The party of No Fact/All Fiction and political bias is spreading another forward around and is being circulated by the extremist yet again. Just wanted to make you all aware of what is circulating now and give you a piece of actual truth. Let me first share with you what is being spread around:
"Dr. Krauthammer is on Fox News. He is an M.D. and a lawyer and is paralyzed from the neck down. A friend went to hear Charles Krauthammer. He listened with 25 others in a closed room. What he says here, is NOT 2nd-hand but 1st.. The ramifications are staggering for us, our children and their children.
Last Monday was a profound evening, hearing Dr. Charles Krauthammer as he spoke to the Center for the American Experiment. He is brilliant intellectual, seasoned & articulate. He is forthright and careful in his analysis, and never resorts to emotions or personal insults. He is NOT a fear monger nor an extremist in his comments and views. He is a fiscal conservative, and has received a Pulitzer Prize for writing. He is a frequent contributor to Fox News and writes weekly for the Washington Post. The entire room was held spellbound during his talk. I have summarized his comments, as we are living in uncharted waters economically and internationally. Even 2 Dems at my table agreed with everything he said! If you feel like forwarding this to those who are open minded and have not drunk the Kool-Aid, feel free. Summary of his comments:
1. Mr. Obama is a very intellectual, charming individual. He is not to be underestimated. He is a cool customer who doesn't show his emotions. It's very hard to know what's behind the mask. The taking down of the Clinton dynasty by a political neophyte was an amazing accomplishment. The Clintons still do not understand what hit them. Obama was in the perfect place at the perfect time.
2. Obama has political skills comparable to Reagan and Clinton. He has a way of making you think he's on your side, agreeing with your position, while doing the opposite. Pay no attention to what he SAYS; rather, watch what he DOES!
3. Obama has a ruthless quest for power. He did not come to Washington to make something out of himself, but rather to change everything, including dismantling capitalism. He can't be straightforward on his ambitions, as the public would not go along. He has a heavy hand, and wants to level the playing field with income redistribution and punishment to the achievers of society. He would like to model the USA to Great Britain or Canada.
4. His three main goals are to control ENERGY, PUBLIC EDUCATION, and NATIONAL HEALTHCARE by the Federal government. He doesn't care about the auto or financial services industries, but got them as an early bonus. The cap and trade will add costs to everything and stifle growth. Paying for FREE college education is his goal. Most scary is his healthcare program, because if you make it FREE and add 46,000,000 people to a Medicare-type single-payer system, the costs will go through the roof. The only way to control costs is with massive RATIONING of services, like in Canada. God forbid!
5. He has surrounded himself with mostly far-left academic types. No one around him has ever even run a candy store. But they are going to try and run the auto, financial, banking and other industries. This obviously can't work in the long run. Obama is not a socialist; rather he's a far-left secular progressive bent on nothing short of revolution. He ran as a moderate, but will govern from the hard left. Again, watch what he does, not what he says.
6. Obama doesn't really see himself as President of the United States, but more as a ruler over the world. He sees himself above it all, trying to orchestrate & coordinate various countries and their agendas. He sees moral equivalency in all cultures. His apology tour in Germany and England was a prime example of how he sees America, as an imperialist nation that has been arrogant, rather than a great noble nation that has at times made errors. This is the first President ever who has chastised our allies and appeased our enemies!
7. He is now handing out goodies. He hopes that the bill (and pain) will not come due until after he is reelected in 2012. He would like to blame all problems on Bush from the past, and hopefully his successor in the future. He has a huge ego, and Dr. Krauthammer believes he is a narcissist.
8. Republicans are in the wilderness for a while, but will emerge strong. Republicans are pining for another Reagan, but there will never be another like him. Krauthammer believes Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty & Bobby Jindahl (except for his terrible speech in February) are the future of the party. Newt Gingrich is brilliant, but has baggage. Sarah Palin is sincere and intelligent, but needs to really be seriously boning up on facts and info if she is to be a serious candidate in the future. We need to return to the party of lower taxes, smaller government, personal responsibility, strong national defense, and state's rights.
