Political Zen

Bush "approves" of Cheney's explanation

2006-02-16T15:46:00.000-08:00

Today GW Bush went on the record as approving of Dick Cheney's explanation of the shooting incident last weekend that left Harry Whittington in the hospital. For those unfamiliar, Cheney accidentally shot Whittington while quail hunting in Texas. Almost 24 hours later, the owner of the quail hunting ranch gave a statement to the local Corpus Christi newspaper.

After almost five days of silence, Cheney gave an interview to Fox News anchor Brit Hume where he discussed the trauma of the incident - for both he and Whittington - but felt the way the incident was handled with the media and the use of the ranch owner as administration spokesperson was the proper course of action.

This is what the administration does not get:

It is obvious to anyone that this was indeed an accident
When an elected official is invloved in an accident, especially a shooting, it is best that the information be released to the public quickly (get your version out there first)
Appoint someone from the administration/press office as spokesperson - not a private citizen whose version of events differs from the VP's
Don't wait almost five days to have the VP make a statement. It makes him appear as if he feels he is unaccountable to the american people AND it inflames the media (just ask Scott McLellan)

On it's face, this is just a terrible accident. No one personally condemns Cheney (though his gun handing skills are in question). The larger problem is the way in which this administration simply waits to see how the media and public reacts to a situation and then measures the level of "spin" necessary to quiet dissent.

As is well documented, this is one of the most secretive and unforthcoming administrations in history. They feel no direct obligation to the american people, despite the overuse of self-serving jingoistic phrases. The hunting accident is just another another, sillier example.

A short break

2005-12-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

Autumn break is over & blogging will resume this week.

Barbara Bush thinks evacuees better off

2005-09-07T08:07:00.000-07:00

Barbara Bush further demonstrates the disconnect the entire Bush family seems to have not only for the plight of the poor in this country but also the sentiments of average American.

The quote says it all...

From an interview with "Marketplace":

"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway," she said, "so this is working very well for them."

The NY Times article here
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technorati:
barbara bush
evacuees

Saints & Sinners - Katrina Fallout

2005-09-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina has aroused passions, both positive and negative. Conservative, liberal, black, white and everyone in between has begun to offer money and support, praise and criticism.

I had the opportunity to lend a hand with the relief effort this weekend by conducting online searches for lost family members at the Astrodome. I was absolutley amazed at the generosity of the City of Houston and Houstonians. Not only was there an outpouring of material support - food, clothes, toys, etc. - but the level of volunteerism was beyond belief.

I was in an area where evacuees, friends and family could request online database searches for loved ones and also register instructions/meeting places/contact info. There were quite literally thousands of volunteers. We actually had volunteers assisting us by bringing us food and drinks. Volunteers serving other volunteers!

Despite the good work being done currently, the first week produced a clear list of failures and successes, saints and sinners.

Saints:

The Coast Guard - solid work
The City of Houston & Houstonians - as mentioned previously, amazing generosity and organization. So many people are volunteering, they are actually having to turn people away. A+
Several of the "mainstream" media who placed themsleves in the thick of it. I have been somewhat critical of CNN in the past, but Anderson Cooper has done some great reporting.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (part deux) - while I consider him a sinner also, he did manage to get motivated after the levee break on Tuesday. His comments can be found here

Sinners:

FEMA - The agency is an absolute disgrace and regardless of bureaucratic protocol failed in almost every respect.
Michael Brown (FEMA Director) - completely out of touch, incompetent, and despite President Bush's praise, needs to be fired. The praise, by the way, was classic "spin" and an attempt to deflect mounting criticism.
Homeland Security - first test of the department, receives a grade of F
Michael Chertoff (Director of Homeland Security) - Failed to react, prepare and coordinate the relief effort. Also out of touch with the suffering and currently shifting in to "spin" mode (as witnessed by his evasive attitiude when questioned by Tim Russert on Meet the Press).
Governor Kathleen Blanco - Where the heck has she been?
Mayor Ray Nagin - failed to adequately prepare for the storm and didn't really catch on until the levee breach.
New Orleans Police who abandoned the scene - up to 200 left and walked off the job
George W. Bush (last but not least) - a truly miserable leader with an unbelievable disconnect. He took several side trips around the country before the press backlash forced him to finally begin to deal with the situation. If the American public doesn't hold his feet to the fire on this one, we are in real trouble.

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technorati:
hurricane relief
FEMA
homeland security
astrodome

Why is the relief taking so long? *Leave your comments

2005-09-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

I have a few theories, but would like to know what readers think about the relief effort thus far.

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technorati tag:
Katrina
Hurricane relief
New Orleans

Dispite strained relationship, Chavez offers oil

2005-09-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

On the heels of offensive comments by Pat Robertson and increased tension with the Bush administration, Venezeula offers aid to Hurricane Katrina victims.

