By Judith Gayle | Political Waves
The late, great Democratic Senator from New York, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, said it in 2003, and it bears repeating: “You are entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts.”
There was a reason he said it. By 2003 the nation had been gripped by viral Neoconitis, our Dubby questing for the imaginary WMD like Jason after the golden fleece. Essentially, George and his hawkish handlers destabilized the most dangerous region on the planet for ego satisfaction and material gain and needed a good cover story. Unfortunately for George, he picked one that was sheer fantasy and took the whole world on a joyride that would turn into an epic failure, leaving a legacy of belligerence, torture and excess behind. But never was heard a discouraging word from our Dubby during those years when nationalism held us hostage.
I think George really thought he’d find enough remnants of those pesky weapons to justify every dark projection he held about the man who tried to kill his daddy. Once you make a decision about what something means — and in this case, put the full weight of the United States of America behind it — you’re stuck with it, and Dubby wasn’t a man to overthink things. Those were the days when flag pins were a requirement, when patriots would never question the motives of our military, when ‘freedom fries’ turned snack food into a political statement. Moynahan was, at that point, crying in the wilderness.
By the time it became apparent that Saddam’s weaponry was a figment of everyone’s imagination — even his own — Iraq had become a quagmire. Because it’s not in the Republican playbook to admit a mistake, it only took a nanosecond for the Dubby to shift his talking points so that occupying Iraq had always been about promoting democracy in the heathen outback. Once that historical rewrite was in place, Bush seemed to lose interest in the wars; perhaps financial issues were already nipping at his heels, complicating his reality, but that’s another post.
Bush needed that war — that enemy — to give him international lift and public license, and when he got the chance, he ran with the ball. As we well remember, the Bushies were experts at embellishing facts and spinning the truth, hence Stephen Colbert’s coining of the word “truthiness.”
But if the constant barrage of gung-ho happy-talk and delusional grandeur available at FOX News in bygone years was truthiness, then what might we call the complete lapse of factual information we’re seeing today? “Bullshit,” while eminently accurate, just doesn’t have a legitimate ring to it. What can be said of the complete disconnect with reality we’re seeing within the political world? It’s one thing to spin your own point of view. It’s quite another to put complete lies out into the cyberstream and ignore the protests of those who yell, “PANTS ON FIRE!”
Gingrich comes to mind, because of all the bellicose contestants in this political game, he blows the hardest. No, Newt, Obama is not the man who has handed out the most food stamps; that would be George W., beating Obama’s numbers by a half-million. Newt surely knows that, but he won’t stop beating the drum. It suits him to keep that distortion alive because he’s running as the anti-establishment Republican, looking to save the nation from the great unwashed who are gobbling up the money of “real” Americans with their immoral entitlements. Newt never mentions that the largest number of food stamp recipients — over 30% — are white, nor should we hold our breath that he ever will. Inconvenient facts have never been part of his narrative.
Right behind Newt is Rick Santorum, accusing the president of saying, “in his own words,” that premature babies can be killed. The Catholics and Evangelicals, at war with each other for decades, have found a common denominator in Rick, who denounces sex for pleasure and birth control for anyone, and no doubt supports Mississippi’s attempt to define a fertilized egg as a person with full legal rights. Rick is the “values” candidate, giving us a heads-up on what Gawd expects from us. And I’m thinking that’s the same misogynistic Gawd of Deuteronomy who had no objection to throwing virgin daughters to the sexually-rampaging Sodomites rather than give them access to an angel (that could very likely protect itself, seems to me.)
As you may know, the Santorums lost a fetus after intrauterine surgery. They took the fetus home to introduce it to their three children, feeling that the kids needed to have an experience of their little brother. OK, I’m sucking my breath in as I write this, but this is not unknown in religious camps. Barbara Bush infamously kept her miscarried fetus in a jar, which seems an odd tribute to the unborn when she was reportedly cool about the loss of her daughter, Robin, at an early age.