9. The current level of spending is irresponsible and outrageous. We are spending trillions that we don't have. This could lead to hyperinflation, depression or worse. No country has ever spent themselves into prosperity. The media is giving Obama, Reid and Pelosi a pass because they love their agenda. But eventually the bill will come due and people will realize the huge bailouts didn't work, nor will the stimulus package. These were trillion-dollar payoffs to Obama's allies, unions and the Congress to placate the left, so he can get support for #4 above.
10. The election was over in mid-September when Lehman brothers failed, fear and panic swept in, we had an unpopular President, and the war was grinding on indefinitely without a clear outcome. The people are in pain, and the mantra of change caused people to act emotionally. Any Dem would have won this election; it was surprising it was as close as it was.
11. In 2012, if the unemployment rate is over 10%, Republicans will be swept back into power. If it's under 8%, the Dems continue to roll. If it's between 8-10%, it will be a dogfight. It will all be about the economy. I hope this gets you really thinking about what's happening in Washington and Congress. There is a left-wing revolution going on, according to Krauthammer, and he encourages us to keep the faith and join the loyal resistance. The work will be hard, but we're right on most issues and can reclaim our country, before it's far too late...
Do yourself a long term favor, send this to all who will listen to an intelligent assessment of the big picture. All our futures and children's futures depend on our good understanding of what is really going on in DC, and our action pursuant to that understanding!! It really IS up to each of us to take individual action!! Start with educating your friends and neighbors!!!"
This is just more right wing talking points and BS posing as fact! Maybe the first clue this was bogus was when Fox News was used as its resource! And, maybe the second clue (amoung others) should have been the claim that Dr. Krauthammer is a lawyer, which he is not! I did some research....I wish the "believers" of such propaganda would do their own research before spreading rumors disguised as fact! According to the "good doctor", this is an urban myth. Although it is no secret that Dr. Krauthammer is no fan of Obama’s. His statement on the rumor is now circulating and his comment appears on the website of the American Experiment.http://www.americanexperiment.org/e.../2009-06-26.php I've copied and pasted what is at this link, to make it easier:
"This account is neither accurate nor authoritative. My views on Obama are well known. I’ve explained them in a series of five columns. This email is somebody putting his own ideological stamp and spin on my views. One giveaway of the superimposition of someone else's views on mine is the rather amusing use of phrases that I never use. To take just a few examples randomly: "God forbid," "far left secular progressive," “this is the first president ever who has chastised our allies and appeased our enemies!” “no country had ever spent themselves into prosperity,” and, the real doozy,"states rights.” … Anyone who wants to know my views should consult those and not this email. "Charles Krauthammer
I have found this, so called Krauthammer account, spilled all over the Internet with tons of response from the right cheering this on, not giving a care in the world that this wasn’t actually said by the doctor. They dismiss its credibility, but then give it a thumbs-up for all of the “true fact” and wonderful insight. I still can’t find an inch of fact. All I find is biased opinion! And, I really have to wonder where all of these conspiracy theorist were during the Bush years? “Consider the arrogance of asserting that anyone who disagrees with your political philosophies has been brainwashed. The GOP is not going to win more supporters by calling the people they wish to convince naive idiots. On the contrary, these tactics hurt them more and more every day.” And, the fact that they think that Palin, Jindahul, Pawlenty, Romney, or Gingrich could be good for this country should give an insight to their judgement!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Great Quote!
Somebody sent me this quote, and I thought it was rather profound!
". . . And for those that say that the government can't run anything effectively, why do you hypocrites trust them with enough nuclear weapons to destroy the earth but not trust them with health care?"
I think that statement says it all!
". . . And for those that say that the government can't run anything effectively, why do you hypocrites trust them with enough nuclear weapons to destroy the earth but not trust them with health care?"