From AFX:

CARACAS (AFX) - Venezuela has offered emergency funds and fuel to the hurricane-battered US, and is ready to send a humanitarian aid taskforce to assist US disaster recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina, the foreign ministry said.
'The government and the nation of the Bolivaran Republic of Venezuela express to the United States and its leaders their dismay over the magnitude and consquences of Hurricane Katrina,' the ministry said in a statement.
'Venezuela reiterates the offer of President Hugo Chavez to send fuel and humanitarian aid to the United States to help alleviate the effects of this catastrophe.
' But US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that he is 'not aware of any such offers' of aid or oil from Venezuela.
Caracas's offer comes after months of deterioration in the relationship with Washington, which has branded Chavez a 'negative force' in the region.
Chavez had threatened to cut off oil supplies to the US, and after US evangelist Pat Robertson called last week for the US to assassinate Chavez, the Venezuelan leader accused Washington Monday of 'giving protection to a terrorist, who is demanding the assassination of a legitimate president.'

technorati tag:
Pat Robertson
Hugo Chavez
Katrina
Oil

Pat Robertson claims his statements were misinterpreted

2005-08-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

Misinterpreted? Maybe if you have no understanding of the English language (or possibly hearing impaired). The context is clear, the meaning obvious. Time to re-read the scriptures or go back to sunday school, Mr. Robertson. Leave the political spin to the professionals.

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see previous post

technorati tag:
Pat Robertson
Hugo Chavez

Prominent Christian calls for murder

2005-08-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

The face of Christianity?

No stranger to kooky proclamations, CBN's Pat Robertson called for the assassination of Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez. Fully absent any understanding of Christian principles, not to mention the ten commandments, Robertson advocated the use of U.S. covert operations to "take him out". Even more ludicrous was his muddy explanation of the danger that Mr. Chavez posed to the U.S. in the form of an old cold-war scare tactic (communism) and the more recent incarnation, global terror.

As off base and un-Christian as his comments were, he did express the underlying desire of many in the administration and conservative alike - that is, the removal of Chavez and the return to a more U.S. friendly government in one of the world's most oil-rich nations.

Oil being the most important factor in the divide between Venezuela and the U.S., it has lead our policy and framed the debate despite attempts to elevate it a more philosophical discussion of the nature of democracy. Without the economic component -oil- there would be little concern as to whether Chavez is socialist or an america-loving, right-wing evangelical.

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Brilliance:

"If he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that
we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war." - Pat Robertson, 700 Club

One more (couldn't resist):

"The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians." - Pat Robertson, fundraising letter, 1992

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technorati tag:
Pat Robertson
Hugo Chavez

Biggest labor split since 1930

2005-07-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Comment by R. David Brown

With ever decreasing union membership and global economic pressure, bold steps are required to protect workers rights and increase organizing efforts. SEIU's focus on organizing seems to be the proper approach to the problem and while there might be some power issues involved, labor must make every effort to increase it's ranks while continuing to combat market forces.

It would be improper to view this announcement as a weakening of labor. SEIU and Teamsters will undoubtedly still stand together with their union brothers and sisters, while having the flexibility and resources to more actively pursue organizing efforts.

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Additional reading:
AP story in Chicago Sun Times: HERE
Change to win coalition - HERE
Labor Net - HERE
SEIU - HERE

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technorati tag:
SEIU
Labor Union Split
AFL-CIO

4 bomb blasts in London

2005-07-07T13:04:00.000-07:00

Bombings in London kill 37, wound 700

From the BBC:
UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the bombings had "the hallmarks of an al-Qaeda-related attack".

Link to BBC story: HERE

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Technorati:
London Bomb

How could anyone be angry with the U.S.?

2005-06-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

Anti-American rallies held across Muslim world -- Tens of thousands of Muslims marched Friday in Islamic countries from Asia to the Middle East, burning symbols of America to protest the reported desecration of the Qur'an by military personnel at the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo, Bay, Cuba.

--------------

In response to this report, a conservative comrade gives a deep and thoughtful response:
Let the idiots hold their rallies and marches if they don't have anything else productive to do in those Muslim countries....

I wish more Americans were a little more vocal and would protest the continuous assault on our religious freedoms and our Constitution and our long-standing laws by the socialist elites and the anti-American ACLU scumbag lawyers in this country.

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To you my friend:

I acknowledge that there is a tendency on the left to capitalize on reports like those in the article below as evidence that U.S. policies are corrupt and those in power must, by definition, be evil and rightly deserve international scorn. Unfortunately, it appears that anti-american sentiment is continuing to grow (with or without the Qur'an incident) and our adventure in Iraq is desperately close to civil war. * I can already hear the fingers typing out all the various Iraq war defenses, chest-pounding "USA is #1" slogans and the "we bring enlightenment and freedom to the world" spin. I think we can all agree that no one is being swayed to other side of the argument, so it can probably be put to rest...though I suspect it will live on.

