Osama Bin Laden’s niece posing for GQ
December 24, 2005
I read an article talking about Osama Bin Laden’s niece posing for GQ. As if we didn’t have enough smut clogging the gears of society, we now bring you politically charged premium smut.
Granted, Wafah Dufour can do whatever she wants but why was the article entitled, “It Isn’t Easy Being the Sexy Bin Laden.” This is asinine because we are essentially egging the terrorists on. Let’s take a bird’s eye view and think about the consequences of helping Bin Laden’s niece make it big as a sexy model in America. First and foremost, this is a tactic that reminds me of enemies (armies or otherwise) pillaging each other’s women as proof of their superiority. It doesn’t work people because these photos are just as damaging as the Abu Ghraib scandals. Because unlike America, Muslims in the Middle East region don’t try to blur the lines between political life and personal life so of course they will be enraged when they learn of that this story is getting heavy rotation.
After 9/11, we missed the chance to become a better country. It is like 9/11 caused America to hold on tighter to the things that cause us to stumble and then we try to put all of our crap in a box, wrap it up in freedom wrapping paper, and finish with a nice bow of democracy. And then we act confused when people want to return their gifts. Respect and understanding are the first rules of war and once you break those rules, it becomes extremely difficult to get on the moral high ground. We can do better than this.
Stay up fam,
Brandon
God helps those who help themselves
December 23, 2005
As I rushed in and out of department stores this week, the ringing bells of the Salvation Army volunteers made me ponder about the title of this post. In the recent budget bill, the Senate passed a $602 billion bill that cuts funds for health, education and labor programs on the same day the Senate approved two separate rounds of cuts to health care programs for the poor.
Whenever there is a drive to make cuts in the budget, there is never any debate about where the cuts will come from; social services. And I believe there is one philosophical ideal that makes these types of cuts socially acceptable; God helps those who helps themselves.
I readily admit that the previous quote sounds plausible but not only is it selfish, it is nowhere in the Bible. In fact, a national survey conducted by the Barna Research Group found that when Christians were asked if the expression ‘God helps those who help themselves’ was in the Bible’, only 38% of all Christians correctly stated that that phrase cannot be found anywhere in the Scriptures. Forty-two percent thought that this was a Biblical quotation, and 20% had no idea. So lets assume for arguments’ sake that half of the people who had no idea actually believed that the quote was in the Bible, that would mean a clear majority of Christians believes that the quote was in the Bible. But what is the big deal?
A lack of compassion will lead people to believe that those who are less fortunate must have done something wrong in order to deserve God’s lack of compassion. And perhaps more troubling is the idea that because one is financially stable, God is smiling on you and your family. When this type of flawed thinking is applied to local, state, and national policies, the poor are always demonized for not doing their part to contribute to society. The reality is that not everyone who is in financial straits can pull themselves up by their boot straps. And the people who are comfortably living the middle class life, they should know that no one in succeeds at anything by themselves. For those of you who have not read Black Wealth, White Wealth, by Melvin L. Oliver and Thomas M. Shapiro, you will understand the huge pull that history has on people’s life choices. And like so many people of the middle class have experienced in 2005, there is not a huge barrier that separates them from those in the unemployment line.
In closing, the erroneous phrase that God who helps those who help themselves only adds to the disdain and indifference that so many middle class people show to the poor. And for all of the Bible loving people who walk past the poor without ever giving the change in their pocket, I urge them to read Leviticus 25:35-36 (NIV) which reads, “If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countrymen may continue to live among you…” And for the people who need things in black and white, consider the consequences of helping the poor and not helping the poor:
For those who bless the poor, God promises to bless them (Ps 41:1-3; 112; Prov. 14:21; 19:17, 22:9, 14:31, 28:27; Isaiah 58:6-10).
But, He promises to judge those who oppress the poor (Deut 27:19, Prov. 17:5, 21:13, 22:16, 28:27; Isaiah 10:1-4; Eze 18:12-13, 16:49).
Therefore, there are two things that would make life a whole lot better in America. How about people actually read the Bible or whatever is the religious text of their religion. And while we’re at it, why don’t we look at holding elected officials accountable for enacting policies that earn God’s disrespect.
Stay up fam,
Brandon
A *Real* Pullout?
December 23, 2005
We actually are reducing the number of troops in Iraq??? According to Donald Rumsfeld, we are.
However, don’t let the propaganda fool you. We increased the number of troops by 20,000 before the elections last week. From the article:
“The Pentagon sent an extra 20,000 troops to Iraq to bolster security during the recent elections, and Rumsfeld has previously said those 20,000 would be withdrawn in January to return U.S. force levels to a 138,000 baseline.”
Translation: this is a fake, propaganda pullout that is designed to get media spin to help increase the public’s approval of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
This will likely be spun by the administration as evidence of progress. You know, less troops = more progress. To me, no troops = now we’ve come to our senses.
I don’t think we’re progressing, but I have been told by some that my level of understanding of most things is minimal at best.
As B said, its all over but the pullout.
Big [Bad] Brother
December 23, 2005
Here is an interesting article from a republican questioning G.W. and his over-your-shoulder campaign. I had to link to this because its not everyday you see conservatives questioning their fearless leader.
In my opinion, here is further proof that Bush’s domestic spying is ridiculous and illegal.
1. They spied on some 100% domestic calls
2. A judge on the FISA court, which the President bypassed illegally, resigned in protest
Are these impeachable offenses?
Impeach? Censure? I’m with Conyers
December 23, 2005
John Conyers is (D-MI)calling for the censure and possible impeachment of G.W. He is not alone. Truthout is running a story about whispers of impeachment becoming public.
Conyers is the only member of Congress to see first-hand two impeachment proceedings. He called for the impeachment of Richard Nixon one week before Watergate. He vehemently opposed the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Given these experiences, I think it is safe to say that Conyers has a pretty good notion of what it means to impeach someone, and what impeachments should look like. Therefore, when he says it’s worth looking at, I think that it’s probably legitimate. Not to mention that I think G.W. should be out anyway, but I digress.
(Maybe the other reason I like John Conyers is because he’s a member of my church and a childhood friend of my grandmother.)
2 Counts, 1 Answer
December 23, 2005
It appears that the vote recount in Detroit will not change the outcome of the November 8 election. This is indeed what I and others expected. Now that that’s settled, we can tackle real issues in the city.
Today’s Irresponsible Cuts
December 22, 2005
The Senate bill to cut $40 billion dollars out of the budget takes a third of that $40 billion from students. I’m imagining that this is how the debate went:
BushCo & Republican Majority:
“We need some money. Like $40 billion. Where are we gonna get it?”
Democratic Minority & people with brains:
“Rich people? Corporate cronies that already give gifts? Why not cash in on those relationships in a way that benefits real people?
BushCo & Republican Majority:
“You guys are stupid. Let’s rob students. That will be much easier.”
Unchecked power in our three-headed political hydra leads to ridiculous results for the lives of the citizens. This example is no different. In the bill, students will be forced to pay higher interest rates on their already increasingly expensive student loans, and banks will get less government subsidies to provide these loans [at lower rates].
This is a HUGE deal. To make this more clear, lets put things in perspective.
- The majority of students in college are there with the help of some form of financial aid
- Student Loan debt can now be used as a reason to withold social security moneys
Now, let’s get stupid about this: American busines leaders are saying that our students are not able to compete on the international stage due to the shortcomings or our educational system (e.g. a speech from Bill Gates, linked here. The government [usually] listens to big busness and rich people, so who better to listen to than the richest man in the world who runs the biggest software company in the world? If No Child Left Behind wasn’t B.S., maybe we wouldn’t have this problem). As a result, the goverment should be doing everything in its power to strengthen its public education institutions on the primary, secondary, and collegiate levels. Well, how do you strengthen a college? Not by placing barriers to entry to it!!!! If I want something to be better, I don’t cut off it’s resources. What’s is the strongest resource of any college: it’s students.
Maybe I’m crazy because there are certain things I view as untochable as far as cuts in spending go:
- Education
- Health Care
- Legal Protection
Since I feel this way, I can’t be a fan of this budget bill, which cut other social programs that help the poor, including Medicaid and Welfare.
Patriot Act: 6 More Months of the same
December 22, 2005
UPDATE: The extension is now 5 weeks.
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The Senators are still politicians, they can’t help that. They have passed a compromise that will extend the Patriot Act in it’s present form by 6 months, with the idea that when they reconvene in January, they will iron out all the differences that divided them almost to the point of letting the Act expire on 31 Dec 2005.
Personally, I would have liked to seen this ridiculous abomination expired, dead, and gone, never to rise again. But I have high expectations. We will have to continue to watch this closely to make sure that not too much caving goes on during the next 6 months.
The Weekly Dream: Yield Not To Temptation”: Self-Control and Temptation, A Question of Character
December 22, 2005
“The Devil Made Me Do It”
-Flip Wilson
“Why is everything that’s supposed to be bad, make me feel so good?”
-Kanye West “Addiction”
Why is faithfulness so rare? Why is it so hard to do the right thing? Why is it difficult to do what we are supposed to, when we are supposed to do it? Why does it feel so good to give in to temptation? In a “do what feels good culture” where Self and instant gratification is king, I cannot help but wonder, has the world always been this way?
As I have grown older, I have realized that being responsible is not always fun, and at times, exercising self-control is even less enjoyable. Yet, impulse control is a necessary evil. Restraint is a sign of maturity. As we matriculate from infancy to adulthood, we learn the proper time, place, and behavior for numerous situations. We learn that we cannot necessarily do what we want to do. We learn of things called consequences. Truly, all law and civilization is built upon this notion of self-government. The absence of self-government on a wide scale is hedonism and anarchy.
Does Temptation Have A Purpose?