I think that statement says it all!
Friday, October 16, 2009
The True Faces of the Uninsured
American’s have a stereo-typical idea of the uninsured. They are thought to be minorities, and more than likely illegal immigrants, people that are lower class and do nothing to help themselves, and more than likely jobless and riding the system for handouts. Although I’m sure the stereotype might be true in some cases, it is not the majority, and probably only a small fraction, of the uninsured. Even so, they too deserve to have health care as it is a right and not a privilege or a luxury! But, in actuality, the true faces of the uninsured look just like you and me. They are Christa Vasquez, age 31, who says “I have a pre-existing condition and nobody will approve me." They are Mader Glenn, age 60, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and underwent chemotherapy and was then laid off from her fortune 500 company, as they “couldn’t wait for her to get well.” She had Cobra insurance for a couple of months, but was one day late paying her premium and the insurance dropped her. They are also people like Alaina Ronewicz, age 23, who is a full time college student and does not have a full time job to help her attain health insurance. They are people that have lost their jobs due to the American recession, like the Houston gentleman who attended Dr. Oz’s free clinic at the Reliant Center in Houston. He lost his job and then could no longer afford his home and had to move into a motel as he could not find another job. On top of the stress of being jobless he had a cancer scare that went unscreened for over a year. It wasn’t until he attended the free clinic, that he found out that his polyps were benign, but reflects on the fact that there would absolutely be nothing that he could do if indeed the test did turn out to be positive for cancer.
The fact is, 70% of the families that are uninsured have one or more full-time workers, and 12% of the uninsured families have part-time workers. We have got to put a human face to our health care crisis. Pretending that “these people” are different from ourselves is a lie! These faces could very easily be our own faces some day.
I remember when I, myself, was uninsured. I remember my father’s insurance dropping me once I turned 21. I was a full-time college student and a mother of one. I had a part-time job, but could barely afford my car insurance much less health insurance. I had severe chest pains that would attack at random times, but never sought medical help as there was no way that I could pay it. Finally, the pains became so bad that I did go to the ER. They did numerous screenings and never found the source of my problems. I walked away with a $2,000 bill and an uncured chest pain. I never did find out what those phantom chest pains were all about as they eventually went away.
There was one other time in my life that I did not have insurance. It was after I was married and we had three kids, and my husband had been relieved of his job. He decided to make a go of his own law practice. During the four months that we did not have insurance, we had a son who had severely broken his leg and required x-rays every week to two weeks, we had a son whose ear drum ruptured during the middle of the night from an ear infection, and the same son who broke his leg also decided to swallow a penny. That also required more x-rays as pennies are made of zinc and could become poisonous if it did not exit his body. However, it eventually did exit the day before he was scheduled for surgery. Thank goodness we had credit cards to help pay those medical bills that came to about $2,500, but it took more than a year or more to pay those credit cards off. To tell you the truth though, I really don’t feel much safer with insurance. When my daughter was born, we pretty much came out of pocket for the delivery and hospital stay as we had not met our deductible yet. I have to wonder, what was the point of paying $900.00 a month for insurance if it didn’t even begin to cover my daughter’s birth? That money is just being pocketed somewhere! You are pretty much damned if you do have insurance, and damned if you don’t! Something has got to change!
Thanks to: http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/voices/2009/09/faces-of-the-uninsured-project.html for help with some of the stories I spoke about above.
The fact is, 70% of the families that are uninsured have one or more full-time workers, and 12% of the uninsured families have part-time workers. We have got to put a human face to our health care crisis. Pretending that “these people” are different from ourselves is a lie! These faces could very easily be our own faces some day.