With regard to the statement by Markus, I am unsure what assault on religious freedom he is referring to. It certainly can not be Christian religious freedom, unless he considers the separation of church and state to be an assault. I apologize for assuming that it was a Christian perspective, but you almost never hear a Buddhist or Jew in this country vocalizing such concerns. I do not believe there is any systematic attempt to subvert Christianity in this country. I do believe that religion should be left to individual, family and church - not practiced in public schools, government spaces, buildings, etc. I have been a student of comparative religion for years and I enjoy the history, art and expression of all religions. I even enjoy a good religious debate. Religion has a place in our society and that is as a private practice by individuals, families and private organizations.

As to the implied leftward, godless trajectory of this country, I have to once again disagree. Most of the research on the subject (which does not include O'reilly's xenophobic machinations) shows that the U.S. has been moving to the right on many key social issues, and most certainly has moving in more religiously conservative direction. I refer you to a fine book on the subject, which has received much conservative acclaim as well, Right Nation. It is written by two British researchers who look at religious trends in the U.S. over the last 50 years and compare them to the other leading industrialized nations (yes, that does include Western Europe and your much loved France- but hey, it also includes our war buddy and friend Britain!) Their findings support the notion that the U.S. is solidly Christian, attends church more frequently and is more socially conservative than all of the other nations surveyed.

Anticipating the obvious reply, I do not consider the stem cell research, equal rights for gays/lesbians/bi-sexuals, etc to be properly addressed in a religious forum. These issues are matters of science and human rights of the modern world, not to be defined and decided by fallible human interpretation of ancient religious texts. And let's be honest, most of the religious leaders involved in these debates are of the "literalist" camp, with an absolutist notion of scripture. A very narrow and, in my opinion, unwise interpretation of scripture and unbefitting an advanced and modern society such as ours.

Finally, the socialist elite? Man, I wish I knew where to find them - I would sign up in a second!! Get real, the socialist movement in this country has almost completely disappeared over the last few decades. An unfortunate happening as I firmly believe this country could benefit from a vibrant socialist dialogue.

Enough for now. Feel free to hit with all the conservative zeal you can muster, but try keep it somewhat constructive.

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technorati tag:
Qur'an /Koran
Muslim protest
Guantanamo scandal
Newsweek

Just War Theory: why Richard Land and friends are wrong

2005-04-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

By R. David Brown

After seeing George W. Bush’s evangelical comrade, Richard Land, on several panels discussing the election, the role of religion in our society and the war in Iraq, I thought it was worth revisiting one of the issues he was so vigorously discussing in the early days of the Iraq war – Just War Theory.

For those unfamiliar with the topic, Just War Theory was developed primarily by Saint Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologica as a set of criteria that must be met prior to going to war and also in the conduct of war itself. While much of the scholarship on Just War is catholic, protestant and secular alike have embraced the concept and often use Just War as the standard when analyzing the appropriateness of military action.

Just War Theory was one of the favorite arguments used by the Christians on both the sides of the debate about the Iraq war and was employed often by evangelicals and other conservatives. As much now as then, I am surprised at the lack of diligence in the presentation of Just War, especially related to the accurate representation of scholarly interpretation of the theory and its application to the situation in Iraq. In many cases, it appears that there is a real thirst-for-blood rather than a well-reasoned, consideration of the theory.

Looking at the two key concepts - jus ad bellum (what conditions make it justifiable to go to war) and jus in bello (what conduct is right in war), a case for Just War fails on several of the necessary conditions. Examining jus ad bellum, the argument that the central criterion of “Right Intention” has been met because the United States seeks to remove the despot, Saddam Hussein, is an incorrect interpretation. While it is universally understood that Saddam Hussein is/was a brutal dictator and the intent to remove him admirable, it does not qualify as “Right Intention”. An examination of jus ad bellum and the criterion of “Right Intention” leads to a completely different interpretation: war can only be justified in response to aggression. In the case of Iraq, a direct act of aggression towards the U.S. (or possibly our allies) - neither of which occurred.

Assuming, for a moment, that the conditions that make it justifiable to got to war were met, jus in bello (right conduct in war) would also present several problems in declaring the satisfaction of Just War Theory. The first issue is the concept of “Proportionality”. The generally accepted interpretation of “Proportionality” is that the means employed should be proportional to the aim of war. That is to say, war should not be conducted in such a way as to inflict more harm (destruction) than it is intended to alleviate. In addition, there is a direct reference to the prohibition of the killing of civilians.

