cult: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmlxmTpGVio
What else can even be said, at this point? Other than a string of creative invectives that'd make a drunken sailor blush, I mean.
Even their womenfolk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSfC_N8XOTE
𝘌𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 her. Sham Blondie has been covering up Epstein crimes since 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 before she joined Chump's scream team.
On another upbeat note, when I had to run an errand to Tallahassee the other day, I saw a very large group - several large groups actually, one on each corner of a main intersection, holding an anti-Trump and anti-ICE signs, and chanting "Fuck Ice, Fuck Trump." Almost every passing car honked, waved and gave the thumbs-up. I drove home with a smile on my face.
And it isn't just the Republicans and their inbred Libertarian cousins that are MIA from the CFC. There isn't even a single voice from Independents.
Guess we know who the real pro-life party is.
Interesting that the libertarians haven't shifted over. I mean they're supposed to be rational and stuff right?
Like the GOP, the outlook by Libertarians is "I've got mine, fuck you."
Well the only libertarian who's ever been well-known enough for me to come across was Penn Jilette, and he was an atheist. Mind you, he's finally decided it's all bullshit – not before time. His embracing of libertarianism made me doubt his intelligence to be honest, but from what I can gather he thought it was all people helping other people on a personal basis and charity and stuff. I think he's figured out it wouldn't work.
Off topic, on an under-reported poll in the news, via Ground News.
A new Yahoo!/YouGov survey conducted after the Super Bowl found generally positive reactions to Bad Bunny’s halftime performance, with more viewers saying they liked the show than disliked it and broad support for his decision to perform entirely in Spanish.
The poll showed strong approval for his message of unity and immigrant pride, highlighted by visuals promoting love over hate and his onstage “God bless America” remark.
When asked who better represents America, respondents were narrowly split, but slightly more chose Bad Bunny over Donald Trump.
https://ground.news/article/americans-believe-bad-bunny-represents-them-better-than-trump-according-to-a-poll
Paywall. Wants you to subscribe.
Let's see: One voice calls for unity and inclusion. The other is a call for racism and division.
Which to choose, which to choose...
Huh. It's not paywalled for me, and I'm not a subscriber.
Same with NewsBreak. I’m not subscribing to either.
I neither liked nor disliked. It was as boring as the halftime shows the last several years, so I played solitaire on my phone. Being in Spanish didn't matter much as I don't generally understand lyrics even when they are in English. The best thing about it was that it annoyed the Rethuglicans.
Two more down... 507 to go, including the Senate and non-voting members.
Never gonna happen until the GQP is dead in the ground, but... lemme have my delusions before I've had my coffee for the day.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/da1ec72d5314ac53bc28a9dd4d8be9f5c99b1513120343345bb5b4c0c2219a72.jpg
Since this is a big election year (I know midterms usually aren’t, but I think this one is shaping up to be huge), if enough religious nut jobs get voted out, it’s possible we could see a swell in Free Thought ranks. 🤞🏼
Being that both my senators are Trump apologists, I won't waste my time trying to talk them into getting into the CFC. I may take a look at my representative, as she is a Democrat and may be amenable.
OT: main stream media doesn’t seem to be covering what independent media have been talking about for several days now about tensions between the US and Canada.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSJ7zsHCPDU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9ccB9YWUuE
I can’t tell if I’m being buffaloed by independent media (who do tend to see 3 catastrophes a day) or if our hollowed out MSM can’t keep up.
From the description at the very bottom of the video:
How this was made
Altered or synthetic content
Sound or visuals were significantly edited or digitally generated.
"1 Minute Ago" is a satire account.
I’m open to the idea that I’ve been fooled.
You can check reliable sources for news such as the CBC, BBC, &c. There is no such article at any of those sites.
The aggressive AI propaganda being pushed to YouTube is intended to destabilise the country (worse than the GOP has). The best thing to do is if you have an account there, don't downvote it, just report it.
I have been checking MSM and the disparity was notable but I’m also at the point of wondering how good MSM still is. WaPo is a shell of its former self.
Thanks for not pointing and laughing at me!
My husband got caught out on one of these videos, something about Supreme Court intervening and stopping Trump. (That's the part that tipped me off!) He's smart too.
That you know of. : )
There is that!
You're welcome.
If you go through the comments, a lot of people were taken in (with a few calling the account out for what it is).
Meet the new boss...