I remember when I, myself, was uninsured. I remember my father’s insurance dropping me once I turned 21. I was a full-time college student and a mother of one. I had a part-time job, but could barely afford my car insurance much less health insurance. I had severe chest pains that would attack at random times, but never sought medical help as there was no way that I could pay it. Finally, the pains became so bad that I did go to the ER. They did numerous screenings and never found the source of my problems. I walked away with a $2,000 bill and an uncured chest pain. I never did find out what those phantom chest pains were all about as they eventually went away.
There was one other time in my life that I did not have insurance. It was after I was married and we had three kids, and my husband had been relieved of his job. He decided to make a go of his own law practice. During the four months that we did not have insurance, we had a son who had severely broken his leg and required x-rays every week to two weeks, we had a son whose ear drum ruptured during the middle of the night from an ear infection, and the same son who broke his leg also decided to swallow a penny. That also required more x-rays as pennies are made of zinc and could become poisonous if it did not exit his body. However, it eventually did exit the day before he was scheduled for surgery. Thank goodness we had credit cards to help pay those medical bills that came to about $2,500, but it took more than a year or more to pay those credit cards off. To tell you the truth though, I really don’t feel much safer with insurance. When my daughter was born, we pretty much came out of pocket for the delivery and hospital stay as we had not met our deductible yet. I have to wonder, what was the point of paying $900.00 a month for insurance if it didn’t even begin to cover my daughter’s birth? That money is just being pocketed somewhere! You are pretty much damned if you do have insurance, and damned if you don’t! Something has got to change!
Thanks to: http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/voices/2009/09/faces-of-the-uninsured-project.html for help with some of the stories I spoke about above.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Health Care System Blocks Andrea's Diagnosis of Angelman Syndrome
What is wrong with a country that is considered to be the wealthiest nation in the world but does not provide medical care to their own citizens? For those of you that feel that you are safe because you have insurance, I must point out that you have a false sense of security! It's no secret that insurance companies can dump you at any time, they can pick and choose what they want to cover, and they can leave you high and dry when you might need them the most.
Last night I watched the show, Mystery Diagnosis. I often watch this show and see first hand what is so wrong with our health care system. However, last night I watched a particular disturbing episode. A mother soon realized after bringing her new born baby home that something was very wrong with her daughter, Andrea. Andrea could not keep any food down and always seemed to be in pain after eating. Doctors chalked it up to colic. This went on for months, and doctors continuously told the mother that she needed to "just deal with it." The last time Andrea saw the doctor, he insinuated that Andrea was suffering from neglect and that the mother needed to step up to the plate and take care of her daughter. Andrea's mother was in shock that nobody took her cries for help seriously and even placed blame on her. After finally having enough, Andrea's mother called the doctor's office and demanded that she see the chief of pediatrics. She got an immediate appointment with one of the top specialist, and he could see in an instant that there was something very wrong with Andrea as her head had not grown, she wasn't reaching developmental mile stones, she could not keep food down therefore becoming very malnourished and very underweight for her age, and she had an unusual disposition for her age coupled with very jerky movements. He referred her to a pediatric developmentalist, but quickly found out that her insurance would not cover this and was told that there was absolutely no further help that could be given. Andrea's mother was left at a dead end with a child that so desperately needed medical attention!
The insurance company made a very conscience decision that Andrea didn't need a diagnosis. They make these decisions every day in our lives! What is wrong with a system that allows an infant to suffer? What is wrong with a system that first looks at the dollar signs before even looking at a very obviously sick little girl? With out this mother's persistence, Andrea would have for sure died! In the end, Andrea's mother took her to the Albany Medical Center ER which was two hours away from their home. There, Andrea finally received the medical attention that she deserved and finally received the appropriate diagnoses of Angelman Syndrome. It is a chromosomal disease that was easily diagnosed with a blood test!
