Category: Beating Back the St00pid

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If Michelle Wolf is Your Biggest Problem, You Need Bigger Problems

Again, from John Pavlovitz:

Comedian Michelle Wolf stepped to the podium at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner and verbally eviscerated everyone: The President, The Press, Mike Pence, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Kellyanne Conway.

MAGA Nation, unsurprisingly lost their collective minds.

By their wild histrionics, you would have thought she murdered a crowd fully of concertgoers with an arsenal of high-powered weapons. (Actually, that probably would have been cause for less indignation.)

Trump supporters, Conservative pundits, and Evangelical preachers rushed to social media and to partisan talk shows, to lament the comedian’s “cruel, mean-spirited, vicious words;” to clutch their pearls at the seemingly unprecedented nastiness, to openly weep over the supposed inappropriate nature of her personal attacks; to defend poor, defenseless people like Sarah and Kellyanne, so unfairly treated.

(If one could die of hypocrisy, these folks would all have abruptly left us this weekend.)

The idea that they could somehow be mortified by Michelle Wolf’s WHCD remarks, and not by the vile, genitalia-grabbing, serial liar and his cadre of predators in the White House who are making America a global punchline, while doing irreparable damage to millions of people every day—is Olympic level cognitive dissonance.

That the satirical words of an entertainer could be a source of internal distress, while the prolific malevolence of a sitting President and his complicit surrogates merit only a giggle and a shoulder shrug, is a the reason we’re in this mess.

And while Trump supporters lacking self-awareness in matters of righteous indignation are par for the course these days, what has been surprising, has been those outside of his adoring cult who’ve wagged their fingers and clicked the roof of their mouths, accusing the comedian of, “becoming the other side.”

Can we stop with this, already? It’s abject nonsense, it’s irresponsible tone policing, and it’s erecting a skyscraping straw man that foolishly changes the narrative.

As harsh and irreverent as Wolf’s comments might have been, any effort to make these comparable with this Administration’s tactics is a sinful false equivalency. Wolf saying rude things and calling out shameful behavior by our leaders—isn’t her “becoming the other side.” It isn’t the same as being the people in power who actually create legislation that damages people.

I might not have gone where Wolf went, but it’s astounding to me that people who support this President can feign offense, while he does such deeply offensive things to the people of this country and they’re perfectly fine with it all. This should merit outrage. He should merit outrage.

Much has been made by Wolf’s critics, of her personal attacks on Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Aside from the unnecessary and unacceptable body-shaming, the comedian is perfectly within her rights to name the near criminal conduct of the White House Press Secretary; who regularly stands in front of the nation, maligning the Press, vilifying the President’s political opposition, and knowingly lying through her teeth regarding matters of national policy and security. She is one of the people most responsible for attempting to normalize someone quite outside of normal, and for this she should be held accountable. And as Wolf rightly pointed out, the Press is less and less willing to take on such tasks, so the jesters will have to do it.

Wolf (even brutally) calling out Sarah Sanders for lying for a living on behalf of a monster—isn’t “as bad” as Sarah Sanders lying for a living on behalf of a monster.

People have said that Michelle Wolf’s razor-sharp dismantling of this Administration at the WHCD “stooped to the other side’s level,” but this simply isn’t true. We need to let that idea go because it misses the point completely.

She didn’t stoop to the other side’s level with her comments—she punched up, and she punched hard. Thank God people are still willing to do that.

When Wolf uses the power of the White House to craft legislation that cripples the poor and marginalized, and assails our environmental protections, civil rights, and Free Press—she’ll be stooping to Donald Trump’s level.

When she daily stands before a podium representing the President and claiming the Christian faith, and repeatedly and willfully lies to the American people about issues that fundamentally and profoundly affect hundreds of millions of—she’ll be stooping to Sarah Sander’s level.

When she enables and supports and profits from a reckless sociopath who is disregarding our Constitution and rule of law, she’s be stooping to the other side’s level.

As it is, she simply spoke truth that too many Americans seem unwilling or unable to see.

There is a great deal to be outraged right now:

Russian interference,
ICE raids in hospital rooms,
Eroding LGBTQ rights,
Vanishing environmental protections,
Puerto Rico still in shambles,
Flint still without clean water,
unparalleled gun homicides,
a compromised Evangelical Church,
raising hate crimes,
the sabotaging on the Affordable Care Act.

These realities should be scandalous to us, not a few outrageous words from a button-pushing comedian.

If Michelle Wolf is your problem right now—you need bigger problems.

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The Worst Person Leading the Greatest Country

From John Pavlovitz:

Last week I hopped into a cab in Toronto, heading to the airport after a weekend speaking engagement.

My driver’s name was Mohammed; a middle-aged man born in Afghanistan, who earned his PhD, and moved here in his twenties.

We talked about the weather, about my work; about our children, about family car trips to Disney World.

Then we got to talking about America.