I suppose it’s the strange, seemingly-schizophrenic split between idealizing the unborn while undervaluing the born that mystifies me so. I’d really appreciate an explanation, if they have one, but mostly we get “bootstrap” lectures, and people like Gingrich who, insanely, think underprivileged children should learn a good work ethic by being indentured. Next he’ll want to repeal the Emancipation Proclamation.
Rick is respectful of his elders, if not his president, as this YouTube asserts. He also insisted that he doesn’t want to make “blah” people’s lives better with welfare; the NAACP was not amused. As for Santorum’s attack against women’s rights, he has a fanatical base that will fight to the death (or ours) to protect a zygote. I suggest that there’s a very good reason why the nation has never ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, and more’s the pity. Women must continue to fight against their loss of liberties without a codifying law more compelling than Roe. We seldom talk about the ERA. We’d have more muscle if we did.
And Romney? Mitt lies by omission*, he lies by justification, he lies by promoting confusion and shifting opinion. When he’s angry, he looks piqued and sullen, as if he’s seldom been confronted. I suppose few people confront you when you have a quarter of a BILLION dollars. This guy is in the top 1% of the ruling 1% ,and he acts like it. Letting his team of lawyers handle the questions, Mitt’s the king of loopholes, stiff and unlikeable and thoroughly establishment. My bet? The Pub elders will work like the furies to get him nominated and slap Newt back into obscurity.
I’m not going to include Dr. Paul on this list because, as popular as his foreign policy suggestions have been to a war-weary populous, he is not really a contender. But I’ll give credit where it’s due, he’s something of a truth-teller. In fact, Paul falls on his own sword every time he opens his mouth. To take pride in insisting each man is an island unto himself is a cold bed to sleep in, but many Randians join him there. Consider what Ron named his son, consider his plan to gut the government and let the commonwealth shift for itself, then factor in this prophetic quote, from Gore Vidal, in 1961:
“Ayn Rand’s “philosophy” is nearly perfect in its immorality, which makes the size of her audience all the more ominous and symptomatic as we enter a curious new phase in our society….To justify and extol human greed and egotism is to my mind not only immoral, but evil.”
Unfortunately, that describes a good many of our fellow citizens today. The GOP, as well as the nation, would be much better off if Ayn Rand hadn’t tickled their fancy so many years ago.
The other side of the fence has only one candidate to speak of, Barack Obama, although there are three contenders — John Wolfe, Darcy Richardson and Randall Terry — which will require a primary vote in advance of a state caucus here in Southern Missouri. If nothing else impresses you about this president, you should welcome his apparent normalcy. His State of the Union address this year hit a pitch-perfect populist tone. It wasn’t liberal so much as progressive, wasn’t aggressive so much as assertive, and Obama rallied the base with truth of his own, like the obstruction that leaves so many judicial appointments and departments leaderless. Try as they might, the fact-checking agencies couldn’t find enough to fight over, so they made a mountain from a mole hill, which has since flattened completely.
Granted, there were some uncomfortable moments of compromise — on energy, for instance — but there was no long litany of lies, no matter what Rush Limbaugh predicted. Those who embrace the 99% should be heartened that Obama is finally willing to hold banksters accountable on some level. Breaking through that wall of non-accountability is a big damn deal. Bill Maher was interviewed by Anderson Cooper and mentioned that the State of the Union address was like fresh air compared to (too) many Republican debates. According to an article at Huffington, “Maher also predicted that Mitt Romney would win the nomination. He admitted that President Obama has disappointed him at times, but said that the idea of the Republicans ‘makes me run back into [Obama’s] arms screaming.'”