This family came very close to loosing a child. This did not happen to a family that didn't have insurance, BUT it happened to a family that did have insurance. Who is really looking out for us? We, as a people, need to advocate for our health and for our future. The insurance companies are so obviously not in the business of doing this for us. This very issue's future is currently in the hands of our government. Will we finally have the health care in this country that is very much over due, or are we going to receive more of the same? Are we going to continue to allow the health care industry to buy congressional votes with the money they profit on from our premiums? This should not be a political issue that divides us! This is an issue that should unite us! There is a blatant crime going on, and innocent lives are being lost every day!
Below is a link to the show that I watched last night, although not a very good quality picture.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DVci92VLYQ
& below is the last half of the show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IROaxf2HF4k
Last night I watched the show, Mystery Diagnosis. I often watch this show and see first hand what is so wrong with our health care system. However, last night I watched a particular disturbing episode. A mother soon realized after bringing her new born baby home that something was very wrong with her daughter, Andrea. Andrea could not keep any food down and always seemed to be in pain after eating. Doctors chalked it up to colic. This went on for months, and doctors continuously told the mother that she needed to "just deal with it." The last time Andrea saw the doctor, he insinuated that Andrea was suffering from neglect and that the mother needed to step up to the plate and take care of her daughter. Andrea's mother was in shock that nobody took her cries for help seriously and even placed blame on her. After finally having enough, Andrea's mother called the doctor's office and demanded that she see the chief of pediatrics. She got an immediate appointment with one of the top specialist, and he could see in an instant that there was something very wrong with Andrea as her head had not grown, she wasn't reaching developmental mile stones, she could not keep food down therefore becoming very malnourished and very underweight for her age, and she had an unusual disposition for her age coupled with very jerky movements. He referred her to a pediatric developmentalist, but quickly found out that her insurance would not cover this and was told that there was absolutely no further help that could be given. Andrea's mother was left at a dead end with a child that so desperately needed medical attention!
The insurance company made a very conscience decision that Andrea didn't need a diagnosis. They make these decisions every day in our lives! What is wrong with a system that allows an infant to suffer? What is wrong with a system that first looks at the dollar signs before even looking at a very obviously sick little girl? With out this mother's persistence, Andrea would have for sure died! In the end, Andrea's mother took her to the Albany Medical Center ER which was two hours away from their home. There, Andrea finally received the medical attention that she deserved and finally received the appropriate diagnoses of Angelman Syndrome. It is a chromosomal disease that was easily diagnosed with a blood test!
This family came very close to loosing a child. This did not happen to a family that didn't have insurance, BUT it happened to a family that did have insurance. Who is really looking out for us? We, as a people, need to advocate for our health and for our future. The insurance companies are so obviously not in the business of doing this for us. This very issue's future is currently in the hands of our government. Will we finally have the health care in this country that is very much over due, or are we going to receive more of the same? Are we going to continue to allow the health care industry to buy congressional votes with the money they profit on from our premiums? This should not be a political issue that divides us! This is an issue that should unite us! There is a blatant crime going on, and innocent lives are being lost every day!
Below is a link to the show that I watched last night, although not a very good quality picture.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DVci92VLYQ
& below is the last half of the show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IROaxf2HF4k
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
GOP Hate
I couldn't be more sickened then when I heard the loud whoops and hollers and high fives from the GOP after Chicago lost the bid for the 2016 Olympics. With unemployment at an all time high, having the Olympics would have made instant jobs for Americans, almost over night. It would have created hundreds of thousands of jobs and would have generated much needed revenue. Why would any American pull for the failure of such a boost for fellow Americans and its economy? Any failure where Obama is concerned, is reason to celebrate in the GOP's eyes. It doesn't matter what's at stake or who gets hurt, just as long as Obama's reputation gets tarnished. The same is true when it comes to health care or the environment. Every failure in Obama's book, is a success in the GOP's book. Look at the price we are paying for the GOP's hate.