As we got closer to the airport, I joked with him, that given my open critiques of the current Administration, I was unsure whether they’d let me back in, and with my feelings about the current state of thing—I wasn’t all that excited to go back anyway.

Mohammed quickly grew animated.

“I just don’t understand this!” he said, his voice booming, his arms forming a shrug, and his face reflecting incredulity.

“How can the worst person in the world, be given the greatest country in the world to lead? he remarked. “It’s disgusting.”

Before I could respond, he went on.

“The whole world is laughing at America. It’s a global joke, what he’s doing. It makes me so angry.”

As Mohammed shared his heart with me, I was simultaneously encouraged, ashamed, and pissed off.

It was a comfort to hear a voice outside of my country express solidarity with me and the millions in America who feel like prisoners of this predatory, fraudulent Administration.

It was embarrassing to realize that for the first time in my life, I have trepidation to claim America as my own, because of all it now represents.
It angered me, that a middle-aged man from Afghanistan could be more perceptive and wise than 62 million of my countrymen—and women who’ve spent their lives here and have much more at stake.

It was a cab ride that I was sorry to see end.

I’m sure this President isn’t technically the worst person in the world—but let’s just say he’s making a really strong showing in the competition.

But their was sad truth beneath his hyperbole. My new friend, Mohammed gets it all: the bigotry he’s unleashed here, the hypocrisy of religious people who support him, the ineptitude that the entire world is talking about, the fractures to our national image.

He sees that the differences and the fear and the isolation that this President brokers in, are dangerous things.

Most of all he sees that this nation is being led by someone far beneath it, not worthy of it, detrimental to it.

I’m hopeful enough people in America see such things; that regardless of political affiliation, religious worldview, or nation of origin, a vast majority is as stupefied and outraged as Mohammed is these days—and ready to vote and rescue themselves.

I hope that more people in this country can see what so much of the world sees about us:

That we are a great nation.
That we are a place filled with beautiful diversity.
That we do deserve far better than this.

I said goodbye to my new friend and headed into the terminal, but the whole way home his words bounced around repeatedly in my head:

“How can the worst person in the world, be given the greatest country in the world to lead? It’s disgusting.”

It really is, Mohammed.

It really is.

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Who Wants American Evangelical Heaven?

From John Pavlovitz:

I’m going to hell.

At least this is what American Evangelicals often like to tell me.

Apparently though, I’m not alone.

According to them I’m in very good company, as a vast portion of the planet will be eventually be joining me in the corporate weeping and the gnashing of our collective teeth—along with the billions of others, whose incessant torment is already currently in progress.

And sure, on some days the thought of such eternal damnation does seems like more than a bit of a bummer, and I find myself struggling not to let it ruin beautiful afternoons at the park, quiet moments with my kids, and joyous dinners with friends.

The idea of not going to Heaven certainly tends to cast a pall over things at times: movies, vacations, kickboxing classes.

However, the more I begin to visualize the actual Heaven these folks are supposedly excluding me from, the less and less worrisome the prospect becomes:

Apparently Heaven is going to be strictly America First.

Only English will be spoken in Heaven. Everyone else will just have to adjust.

It’s also going to be very, very, very white; with caucasian dudes (like God and Jesus) running the show and making the rules. The ladies will be taking care of the meals and the kids and whatnot.

There will of course, be no Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Wiccans, Unitarians, Agnostics, Atheists, backsliders, heretics, doubters, sinners, or Democrats there.

(There may be a few Mainline Protestants, if they manage to slip through security.)

In American Evangelical Heaven, there will be no gays or lesbians; no transgender people, no bisexual folks, no non-binary or gender fluid individuals—or anyone aiding and abetting them by actually respecting and loving them here on earth.

Also from what I’m able to gather by the brimstone prognosticators here who are certain of their inclusion, American Evangelical heaven will be filled with people who:

• deny others healthcare
• withhold charity from the poor
• politically support predators
• willfully destroy the environment
• fiercely guard their borders
• contest the value of black lives
• fear immigrants, refugees, and people with brown skin

Of course, these will not be issues in Heaven, since there will be no hunger or thirst, no suffering or pain, no sadness or grief. In other words—there will be no one there to bother them with any actual need requiring their compassion, like there were here on earth.

In American Evangelical Heaven, there will be no beggars or poor to be a drain on society Everyone there will have pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps. (Well, actually they’ll have all received unmerited mercy and grace they could never deserve—but why quibble over technicalities.)

I’ve been a Christian for most of my life, and I’ve seen hell used as a way of modifying behavior and controlling people by preying upon their greatest fears. I’ve seen it wielded like a weapon in the hands of people who don’t seem all that loving or merciful (or fun to be around.)

I’ve seen Heaven turned into a gated community of straight white, politically partisan American people—where diversity really won’t be represented and where difference will be turned away at the door.

