god’s creation
procreation
fornication
population
isolation
mass migration
and starvation
revelation
supplication
congregation
holy nation
manipulation
inquisition
forced conversion
Politics
Transgender Community* Trumped by the Arc and Bent of Autocratic Politics
My fury throughout the whole last campaign to and through the election until now has never been much about politics.
Politics in this country, while they have been expanding outward toward the wacky fringes leaving the mostly moderate radicals (the rarity of moderates these days makes us rather radical) like myself quite lonely, have always, and hopefully will continue to, arc this way and that.
Because if our politics are not forever fluid and free to flow this way and that depending upon the tides of our national temperament, then it must mean that someone must have dammed up our river of democracy.
Metaphors… sigh.
Anyway, I don’t know if you’ve read my about page but there you will see in one sentence how I feel about politics and politicians…
To me, politics is simply acting for ugly people. Pretty actors go to Hollywood; ugly actors go to Washington DC.
Consequently, as our politics arc to and fro in this country, our politicians arc right along with them…only always just slightly behind the arc as they forever fail in their efforts to try to predict its toing and froing.
No, my fury for the most part has been directed solely at Trump and his bent towards authoritarianism; which means then that the more he contorts himself into a true to life autocrat, the more he is strengthening his power at the expense of my freedoms…
“Post-apocalyptic fiction has been moved to our current affairs section”
I wish I were smart enough to be able to claim this post’s eye/brain-catching headline as my own. But, alas, I cannot because I got it from this read-worthy #longread of an article written by John Feffer, a journalist and author who, with his read-worthy article, attempts to (in subtle sublimity) — and in my view does — make the case of why we should purchase his new near-future dystopian novel which spookily mirrors the current dystopic, Trumpian events of today, and who, Feffer, got it, the headline, from a friend on facebook in the form of a viral photo of a sign in front of bookstore in Boston.
A whole lotta fortuitous and fast-moving mechanics behind that headline up there, wouldn’t you agree?
To paraphrase/abuse a popular insurance company commercial from several years past that was trying to get us to fork over the beans for their coverage so we would be covered/prepared for any disastrous potentiality…
The Murky Link Between the Russian Cyber Threat and My Novel
This is a link to the live recent Senate Intelligence hearing regarding “Russian Hacking and Cybersecurity.”
This is a murky link.
This is a link to The Sea Trials of an Unfortunate Sailor, my book about the harsh realities of life in the navy during the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell era.
What is the relevance of the murky link between the two?
Probably none.
But you won’t know for sure unless you watch the hearing to understand why the Russian hacking of our cyber space is threat to our sovereignty and read the book to understand why intolerance and bigotry is a threat to our humanity.
#prettymurkyright
If I Were a Machiavellian
I’ve tried to read Niccolò Machiavelli’s THE PRINCE several times throughout my reading existence but thus far I haven’t been able to finish it.
But I did watch that risqué/raunchy TV show about that bad, Bad Pope called “Borgia” (not “The Borgias” mind you; still haven’t seen that one yet), so I have a pretty good TV idea about the dude on whom Machiavelli based his “prince.”
Anyway, for some reason I’ve been thinking about Machiavellianism lately.
Not sure why, but according to that informational cyberwonderland called Wikipedia, it appears I’m pretty much a “Low Mach” kind of guy. However, just the fact that I am a guy, a typical one at that, pretty much guarantees that I’m a of a higher Mach than the typical kind of gal.
Here are some interesting quotes regarding Machiavelianism:
Machiavellianism is “the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct”.
Machiavellianism is also a term that some social, forensic and personality psychologists use to describe a person’s tendency to be unemotional, and therefore able to detach him or herself from conventional morality and hence to deceive and manipulate others.
Machiavellianism is one of the three personality traits referred to as the dark triad, along with narcissism and psychopathy.
People scoring high on the scale (high Machs) tend to endorse statements such as, “Never tell anyone the real reason you did something unless it is useful to do so…”
Hmm… it seems that I know someone who might possess one or all of those of the “dark triad.”