Well, that’s a big 10-4. And there’s the truth about this moment in time. When this president speaks, he’s calm, he’s respectful, and he tells the truth. Even if you don’t agree with his policy choices, or his appointments or his attempts to work across the aisle, you get the sense that he has successfully filled the shoes of an American president in his aspirations for the good of everyone. I never get the sense that Obama is coming down some narrow ideological path, shoving people out of his way as he pursues his objectives. This guy felt he was elected as president of ALL the people and — whether we accept his establishment standards or not — is working within those accepted perimeters for the good of the nation and a more peaceful, cooperative world.
I can’t say the same for Gingrich or Romney or Santorum or Paul. I can’t say the same for any Republican who denies climate change or sex education or the right of choice or fair economic principles. I can’t say the same for many fair-weather Democrats who do their best to tread water without making waves. It’s the difference between how these people come across to us that is going to call this election.
While the racists and the Dixiecrats and the Wall Street wannabes won’t change their minds about how the world works or who the liberals are, the sharper the contrast between the crazies and the stable guy, the better. The world is about to get crazier and it’s good to remember that we’re all entitled to our own opinion, but not our own facts. And the fact is, we’ve been better off under Obama for the last four years than we were for eight under his predecessor. Compare where we’ve been with where we hope to go. Keep your heart and your options open, your head and your vision clear, your opinion aligned with your facts. We’ve got a long way to go, but things are looking up.
*Romney’s discomfort with actual facts was evident in his recent skirmish with Gingrich over immigration. This brought up his father’s having been born in Mexico. In an effort to keep polygamy alive, Mitt’s grandfather was directed — reportedly by no less than Brigham Young himself — to cross the border into Mexico before Utah was declared a state and polygamy banned. Mitt does NOT want that national conversation pointing up his “cult” status and you can clearly see his nervousness over border issues. If it looks like he’s tip-toeing through (cultural) land mines, that’s because he is.
” … powerful tensions and release of love.” Sounds downright orgasmic! I can always count on you to summon the brilliance of Rudhyar, be — I thought of you many times when I was writing my little piece on the Symbols for R.R. Reality Check.
It seems to me that we need to understand that we not only have the power to change this day but have enthusiastic permission to recreate the future. My affirmation is that the Universe, this day, is conspiring to bless and delight me. We have to leave our dread behind. We’ve got to start counting coup on the little natural miracles that fill our day so that we can begin to infuse our consciousness with the love that constantly surrounds us. No matter how small the blessing that seeks you out, each day, touch it and thank it. THERE’s Light. When we believe its there for us, it shows up more and more.
I’ve got such a strong sense of RELEASE from what is behind us. The way things have always been is old business, yesterdays news as flat and listless at black and white TV. I’m incredibly hopeful for this coming year, and those beyond it. I’m confident that we have everything we need already, we simply have to recognize it and then realize it. Whatever our little corner of the world looks like, we need to SHINE in it, fill it with warm, loving Light that draws others in and ignites them, as well.
Seriously, Jann, while I was raised in a Baptist church, I was never infected with the fear that seems to drive the religious and particularly as concerns death. It seems to me that if you truly believe in the Jesus message of love and forgiveness, passing into another “world” in which you are indeed loved and forgiven wouldn’t scare the hell out of you!! Decades ago I read information on soul level and the religious — those most afraid of not having a strict set of rules to cling to — are the young souls on the planet, too fearful to be left to their own decisions. The older we grow [in experience,] the more we realize this is all an improvisation, the mistakes only markers for new doorways to feeling and understanding, the little, common experiences that make up our daily affairs what is truly majikal and uplifting.
EVERYthing is taking a leap, now — including the scardy-cats — and I’m looking for the Fundy’s to get a clue as well. As Gary suggests, maybe seeing just how damned silly they look on TV will send them back to the drawing board.
“Religion is for those who are scared to death of hell. Spirituality is for those who have been there.” Yes, been there — and not afraid of it anymore. We are all bright bits of starshine and it is life, itself, that polishes us until we glow.
Thanks for playing this weekend — and welcome, aprilius52 … glad you’re here.
Shine, this week, dearhearts. It’s all in our hands.