The interpretation of jus in bello (right conduct in war) by many evangelicals and other conservatives was to relate the events of September 11, 2001 and the suffering of the Iraqi people as justification and satisfaction of “Proportionality” - again, not in keeping with the generally accepted interpretation of the concept and also failing the test on the following grounds:

(1.) as witnessed in the first Gulf War, civilian casualties would certainly be high (bringing the discussion current, some estimates place the number as high as 30,000). While there is some room for disagreement on what level of civilian casualty is acceptable, this loss of innocent life fundamentally fails jus in bello.

(2.) even if the regime of Iraq was not innocent, which is certainly accurate to say, the Iraqi civilian population is. The death of non-combatants is unacceptable in any modern interpretation jus in bello.

With the lack of support of both jus ad bellum and jus in bello, one can only conclude that there must be some deeper desire on the part of evangelical leaders to promote war in the Middle East. Their euphoria regarding God’s divine intervention in the presidential election(s) has surely caused confusion in distinguishing between political opinion and sound religious/philosophical reasoning.

Richard Land, Jerry Falwell and the countless pastor-pundits who feel compelled to skew Just War Theory as means of furthering an aggressive interventionist foreign policy might want to consider a new tact - a more Christ-like, compassionate world view.

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United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 2002 Statement on Iraq and Just War, here

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technorati tag:
Just War
Richard Land
Aquinas
Iraq

Intellectual laziness or how spell check destroyed the world

2005-04-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

Is it my imagination or does the average "joe" appear more linguistically challenged than ever? Sometimes it seems like my cat is smarter than most of my college educated co-workers. From "conversate" to "where are you at?", the level of acceptable grammar, syntax and general expression in and out of the workplace has deteriorated to little more than dressed-up street slang with a bit of regional vernacular on the side.

The Daily Zen (22 March 2005)

2005-03-22T19:44:00.000-08:00

"the path to enlightenment is littered with wackiness"

"Life is a tale told by an idiot -- full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

-Shakespeare

Sorry for the delay...

2005-03-22T19:02:00.000-08:00

Taking a short break from blogging while working on a project. More to come in the next week or so.

Not so intelligent, by design

2005-02-17T21:29:00.000-08:00

By R. David Brown

Intelligent Design (ID) is a new label for an old argument that proposes a “designer” at work in creating the complexities of life. It attempts to take gaps in evolutionary science and inserts, by implication, the concept of God, claiming that complexity of the human biology and the natural world can only be explained by some sort of outside, intelligent influence.

The design theory actually pre-dates Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859), with one of the major proponents being the English theologian William Paley. Paley came up the Watchmaker Analogy (1802): If we find a watch in a field, we infer that it was not created by natural processes acting blindly, but rather by human intellect and design. Further, the natural world has ample evidence of a supernatural creator. This theory was virtually swept away with Darwin’s ground breaking work.

As science progressed beyond Darwin’s observations some, most notably the religious community (and for obvious reasons), remained committed to the concept of design. Most recently it has reemerged as the pseudo-scientific ID, and seeks to exploit the scientific community’s inability to explain every aspect of every discipline, especially in the area of molecular biology. In effect saying, if it is so complex that it can not be explained right now, there must have been an intelligent or divine hand at work behind the scene.

Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority in the scientific community reject ID and its component concept of irreducible complexity (see Michael Behe), it has become a fiery issue in recent years and now is being tested in the courts. Proponents of ID are primarily seeking its inclusion in the science curriculum at the secondary education level, arguing its merits as a scientific theory rather than religious belief. Great care has been taken to avoid language that would place ID in the more accurate category of Creationism.

It is my opinion that ID is nothing more than dressed up teleological argument and a blatant attempt to inject God into the classroom. When confronted, advocates for ID claim that it is a scientific theory offered as a reasonable alternative to evolution. Unfortunately, ID does not have any supporting empirical data and therefore can not be treated as a viable scientific theory.

Drunk on the success of electing an evangelical president and the emergence of moral values as a central issue, Christians now feel it is their religious duty to bring God back not only the public square, but also to the classroom. There is a reason that a belief in God, or designer, is called a faith – because it can not be physically, scientifically or otherwise proven to exist.

ID belongs in the home or church. Leave the classroom for science.

___________________________________________

Additional reading:
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William Paley's Natural Theology: or, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity - here

Michael Behe - here

Intelligent Design Network - here

Talk Origins - here

Discussion on Philosophy Forums - here

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technorati tag: Intelligent Design

Just War Theory, why Richard Land and friends are wrong

2005-02-11T20:09:00.000-08:00

(1.) as witnessed in the first Gulf War, civilian casualties would certainly be high (bringing the discussion current, some estimates place the number as high as 30,000). While there is some room for disagreement on what level of civilian casualty is acceptable, this loss of innocent life fundamentally fails jus in bello.