It’s evolved into a fortified bunker of nationalism, homophobia, misogyny, and bigotry.

The more the image of these people’s Heaven becomes, the less and less trepidation I have of my soul’s resting place somewhere outside of it.

Receiving their damnation actually begins to feel like dodging a bullet.

I may be condemned to suffer all manner of unimaginable horrors, but I won’t have to suffer their hateful, exclusionary, angry religion, or to live surrounded by people who seem so joyful at the thought of other’s damnation and so callous toward such a vast swath of humanity supposedly made in the image of God.

If Heaven is filled with only American Evangelicals—I’ll pass.

Hell seems like a much more beautiful place.

Shorter version? “Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.” ~ Mark Twain

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With Sinclair, We Have Trump TV. America Doesn’t Need More.

We must rediscover the term “public good,” holding entities like Sinclair and Fox News to account for disseminating outlandish propaganda. Yes, we treasure our First Amendment, but we also treasure our democracy.

Maybe it’s time to bring back the Fairness Doctrine. Certainly it is time to force the F.C.C. to follow the law and fulfill its mandate under our laws to promote diversity of access to the public airwaves. In the end, we must all rededicate ourselves to democracy. Allowing our media to become the province of a few ideological extremists bent on ownership of our airwaves is not just bad for the republic. It could be its end.”

Source.

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White Evangelicals, This is Why People Are Through With You

Dear White Evangelicals,

I need to tell you something: People have had it with you.

They’re done.

They want nothing to do with you any longer, and here’s why:

They see your hypocrisy, your inconsistency, your incredibly selective mercy, and your thinly veiled supremacy.

For eight years they watched you relentlessly demonize a black President; a man faithfully married for 26 years; a doting father and husband without a hint of moral scandal or the slightest whiff of infidelity.

They watched you deny his personal faith convictions, argue his birthplace, and assail his character—all without cause or evidence. They saw you brandish Scriptures to malign him and use the laziest of racial stereotypes in criticizing him.

And through it all, White Evangelicals—you never once suggested that God placed him where he was,
you never publicly offered prayers for him and his family,
you never welcomed him to your Christian Universities,
you never gave him the benefit of the doubt in any instance,
you never spoke of offering him forgiveness or mercy,
your evangelists never publicly thanked God for his leadership,
your pastors never took to the pulpit to offer solidarity with him,
you never made any effort to affirm his humanity or show the love of Jesus to him in any quantifiable measure.

You violently opposed him at every single turn—without offering a single ounce of the grace you claim as the heart of your faith tradition. You jettisoned Jesus as you dispensed damnation on him.

And yet today, you openly give a “mulligan” to a white Republican man so riddled with depravity, so littered with extramarital affairs, so unapologetically vile, with such a vast resume of moral filth—that the mind boggles.

And the change in you is unmistakable. It has been an astonishing conversion to behold: a being born again.

With him, you suddenly find religion.
With him, you’re now willing to offer full absolution.
With him, all is forgiven without repentance or admission.
With him you’re suddenly able to see some invisible, deeply buried heart.
With him, sin has become unimportant, compassion no longer a requirement.
With him, you see only Providence.

And White Evangelicals, all those people who have had it with you—they see it all clearly.

They recognize the toxic source of your inconsistency.

They see that pigmentation and party are your sole deities.
They see that you aren’t interested in perpetuating the love of God or emulating the heart of Jesus.
They see that you aren’t burdened to love the least, or to be agents of compassion, or to care for your Muslim, gay, African, female, or poor neighbors as yourself.
They see that all you’re really interested in doing, is making a God in your own ivory image and demanding that the world bow down to it.
They recognize this all about white, Republican Jesus—not dark-skinned Jesus of Nazareth.

And I know you don’t realize it, but you’re digging your own grave in these days; the grave of your very faith tradition.

Your willingness to align yourself with cruelty is a costly marriage. Yes, you’ve gained a Supreme Court seat, a few months with the Presidency as a mouthpiece, and the cheap high of temporary power—but you’ve lost a whole lot more.

You’ve lost an audience with millions of wise, decent, good-hearted, faithful people with eyes to see this ugliness.
You’ve lost any moral high ground or spiritual authority with a generation.
You’ve lost any semblance of Christlikeness.
You’ve lost the plot.
And most of all you’ve lost your soul.

I know it’s likely you’ll dismiss these words. The fact that you’ve even made your bed with such malevolence, shows how far gone you are and how insulated you are from the reality in front of you.

But I had to at least try to reach you. It’s what Jesus would do.

Maybe you need to read what he said again—if he still matters to you.

[Source]

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Oh, Sah-NAP!

Yesterday the Dotard-in-Chief spewed this bit of gibberish on Twitter, originally referring to Alec as “Alex.” I guess one of his minions got word of the very public LOL that resulted and corrected it:

Of course, Mr. Baldwin was having none of the Dotard’s bullshit, and fired back: