From: Noah Horton (nhorton@ectropic.org)
Date: Mon Mar 24 2003 - 16:26:55 MST
> From: owner-extropians@extropy.org [mailto:owner-extropians@extropy.org]
> On Behalf Of Brian Phillips
> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 3:13 PM
> To: extropians@tick.javien.com
> Subject: Re: [POLITICS/IRAQ] Thank God for the death of the UN (Article)
> American suburbia is full of Boomers who believe this stuff.
> It's perfectly OK to have invisible friends provided they speak
> to you mostly on Sundays. I do not know whether Georgius Secundus
> is genuine, but *either* way his political personality is a
> archetype, after the Clinton years many Americans are so relieved
> to have "someone who isn't ashamed to be a Believer" they
> couldn't really care less about the economy.
[Noah Horton]
I think this is a serious mischaracterization of the desires of Americans.
Rather than being thought a better person for being "a Believer," I think
Bush gained ground for having a concrete system of morality. Clinton left
the country waiting for a President who could be trusted and who was above
the Leninist doctrine of all morality being subservient to political
expediency. Gore could not provide that given his proximity to Clinton as
well as his questionable relationship with China. Bush could provide such a
moral grounding, and furthermore, he has delivered on that grounding.
Furthermore, I would point out that historically, religious zeal is not
considered more important than fiscal policy. Jimmy Carter was a highly
devout man but was not reelected because of the abysmal performance of the
economy during his presidency. George Bush was not reelected in large part
because he raised taxes. Bill Clinton was reelected despite his behavioral
problems in large part because the economy was doing well from the internet
boom.
> For instance.. my Mom recently commented that this economic
> problems might very well be God's way of allowing Satan to "test"
> the country and it's chosen Leader's commitment to a godly
> national culture.
> If Bush makes the proper noises, doesn't get caught with his
> pants down (literally) and feeds the military/industrial complex
> whilst rembering to mention Yahweh frequently he is being
> the essence of what his constituency desires....
[Noah Horton]
Hearing how religious your parents apparently are, it makes it more
understandable that you seem to be entirely put off by religious belief in a
leader. I fail to understand how Bush is being so exceedingly religious.
His speeches make the requisite 'god blessed country' kind of comments, but
you get that from almost all leaders. I suspect that it is actually the
moral statements that are being taken as being highly religious. The
characterization of certain behavior and of certain regimes as evil simply
implies that he does have a built-in sense of morality that he uses as a
metric for behavior. This is exactly what sane people are supposed to do.
Not doing so makes one psychopathic. If the idea of such an ingrained
system of morality bothers you, then please read more of Lenin's writing,
you will probably find you agree with him.
-Noah
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