(2.) even if the regime of Iraq was not innocent, which is certainly accurate to say, the Iraqi civilian population is. The death of non-combatants is unacceptable in any modern interpretation jus in bello.

The Daily Zen (8 Feb 2005)

2005-02-09T13:36:00.000-08:00

"the path to enlightenment is littered with wackiness"

G.I. Jane gets dirty

Girls, I mean soldiers, gone wild !!

...and we thought our tax dollars were going to waste

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Female GIs flash breasts, thong in mud-wrestling contests
-Associated Press

The mud-wrestling babes weren't coeds but MPs. And the scene was an Army-run detention center in Iraq.

The New York Daily News reports female MPs mud-wrestled in October, with a crowd of male soldiers cheering them on. According to snapshots obtained by the News, one young military woman lifted her T-shirt to expose her breasts, while another revealed her thong panties.

Those involved are reported to be members of the 160th Military Police Battalion, an Army Reserve Unit from Tallahassee, Fla.

The unit has since returned to the states. Military officials say one female soldier was demoted for indecent exposure.
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More comments by Ward Churchill

2005-02-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

I have written previously on the subject of Ward Churchill's statements and haven't read anything yet to change my opinion. I am still disturbed by his continual suggestion that violence, of the 9/11 variety, is the proper way to change policy.

The following are a few links to recent articles on Ward Churchill:

*More radical comments by prof weighed (Denver Post)
*University of Colorado cancels Churchill's speech (Denver Post)
*Churchill's statement from January 31, 2005 (Indymedia-Bay Area)

Again, I agree with much of Churchill's take on the contribution of U.S. policy in the creation of resentment, and the resulting violence, in the Middle East and beyond.

technorati tag: Ward Churchill

The Daily Zen (7 Feb 2005)

2005-02-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

"the path to enlightenment is littered with wackiness"

Osama Bin Laden has been captured!

Osama Bin Laden on toast

...and we thought he would never be found. Click here for details

technorati tag: Osama Bin Laden Captured

The Daily Zen (6 Feb 2005)

2005-02-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

"the path to enlightenment is littered with wackiness"

Wife accused of giving man lethal sherry enema
By Richard Stewart (Houston Chronicle)

Only in Texas would someone take their cocktail up the back bumpty!
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ANGLETON - Investigators say a Lake Jackson woman caused her husband's death by giving him a sherry enema, causing his blood alcohol level to surge to 0.47 percent -almost six times the legal intoxication limit...
Click here for link to full story

Ward Churchill demonstrates the left is not always compassionate

2005-02-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

Considering myself to be a thoughtful, well reasoned member of the the leftist tradition, I am compelled to comment on the the post 9/11 essay by University of Colorado Professor Ward Churchill.

For a little background click HERE or HERE and his recent response to the current backlash HERE.

If you don't feeling like browsing the above links, the following is the primary offender and deals with the attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) and Pentagon:

Let’s get a grip here, shall we? True enough, they were civilians of a sort. But innocent? Gimme a break. They formed a technocratic corps at the very heart of America’s global financial empire — the “mighty engine of profit” to which the military dimension of U.S. policy has always been enslaved — and they did so both willingly and knowingly. Recourse to “ignorance” — a derivative, after all, of the word “ignore” — counts as less than an excuse among this relatively well-educated elite. To the extent that any of them were unaware of the costs and consequences to others of what they were involved in — and in many cases excelling at — it was because of their absolute refusal to see. More likely, it was because they were too busy braying, incessantly and self-importantly, into their cell phones, arranging power lunches and stock transactions, each of which translated, conveniently out of sight, mind and smelling distance, into the starved and rotting flesh of infants. If there was a better, more effective, or in fact any other way of visiting some penalty befitting their participation upon the little Eichmanns inhabiting the sterile sanctuary of the twin towers, I’d really be interested in hearing about it.

There are so many problems with his statements and while I support his freedom, academic and otherwise, to promote his opinion, I think that he does more damage to his cause and credibility than good by spewing such hatred. Understanding his critique of capitalism and the effects of our corporate dominated economy on foreign policy, categorically pronouncing the work-a-day employees of the WTC as culpable and somehow deserving a fiery death is reckless and bordering on insanity.

Little Eichmanns? That is just nutty. If to be engaged in capitalism is to be like Eichmann, then most of the population is guilty. Bad label and even worse logic. Yes, the WTC was a great symbol of capitalism but to consider a reasonable combat target (that is if you accept his premise that the 9/11 attackers were engaged in combat, rather than terrorism) is to offer a preference of one type of violence over another - economic "violence" being viewed as evil, while the downing of the towers as justifiable and a form of payback.