Yes, I’m sure I do know someone who is Machiavellian, narcissistic, and psychopathic.
The name’s not coming it me right now but I’m pretty sure I know someone Just. Like. That.
Anyway…
Sometimes it seems that life would be much easier if I were to be more Machiavellian; if I were to only worry about myself and my needs; to see others only as either obstacles or opportunities to satisfy my needs.
Yeah…
Hey! If you’re interested in knowing whether you’re a High or Low Mach kind of human, you can take the test here.
Post your score in the comments for us…
If you feel it would be to your benefit to do so, that is.
This Is A Poem That Isn’t
This is a poem that isn’t
But probably it could
Even though it shouldn’t
And even if it were
It more than likely wouldn’t
#anythingbutpoliticsrightnow
So here’s my conundrum… update #3
Okay… of course we knew Hillary Clinton wasn’t going to get indicted. And I don’t think Bill meeting with the Attorney General to ensure she didn’t get indicted really mattered. Elites don’t get indicted. Period.
And, who knows, maybe a typical Intelligence Community peon being investigated for the same crime wouldn’t get indicted either.
But we all know the IC peon would at least lose his or her access to classified material and/or his or her clearance, which would mean that he or she would be out of a job.
Hillary, of course, won’t lose her access, her clearance, or her candidacy for the president.
What a farce.
#elitelivesmatter…most
So here’s my conundrum… update #2
So, as I discussed at length in the first post in this series, I had vowed to never vote for a family member of any former president.
However, with John Kasich dropping out of the Republican Primary race (to hell), I no longer have any choice but to vote for the Democratic nominee, who, of course, will be Hillary Clinton.
For I will never, ever vote for the Donald Trump de Drumpf.
I saw a report the other day showing that 30% of Bernie Sanders supporters vowed they will never vote for Hillary Clinton.
I assume them to mean, then, that if Clinton wins the nomination, they will not vote at all in the general election because my mind simply cannot comprehend someone who is such an avid supporter of Socialist Sanders voting for the Orange Megalomaniacal Menace.
But make no mistake about it, not voting in the general election is essentially voting for Trump.
So, even if you are as disappointed as I am in that Trump and Clinton are the best my country can offer up for presidential candidates, I passionately urge you to plug your nose, close your eyes, wipe your tears and vote for Clinton by all means.
You will only feel dirty for at least the four years she is president.
It is better to feel compromised than to be culpable for completely destroying our country (a destruction begun with Dubya) with a Trump presidency.
I really believe that if Trump becomes president my country will become forever alien to its historic ideals.
Speaking of Dubya, I would say I am proud of him for announcing he will not support Trump.
However, as badly and distasteful as Trump was toward both his presidency and his brother’s candidacy, he had no choice but to not support him.
Sigh…
What a sad state of affairs we find ourselves in, America…
#nevertrump
Crossing One Thin Line After Another
History shows us there is a thin line between outrage and unrest, between unrest and riot, and between riot and revolution. And it seems lately that we are constantly crossing these lines, that we are constantly on the edge and on the verge of being pushed to the limit, that every day, somewhere in the world, individuals, families, communities, countries, and regions are fluctuating and transitioning from one point of frustration to the next, even more frustrating point.
From the economy, to the environment, to intractable politics, to intolerance, to technology, to terrorism, to any number of other issues, who knows what will trigger the next outrage, unrest, riot, or revolution.
While there will always be multiple known and unknowable factors behind any tumultuous event, historians and analysts have come to a consensus that it was increasingly rising food prices, and, more specifically, the high cost of bread that pushed a region over the line and triggered the Arab Awakening.
And there is evidence showing that throughout the ages it has been the rising costs of basic food staples that pushes even the most civil minded citizens into becoming violent revolutionaries for change.
As the most cursory of searches reveal, the cumulative effect of the world’s many crises, coupled with the continuance of extreme weather patterns and resultant droughts, flooding, and other climate change unknowns, 2015 may be a year of severely rising food costs.
If so, it may prove to be quite the year, indeed.
☠☠☠☠
Hercules Gone Mad – Part One
Rebels for Love
Read an Excerpt