When did we reach this point where we could no longer just simply disagree with one another's views, but had to go one step further and hate them just because their views were different. This "with us, or against us" mentality only leads to devastation. Isn't it just odd that the GOP disagrees with EVERY idea or policy the democrats have, but then offer ZERO alternative ideas or policies? Isn't it also odd that the same people that judge others to be labled "unpatriotic" are the same ones that vote time and time again against the American people or cheer when America fails? Isn't it also odd that hate crimes, especially against minorities and gays, are at an all time high in this country just during the last few months? This is not a coincidence. The GOP is in the business of shutting up anyone who might pull dollars out of their pockets. They love the top 1% of Americans (the wealthy), and treat the remaining 99% as their slaves, and they will say and do anything to convince us that we are valuable and we're not slaves, but in the end the suppression is evident!
When did we reach this point where we could no longer just simply disagree with one another's views, but had to go one step further and hate them just because their views were different. This "with us, or against us" mentality only leads to devastation. Isn't it just odd that the GOP disagrees with EVERY idea or policy the democrats have, but then offer ZERO alternative ideas or policies? Isn't it also odd that the same people that judge others to be labled "unpatriotic" are the same ones that vote time and time again against the American people or cheer when America fails? Isn't it also odd that hate crimes, especially against minorities and gays, are at an all time high in this country just during the last few months? This is not a coincidence. The GOP is in the business of shutting up anyone who might pull dollars out of their pockets. They love the top 1% of Americans (the wealthy), and treat the remaining 99% as their slaves, and they will say and do anything to convince us that we are valuable and we're not slaves, but in the end the suppression is evident!
Monday, October 5, 2009
"Holy Now"
Sometimes it's good to just stop and smell the roses, so to speak. I found some words to a song that I thought was rather profound. I'm sure if one was a religious person, one could see these words through more of a religious view. I, myself, am not religious. I guess you could call me more spiritual. However, I came to view these words through a view of gratitude. We shouldn't be inspired by only the big events and coincidences that intersect our lives, but we should also find inspiration and gratitude through everything around us. However one believes this Earth came to be formed, it's still amazing and deserves our gratitude....not just our respect (although, even the respect seems to be very lacking these days). The miracles of life can be found far beyond the walls of a religious institution and we should open our eyes to find the reverence of life, which means to show and feel deep honor for all of the amazing intricacies of life. I also looked up the definition of "Holy". We often hear this word in accordance with the name of God, but "Holy" is defined as "having a Divine quality". Aren't we lucky that this world is filled with divine, or magnificent, qualities?
"Holy Now" by Peter Meyer
When I was a boy, each week
On Sunday, we would go to church,
And pay attention to the priest
He would read the holy word
And consecrate the holy bread
And everyone would kneel and bow
Today the only difference is
Everything is holy now
Everything is holy now
When I was in Sunday school
We would learn about the time
Moses split the sea in two
Jesus made the water wine
And I remember feeling sad
That miracles don't happen still
But now I can't keep track
'Cause everything's a miracle
Everything's a miracle
Wine from water is not so small
an even better magic trick
Is that anything is here at all
So the challenging thing becomes
Not to look for miracles
But finding where there isn't one
When holy water was rare at best
It barely wet my fingertips
But now I have to hold my breath
Like I'm swimming in a sea of it
It used to be a world half there
Heaven's second rate hand-me-down
But I walk it with a reverent air
'Cause everything is holy now
Everything is holy now
Read a questioning child's face
And say it's not a testament
That'd be very hard to say
See another new morning come
And say it's not a sacrament
I tell you that it can't be done
This morning, outside I stood
And saw a little red-winged bird
Shining like a burning bush
Singing like a scripture verse
It made me want to bow my head
I remember when church let out
How things have changed since then
Everything is holy now
Everything is holy now
It used to be a world half-there
Heaven's second rate hand-me-down
But I walk it with a reverent air
'Cause everything is holy now
"Holy Now" by Peter Meyer
When I was a boy, each week
On Sunday, we would go to church,