The current geo-political dynamic is littered with possibilities in terms of reasonable criticism of economic, political and social interaction. Senselessly attacking the victims of 9/11 is neither scholarly nor representative of those on the left. Bad form Churchill.

technorati tag: Ward Churchill

Senate Votes 60-36 to Confirm Gonzales as Attorney General (NY Times)

2005-02-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

Poor choice: torture memo, lousy record in Texas...step up from Ashcroft?

Coffeehouse Christians

2005-02-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

Like many Americans, I like a good cup a joe (or Chai) and enjoy lounging at the local coffeehouse. Being a firm believer in doing my part to bolster the economy, not to mention enabling the barristas to afford a wide array of clogs, I eagerly shell out 5 dollars for a 50 cent beverage at least four times a week. I sit in the over-stuffed chairs reading, hacking away on my laptop and chatting on my cell phone - a perfect example of a 21st century, mobile-ready, cyber geek. You know the type, backpack full of gadgets worth more than their car.

When you see a coffeehouse portrayed on TV it always seems to be a very hip environment, with lots of funky patrons engaging in interesting conversation or the brooding set wallowing in existential angst. The type of place where you are just as likely to run into an anarchist as a couple on a first date. This type of ideal coffeehouse is what I have been searching for, and while I know it exists somewhere, it has eluded me thus far. Instead I only find its evil twin - Starbucks - bland and uniformly stocked with housewives, business folk and a new incarnation, the coffeehouse christian.

The coffeehouse christian is a versatile sort. No longer bound by the usual haunts of church, christian bookstores, good news clubs and teary-eyed promise keepers meetings, the emboldened 21st century christian is equally at home in the convenience store of coffeehouses, Starbucks. Armed with all the high-tech gadgets, good ol' fashioned bibles and a latte, they unabashedly embark on a crusade to convert the unsuspecting, coffee sipping unbeliever.

An evolved and highly adaptable creature, the coffeehouse christian has learned the lessons of the past and no longer leads with the old classic, "have you heard the good news?" or "do you know Jesus Christ as your savior?" . Taking cues from both the business world and self-help gurus, they employ a much more subtle and salesmen like approach, using ingratiating lead-ins like, "that looks interesting, what are you reading?" or "that looks like a cool laptop". Friendly opening, get you talking about your interest and then go in for the Jesus roll.

I was the victim of an attempted Jesus roll recently. The coffehouse christian used the old "what are you reading" hook. Thrown off by its size, I think he was under the impression my book was some sort of religious text. It was actually Blackwell's Companion to Political Philosophy, which is a disturbing 700+ pages. Not to worry, he quickly shifted gears and decided to ask a few inane questions about the nature of our political system and, according to him, the socialist/communist trajectory of the healthcare system. As if anything but the unbridled capitalistic nature of our current healthcare system would lead straight to the depths of eternal damnation (a view I am sure many Republicans share).

From there the conversation meandered, but it seemed as if there was something on his mind. Sensing that he was indeed a coffeehouse christian, I decided to give him the opening that he was looking for... I mentioned that I enjoy comparative religion. Oh the look of joy on his face. Being a relatively clean cut white boy, I am sure he assumed that I was a christian and was studying other religions merely to garner more ammunition to confront the unbelievers and members of the wayward, false religions. He quickly adjusted to a more relaxed posture and began to lean in for a more deep and meaningful conversation about Jesus. "I believe that Christ guides every aspect of our lives and has a plan for each of us", he said. How many times had I heard that one before? There must be some sort of handbook of cliches given out at each proselytizing prep class.

As he droned on about witnessing and his personal walk with Christ, I began to worry that if I let this continue much longer I too would be labeled as a coffeehouse christian. Not wanting to simply tell him to hit the bricks, I contemplated possible responses that might make him want to leave voluntarily. Atheist? No, he would only try harder. Jewish? Damn, Jews for Jesus messed that one up. Maybe I should make up a lie and tell him that I am gay. With gay marriage being such a fiery issue for evangelicals, it might have a shot. But wait, don't christians have some sort of sexual conversion, remind the evil gays that they are straight program?

I was at a complete loss when my cell phone rang. "Important call", I said. Ah, the tech equivalent of talk-to-the-hand. I was free to be rude without really being rude. No exchange of phone numbers. No invitations to church or bible study. Just a quick handshake, nice talking to you and see ya' later. Maybe there is hope. Maybe our technology can actually help shield, as well as connect us.

tecnorati tag: Coffeehouse Christians

State of the Union

2005-02-02T18:09:00.000-08:00

Live Blog

Right out of the gate, George W. Bush addresses fiscal responsibility. He intends to limit the growth of government spending while eliminating 150 wasteful government programs.