Where “bullshit” lacks legitimacy as a term for the absence-of-truthful-information and happy talk, the word “chaos” implies a lack of definition and substance, and in polite society, might be substituted if hard pressed. What is insane or irrational to one person is the meaning of life to another, so as incongrous as these views are they are our new reality. Thank you Jude for once again you are able to recount the many pieces of recent chaos and present us a picture of a world upended.
Your readers and commenters who value your talent have presented corroborating proof that the time is near for change, and I have had some thoughts along those lines myself.
Neptune in Pisces. Uranus in Aries. We really can’t fit these unseen-by-the-naked-eye planets into the ancient astrological catagories, but because that’s the system we use to communicate our thoughts, we are in a time of having a water influenced planet in a water sign and a fire influenced planet in a fire sign. Yes, Uranus is our new ruler of Aquarius, an air sign, but Uranus represents creativity and, to me anyway, seems inspired or ‘flamed’ by the element of fire too.
If you look at the upcoming Equinox chart this March, there are several new cycles beginning. Just among the major planets, there is the Sun at 0 Aries who is joined by Mercury at 2 Aries and Uranus at 4 Aries. There is also Neptune at 1 Pisces joined by the Moon at 2 Pisces and then there is the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in Taurus. New cycles start with conjunctions, and the unseen planets of Neptune and Uranus tell us something about how their new cycles will affect the conscious (and unconscious) minds of humanity.
But what I really am excited about is the north node at 7+ Sagittarius. If we think of the NN as the path to evolution and of possibilities and new experiences, then the Sabian symbol for this degree is something worth pondering. From Dane Rudhyar’s “An Astrological Mandala”. . .
“Within The Depths Of The Earth New Elements Are Being Formed. Keynote: The alchemical fire which both purifies and transforms the very substance of man’s inner life.” From this picture I can envision a totally new concept of life and a even a new astrology.
Rudhyar says “Forces are at work in the deepest layers of the psyche which, in their own way, respond to the outer stimulation produced by a strong involvement in group ambitions and emotions, and even more by the powerful tensions and release of love.”
The Equinox chart for March 20, 2012 also has a Grand Trine in Earth signs; Pluto in Capricorn, Mars in Virgo and the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in Taurus. So here we have the “depths of earth”, the new elements represented by the outer planets of Neptune, Uranus and Pluto, who are forming relationships with the personal planets, suggesting that the world as we know it is on the threshold of a big overhaul.
The north node is exactly conjunct the asteroid Juno at 7+ Sagittarius. First we think partner when we think of Juno. We also are beginning to broaden our concept of this symbol to mean connectivity. So far the Equinox chart has emphasized Water, Fire, and Earth. For the thinkers and communicators, we have the gift of Saturn who has postponed his entry into Scorpio to finish important work in Libra the air sign of partners. How very Saturn to delay. If we add to the picture, Juno conjunct the NN of opportunity, it implies by her presence (and that of Saturn’s) that this will be a cooperative effort rather than a lone venture in the forming of these new elements.
For the first 3 months of 2012 and really, the whole year that the Equinox will be in effect, we can expect transformation in feeling through Neptune and Moon, a transformation in conscious thinking through Uranus, Sun and Mercury, and a mining of new “elements” through Pluto’s cooperation with Mars and Jupiter/Venus in reality-based earth. This will include new ways to love.
Rudhyar. . . “An alchemical process goes on, usually unnoticed by the conscious ego, until it becomes obvious that a kind of mutation has taken place and a new level of awareness and of responses to life has been reached.” He gives us the key phrase for this degree symbol “Psychic Gestation”.
If you believe in the power of astrology to reveal what is elusive to the mind’s eye alone (and you must since you are here), then think about the chaos we are presently lost in and let these symbols resonate within your thoughts for a while. See if you can’t come up with a hopeful vision of the future and then co-create it.
be
Once again, Jude, thank you for the clear assessment of what lurks out there in politics and government. Both the Mittster and the Newtron scare the beyesus out of me because there are just enough just enough wack-jobs out there who are racist and/or so ‘Pub stupefied on “anybody but Obama”, and with the attention spans of gnats with ADD that our nightmare could come to life with one of those two getting elected.