And pay attention to the priest
He would read the holy word
And consecrate the holy bread
And everyone would kneel and bow
Today the only difference is
Everything is holy now
Everything is holy now
When I was in Sunday school
We would learn about the time
Moses split the sea in two
Jesus made the water wine
And I remember feeling sad
That miracles don't happen still
But now I can't keep track
'Cause everything's a miracle
Everything's a miracle
Wine from water is not so small
an even better magic trick
Is that anything is here at all
So the challenging thing becomes
Not to look for miracles
But finding where there isn't one
When holy water was rare at best
It barely wet my fingertips
But now I have to hold my breath
Like I'm swimming in a sea of it
It used to be a world half there
Heaven's second rate hand-me-down
But I walk it with a reverent air
'Cause everything is holy now
Everything is holy now
Read a questioning child's face
And say it's not a testament
That'd be very hard to say
See another new morning come
And say it's not a sacrament
I tell you that it can't be done
This morning, outside I stood
And saw a little red-winged bird
Shining like a burning bush
Singing like a scripture verse
It made me want to bow my head
I remember when church let out
How things have changed since then
Everything is holy now
Everything is holy now
It used to be a world half-there
Heaven's second rate hand-me-down
But I walk it with a reverent air
'Cause everything is holy now
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Michael Moore's film, "Capitalism: A Love Story"
This past weekend I went to see Michael Moore’s, "Capitalism: A Love Story." This was an excellent movie, and I highly recommend everyone to see it! In this movie you will be moved to find your voice and to stand up for what is right and just. This movie is for everyone, no matter your political offiliation…I truly hope all will take the time to watch this movie as it unearths the truth for us all. Below is an e-mail that Michael Moore sent himself.
October 4th, 2009 1:56 AM
For Those of You on Your Way to Church This Morning ...a note from Michael Moore
Friends,
I'd like to have a word with those of you who call yourselves Christians (Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Bill Maherists, etc. can read along, too, as much of what I have to say, I'm sure, can be applied to your own spiritual/ethical values). In my new film I speak for the first time in one of my movies about my own spiritual beliefs. I have always believed that one's religious leanings are deeply personal and should be kept private. After all, we've heard enough yammerin' in the past three decades about how one should "behave," and I have to say I'm pretty burned out on pieties and platitudes considering we are a violent nation who invades other countries and punishes our own for having the audacity to fall on hard times.
I'm also against any proselytizing; I certainly don't want you to join anything I belong to. Also, as a Catholic, I have much to say about the Church as an institution, but I'll leave that for another day (or movie).
Amidst all the Wall Street bad guys and corrupt members of Congress exposed in "Capitalism: A Love Story," I pose a simple question in the movie: "Is capitalism a sin?" I go on to ask, "Would Jesus be a capitalist?" Would he belong to a hedge fund? Would he sell short? Would he approve of a system that has allowed the richest 1% to have more financial wealth than the 95% under them combined?
I have come to believe that there is no getting around the fact that capitalism is opposite everything that Jesus (and Moses and Mohammad and Buddha) taught. All the great religions are clear about one thing: It is evil to take the majority of the pie and leave what's left for everyone to fight over. Jesus said that the rich man would have a very hard time getting into heaven. He told us that we had to be our brother's and sister's keepers and that the riches that did exist were to be divided fairly. He said that if you failed to house the homeless and feed the hungry, you'd have a hard time finding the pin code to the pearly gates.
I guess that's bad news for us Americans. Here's how we define "Blessed Are the Poor": We now have the highest unemployment rate since 1983. There's a foreclosure filing once every 7.5 seconds. 14,000 people every day lose their health insurance.
At the same time, Wall Street bankers ("Blessed Are the Wealthy"?) are amassing more and more loot -- and they do their best to pay little or no income tax (last year Goldman Sachs' tax rate was a mere 1%!). Would Jesus approve of this? If not, why do we let such an evil system continue? It doesn't seem you can call yourself a Capitalist AND a Christian -- because you cannot love your money AND love your neighbor when you are denying your neighbor the ability to see a doctor just so you can have a better bottom line. That's called "immoral" -- and you are committing a sin when you benefit at the expense of others.