*Real courage from a spendaholic president. Lets start with scaling back the $400 billion defense budget.
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Touches on frivolous lawsuits/ tort reform

*Nothing new here

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Make healthcare affordable: comprehensive healthcare program, w/credits for low income workers, increased health savings accounts, medical liability reform, credit for small business owners.

*The only answer to the problem is universal healthcare.

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The big ticket item, Social Security: claims that SS is heading toward bankruptcy. Claims that by 2018, SS will be taking in less than it is paying out. Also claiming that by 2042 the entire system will be completely bankrupt.

*This is simply not true. Talk about fuzzy math. Try looking at the Congresional Budget Office (CBO) numbers - oh that's right, he doesn't read. Maybe Rove can read the summary to him. *This statement received many groans and boos from the Democrats.

For those over 55 years old, the system will not change in any way.

*Except the decrease in benefits... don't worry about it - trust me!

Possible options on the table: indexing pymts to price index, cutting benefits, raising the retirement age.

Does not want to increase payroll taxes.

For young people, voluntary personal retirement accts: allowing younger workers to set aside part of the amount that is currently taken out. Allows you to will that $$ to children/grandchildren. The $$ will be the employees. Up to 4% of total payroll tax. Claims this will extend "ownership" to young americans.

*"Ownership society" is one of those phrases that really has no meaning. Lets substitute "Unbridled Capitalism" or "Gift to Wall Street" - yee haw!!

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Marriage: supports constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage.

*Emabracing the evangelical/christian stance against gay marriage

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Wants judicial appts to receive an up/down vote

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Proposes initiative to keep young men out of gangs.

1st lady will head a broad effort to reach out to faith based amd community orgs to promote literacy, etc.

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Expansion of the use of DNA evidence to prevent wrongful conviction.

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Here we go...the glory of war and all of our wonderful military prowess

We will stay on the offensive against terrorism "until the fight is won"... is that possible?

The U.S. will continue to build coalitions to create peace and combat terrorism.

Our ultimate goal is to end tyranny in our world. *Lofty goal - not realistic

The U.S. does not want to impose our form of government on anyone else. *that is what we say, not what we do.

Palestine: $350 million for palestinian economic and institutional reform
*I thought we had completely forgotten about the Palestinians

Egypt and Saudi Arabia: to lead the charge of democracy in the middle east
*Word!

Syria: end all support for terror and open the door for freedom
*A warning to Syria, you are on the list!

Iran: give up uranium enrich program and plutonium reprocessing *Another warning, remember the "Axis"

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Iraq: fighting terrorism in Iraq so we do not have to face them here at home...
*he cant actually believe this tired old line. Saying it over and over still doesn't make it true.

Praises the Iraqi elections. Iraqi's have earned our respect for their courage in voting.

Safia Taleb Al-Suhail, Iraqi human rights activist, was one of the Iraqi's brought to the SOTU address and received a standing ovation.
*I have a warm and fuzzy feeling

Will not set an artificial timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.

Iraq must meet criteria before we move on (democracy/representation, security, no threat to neighbors) *It doesn't look like we will be withdrawing anytime soon.

Will help injured U.S. soldiers recover (standing ovation from joint chiefs)
*It took alot of complaining by Republicans and Democrats to get this one rolling

Honors fallen soldier Sgt. Byron Norwood of Flugerville TX, parents in audience seated behind 1st lady. Mother receives hug from Iraqi, Safia Taleb Al-Suhail. (Long standing ovation) (President had tears in his eyes)

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Other lesser topics
Environment: more homegrown energy, more nuclear production, ethanol,
promoting his clear skies legislation

Reform tax code: bi-partisan panel working on refoms to tax code.

Immigration: temporary guest worker program, tighter border control

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END OF SPEECH

The Prez was interupted 61 times by applause.

Overall, not terribly inspiring. Good delivery.

Best moment: tearful embrace of Iraqi and fallen soldiers mother.

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*Full text of the State of the Union speech is located here.

technorati tag: State of the Union

Man, I gotta get me some purple finger and democracy

2005-01-31T23:13:00.000-08:00

Submitted by John Davis

**no democracy on this blog John, but we can work on the purple finger

-political zen

Photograph: James Vellacott/AP
Taking the chance, a man votes for the first time in his life at the Al Kala polling station.

Iraq: Democracy or Chaos?

2005-01-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

Opinion by R. David Brown

Like many in the anti-war camp, I am torn between feelings of great optimism and worry for the people of Iraq. On the eve of elections, the latest news could not be worse: multiple suicide bombers, attacks against polling stations, Iraqi civilians found executed, U.S. forces under heavy arms fire, another helicopter crash, and multi-media threats against those participating in the tomorrows vote - hardly a reassuring setting for an emerging democracy.