However, there are countless individuals who live daily in personal anarchy. Their inner world is in ruins because they have no rule over their thoughts, words, emotions, or actions. When I encounter these individuals, I first try to limit my dealings with them and protect myself because they are capable of doing anything. Next, I begin to wonder how did they get this way? I believe a large part of it comes from how they handled temptation. Now, I am not talking about harmless temptations, like chocolate or a favorite desert when you are dieting, but those of a graver, more insidious nature. The kind that has the potential to wreak havoc in our personal lives.
Temptation as defined by Webster is “to entice to do wrong for the promise of pleasure or gain. A test or trial.” Temptation can come from various sources: boredom, greed, curiosity, lack of vision or conviction, and/or short-sightedness.
However, the temptation itself is not evil, it is a test, and tests are amoral. Temptation is nothing but a mirror that highlights weaknesses and character flaws. Like fire, it shows what we are really like underneath, and it is our response to the test that makes the difference.
For Every Action There is A Reaction
Every religion teaches self-denial and self-control. Why? First, because temptation is a Trojan Horse. It looks harmless and appealing at first, but ultimately has tragic repercussions. Every time we give in to temptation, we nurse a weakness. It is never good to indulge a weakness because it forms a habit, and a habit grows to an addiction, and addiction to the wrong thing ultimately ends in destruction in that area.
Second, you lose a piece of yourself every time you succumb. Yielding to temptation compromises your integrity with yourself and others. How can you trust yourself to do the right thing if you constantly make the wrong decision? You sacrifice your control in the situation. You will never reach your full potential until you master the difficult, bumpy areas of your character.
What happens is that individuals who indulge in this behavior begin to justify their lack of self control, and normally with lame excuses: “Everybody else was doing it. This won’t hurt anybody. It just happened, I was in the moment. I am grown, I can do what I want to do.” Displacing blame is not maturity, it is what children do. It is a way to deal with guilt or shame. We do not exist in a vacuum. And there are no such things as victimless crimes. Our actions affect others, and the fruits of our bad decisions are often eaten by those around us.
Resistance 101: Breakin Old Habits is so hard to do…
What can we do to give us an edge in this battle for self-control? The first thing that we can do is know what we are about. You must know yourself in order to be true to yourself. Know where you are going, and what decisions are consistent with this objective. It also means that you honestly assess your problem areas and head them off. This means removing the instrument of temptation from around you. If you are a smoker, get rid of all your lighters and cigarettes. Do not frequent those environments where smoking will occur. Find other ways to deal with the situations that made you want to smoke. This will save you from having to struggle within yourself. A willingness to remove your self from those situations and people are key, because we tend to attract things that make it easier to for the weakness to survive.
Secondly, be grateful for what you have. Temptation is closely related to greed in that you have what you need, but you want more and are willing to compromise your morals to get it. The grass is not necessarily greener. Just as the desire or temptation came, if you do not do anything with it, it will leave. Do not even give the temptation your attention in the form of curiosity. Don’t feel like you are missing out, because you are not. You must walk your own path and not anyone else’s.
Thirdly, try to make doing good as attractive as doing wrong. This can be accomplished by looking at the real costs and benefits associated with each action. What is the real reward for doing the right thing? What is the worse case scenario for giving in to the temptation and is it worth it? Is this the proper reaction to this situation?
If you do fall, do not lay there. Maturity is accountability. Until you master this test, you will continue to make the same mistakes and it will hinder you from growing and moving on. Admit you have made a mistake and attack it until you master it.
Vince Lombardi said it best, “It is not whether you get knocked down, but whether you get back up that matters.”
Final thoughts
Giving in to temptation does not make you a bad person. It is the habit of nursing unhealthy and unprofitable behavior that is the problem because it begins to harden our heart and conscience. Making a choice is not a one-time thing. Everyday, we must make the choice anew to do good and not evil; to shun those things that would take us from our destiny. Consistency in thought, word, and deed is what forges our character, irregardless of who or what is around.
Every great leader had to overcome temptation before they could progress to a higher level level. They had the choice to pursue a higher calling, to seek the greater good or satisfy their own selfish desires. Temptation always precedes greatness because if you cannot master yourself, how can you ever achieve your destiny? How will you behave when the stakes are high and others are counting on you? A person without self-control is like a city without walls, with no defense from external and adverse forces.
If you are not totally committed to your course at the outset, there can be no success, only defeat. We are called to meet the challenge, rise above and persevere; that is where the reward is. Let temptation be the stage that showcases your ability to come through in the clutch. Let it demonstrate your unwavering devotion to excellence and moral uprightness. In this world, there is only one thing that you can always control, and that is yourself.
Nothing is worth your integrity and your piece of mind.
Don’t sell yourself short.
Truth and Peace,
Steven M DeVougas
Is Protesting still Relevant?
December 21, 2005
The Jack Lessenberry Show had an interesting discussion on the relevance of protests today. The debate is whether actions of civil disobedience, violence, or general disruption are as effective as they were in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. People on both sides present cases.
This is a needed discussion, that is timely in most corners of this nation, including at the University of Michigan. Do protest marches and rallys still matter? If they don’t why don’t they and what is a more effective way to bring about change?