When you are in church this morning, please think about this. I am asking you to allow your "better angels" to come forward. And if you are among the millions of Americans who are struggling to make it from week to week, please know that I promise to do what I can to stop this evil -- and I hope you'll join me in not giving up until everyone has a seat at the table.
Thanks for listening. I'm off to Mass in a few hours. I'll be sure to ask the priest if he thinks J.C. deals in derivatives or credit default swaps. I mean, after all, he must've been good at math. How else did he divide up two loaves of bread and five pieces of fish equally amongst 5,000 people? Either he was the first socialist or his disciples were really bad at packing lunch. Or both.
Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com
October 4th, 2009 1:56 AM
For Those of You on Your Way to Church This Morning ...a note from Michael Moore
Friends,
I'd like to have a word with those of you who call yourselves Christians (Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Bill Maherists, etc. can read along, too, as much of what I have to say, I'm sure, can be applied to your own spiritual/ethical values). In my new film I speak for the first time in one of my movies about my own spiritual beliefs. I have always believed that one's religious leanings are deeply personal and should be kept private. After all, we've heard enough yammerin' in the past three decades about how one should "behave," and I have to say I'm pretty burned out on pieties and platitudes considering we are a violent nation who invades other countries and punishes our own for having the audacity to fall on hard times.
I'm also against any proselytizing; I certainly don't want you to join anything I belong to. Also, as a Catholic, I have much to say about the Church as an institution, but I'll leave that for another day (or movie).
Amidst all the Wall Street bad guys and corrupt members of Congress exposed in "Capitalism: A Love Story," I pose a simple question in the movie: "Is capitalism a sin?" I go on to ask, "Would Jesus be a capitalist?" Would he belong to a hedge fund? Would he sell short? Would he approve of a system that has allowed the richest 1% to have more financial wealth than the 95% under them combined?
I have come to believe that there is no getting around the fact that capitalism is opposite everything that Jesus (and Moses and Mohammad and Buddha) taught. All the great religions are clear about one thing: It is evil to take the majority of the pie and leave what's left for everyone to fight over. Jesus said that the rich man would have a very hard time getting into heaven. He told us that we had to be our brother's and sister's keepers and that the riches that did exist were to be divided fairly. He said that if you failed to house the homeless and feed the hungry, you'd have a hard time finding the pin code to the pearly gates.
I guess that's bad news for us Americans. Here's how we define "Blessed Are the Poor": We now have the highest unemployment rate since 1983. There's a foreclosure filing once every 7.5 seconds. 14,000 people every day lose their health insurance.
At the same time, Wall Street bankers ("Blessed Are the Wealthy"?) are amassing more and more loot -- and they do their best to pay little or no income tax (last year Goldman Sachs' tax rate was a mere 1%!). Would Jesus approve of this? If not, why do we let such an evil system continue? It doesn't seem you can call yourself a Capitalist AND a Christian -- because you cannot love your money AND love your neighbor when you are denying your neighbor the ability to see a doctor just so you can have a better bottom line. That's called "immoral" -- and you are committing a sin when you benefit at the expense of others.
When you are in church this morning, please think about this. I am asking you to allow your "better angels" to come forward. And if you are among the millions of Americans who are struggling to make it from week to week, please know that I promise to do what I can to stop this evil -- and I hope you'll join me in not giving up until everyone has a seat at the table.
Thanks for listening. I'm off to Mass in a few hours. I'll be sure to ask the priest if he thinks J.C. deals in derivatives or credit default swaps. I mean, after all, he must've been good at math. How else did he divide up two loaves of bread and five pieces of fish equally amongst 5,000 people? Either he was the first socialist or his disciples were really bad at packing lunch. Or both.
Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com
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