I did not think I would live long enough to see the Newtron as a “serious” candidate for anything, let alone president. It boggles the mind that he is even a contender, given his baggage. We certainly are in an age where the facts and truth matter little if at all. I have said for decades that our court system is just that, a “system,” one that has nothing to do with facts, truth, or justice, and even the law. The same is true of government in general.
Two things in the past two days were brought back to mind by your comments. I watched a PBS program entitled “Secrets of the Manor House”, apparently a companion piece to the new season of Masterpiece Classic “Downton Abbey”. I was struck by the parallels of the greed and hoarded wealth, the class disparity, the exploitation in the name of “empire” and other similarities of the Edwardian Age, the Gilded Age to what has been happening for the last two decades. The similarities in “timing” are also interesting, as that Edwardian Age, the Gilded Age occurred in the last decade of the 19th century and the first decade and half of the 20th century. I guess time is being compressed when we repeat history so quickly.
The second is I just recently read an article from “The Mountain Astrologer” by Maurice Fernandez entitled “Neptune in Pisces (2011-26): Beyond Thought, Beyond Beliefs – Freedom from Illusion” ((Aug/Sept 2011 issue). He discusses “spiritual bankruptcy” and the influences of Neptune in Pisces, stating it “is about a true spiritual awakening – it has everything to do with revealing the naked Truth, unbiased by wishful thinking and human manipulation.” And: “Neptune in Pisces may actually take the church down completely, unless it regains its original meaning and purpose as a House of God, without superfluous attitudes, narrow dogmas, or other human-induced spiritual fabrications.” The ultimate purpose of Neptune in Pisces is “to engender beliefs that are more authentic and closer to the higher Truth.”
Fernandez’ words bring to mind Richard Tarnas’ observations about what we have “created”: “Modern civilization pays a high price for living in a universe that it believes is random and spiritually meaningless. Nature is not honored but is instead exploited for short-term benefit. And a purposeless universe creates a sense of deep spiritual emptiness inside, which people try to fill with endless consumer products, so that the industrial technology producing those products is cannibalizing the planet. But as we know, you can never get enough of what you don’t really need. A new vision of nature and the universe as ensouled, as spiritually significant, would give a better ground for both moral responsibility and a sense of spiritual belonging.” (http://www.beliefnet.com/Wellness/2006/06/The-Enchanted-Universe.aspx?p=1#ixzz1Wq9xu68r)
A favorite anonymous quote: “Religion is for those who are scared to death of hell. Spirituality is for those who have been there.” My Jannitude (a platitude with an attitude) add-on is that it was religion that made me spiritual.
And, I think it was somewhere in PW in the last several days that I read the phrase “spiritual fundamentalism.” I’m not sure of just what that means, but it is something to ponder with the hope that spiritual matters do not get hijacked by “fundamentalism.” Let’s hope our free will choice with Neptune in Pisces is seeking that which is more authentic and closer to the higher truth. But first, we must survive this Mercury retrograde “election.”
Thanks all for tolerating my verbose ruminations on this Sunday morning.
JannKinz
thanks, another great essay. You are the voice of reason.
Music to my ears, Gary! That means we’re becoming “teachable,” and … oh my goodness … there’s so much to learn about one another, to embrace within ourselves and to explore together. I’d suppose that most people are throwing religion out because it has suddenly begun to look like the control game it was created to be; but that doesn’t mean all that patriarchy gunk has been leached out of our systems. That is a journey just begun — but a holy one, I think, and well-timed!
Judith,
I recently read a poll that said “68% of us were Spiritual but NOT religious”.
I would have to believe after the current and upcoming debates that it will be an even higher percentage. Maybe we are making a shift.