Obvious that the Bush administration is paying attention to recent polls, the bar has been lowered to a level where any turnout whatsoever will be considered a monumental victory. With Sunni Muslim extremists threatening to "wash the streets in blood", many people have more at stake than simply electing a transitional national assembly.

Regardless of turnout, the Shiite majority will certainly prevail. What this means for the future of Iraq is still unclear. Recent restraint by Shiite clerics, including the highly influential Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and their pledge not to directly participate in government is promising. The big question is how the Sunni minority, including the extremist element, will deal with the power shift.

The latest poll numbers indicate that up to 80% of Iraqis want U.S. forces to withdraw from their country. This might offer the administration an acceptable "out" after the true elections in December, which according to many insiders is exactly what they are looking for.

My fear is that whatever the course, the violence will continue to escalate and if that violence includes the targeting of newly elected assembly members, chaos will ensue. With the U.S. military's current inability to secure the major population centers, added stress could result in further disintegration of the society at large.

At best, there is an equal chance of moderate violence (of the current variety) or a collapse into chaos. It is my sincere hope that the planned level of inclusiveness in government, including the one-third allotted to women, will actually help tame the violence and foster a spirit of compromise that has been missing from Iraq for so many years.

$80 Billion More For War

2005-01-25T15:06:00.000-08:00

By R. David Brown

George W. Bush plans to ask Congress for an additional $80 billion for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. This amount is in addition to the $25 billion already approved earlier this year, bringing the total "emergency" spending to an incredible $105 billion. Keep in mind, this does not include the Department of Defense 2005 annual budget of over $400 billion.

While this additional amount will surely be approved by Congress, at what point do our elected officials set aside reelection concerns and fears of being branded "un-American" or as not supporting the troops, and begin to turn a critical eye to this massive spending? Total spent on war - after the $80 billion approval- will top $280 billion! If only this administration applied as much zeal toward the more pressing domestic issues facing this country.

For perspective, consider the projected deficit, national debt, trade deficit (with some of our biggest partners), the pitiful state of our healthcare system, underemployment and outsourcing.

Rice Endorsed by Senate Panel to Be Next Secretary of State

2005-01-19T11:01:00.000-08:00

By David Stout, NY Times

*news link as follow-up to previous post

Condoleezza Rice Senate Confirmation

2005-01-18T11:45:00.000-08:00

Opinion by R. David Brown

AP Photo

By way of preface, I must state that I was (and still am) very critical of the war in Iraq and also the vacillating justifications used in the build up to war. While most objective observers agree that Iraq was in no way a threat to the territory or population of the United States, it is an obvious fact that Mr. Hussein was indeed a despot and guilty of countless human rights violations.

What surprised me most about the Bush administrations case for war was the level of jingoistic and repetitive language used to build the portrait of Hussein as the Beast of Baghdad and the warnings of the pervasiveness of WMD, which later evolved into an "intent" to pursue weapons programs. Even after many of the administration's claims have been discredited, there continues to be variations of the same tune played to the American public - believing that if the tune is played often enough others will start to hum the lyrics.

This tactic has been the mantra of Condoleeza Rice during testimony and political chat over the past few years and is currently her forward position in the Senate hearing for her confirmation as Secretary of State. Her testimony today before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has been little more than a reprise of statements regarding the administration's various positions and rationale for the Iraq war, with a bit of discussion of other geo-political hotspots. With the exception of Senator Barbara Boxer (Dem-CA), most questions have been neither critical nor probing. This may be in part the result of a generally dispassionate attitude of most senators, considering the confirmation to be simply a formality.

To many, the issue of accountability on the war with Iraq was resolved with the reelection of George W. Bush. It still remains the duty of the committee to honestly and thoroughly examine the character, record and vision of the nation's highest diplomatic post.

*The confirmation hearing continues tomorrow morning.

Welcome to Political Zen

2005-01-14T13:17:00.000-08:00

Political Zen is a new blog created to offer an alternative to the ubiquitous cyber-punditry and the destructive, though entertaining, partisan rant that has consumed both cyber and traditional broadcast media. While we reserve the right to engage in the occasional rant, our goal is to foster a more reflective and reasoned approach to the analysis of politics and contemporary culture.

In the spirit of inclusiveness, we will refrain from posting articles that have an overly "academic" tone or appeal to a relatively small subset of the population. Our goal is to be informative without being too didactic.

Not wanting to limit ourselves too much, we have created a fairly broad area of interest in politics and culture - in this we hope to further develop the site along the lines of political and economic philosophy, with a bit of religious discussion on the side. It might sound somewhat disconnected, but the nexus will become apparent as the site evolves.

We welcome your comments and suggestions and hope you enjoy the blog!