Time for a Wake-Up Call

Now don’t get me wrong, I do think profits is a dirty word, 

and I also think capitalism is a corrosive,

destructive system. 
I was listening to a news interview recently, about the price of lamb here in Australia. The expert declared, “Prices are fluctuating wildly just now driven by the market.” He meant driven by speculators, which I suppose, is the basis of the capitalist market.

There are essentials in this life, basically food and shelter and in our urbanised world heat, water and power. All of these essentials have not only been commoditised, they have all become the prey of speculators; the prey of speculation and greater profits.

There is a worldwide housing crisis and the GFC showed that banks and sub-prime loans were a big contributor. The reality is, there is no shortage of potential accommodation, only of the will to provide it. US banks left thousands of homes to just rot, after they had taken on-selling loans to their absolute limits. The now truth is there are no profits to be made making those homes habitable.

We are being fucked over by these capitalist grubs for one reason; they have more money to buy politicians than do ordinary citizens. With the acquiescence and assistance of a buyable body politic, these parasites are on track to destroy our society if not the planet, in the name of rampant greed.

I have no idea how the world might be awakened to what is happening to us. Even then I’m not sure if anyone will be willing to risk the little they have to fight back, to redesign our political and governing systems. I do know the greedy bastards destroying us will not yield without a fight. But the worst of them only number 1% of the world’s population. No amount of money will stop a determined population. We just need to wake the world up!

Those harmless, moderate christians

It has been a long long time since I last engaged in a robust religious discussion. It was not intended and, given my current inability to remain calm and rational, might have been better avoided. (see Hillsong.)

Then when I woke at 3 am, mind alive to the trigger of the internal rage the discussion ignited: The Sydney Evangelical Movement. It should be understood, this is not bound to Sydney not to any single church type. They can be found now across Australia, in Catholic and Anglican communions through to the newer American style ‘growth churches, like Hillsong.

These people appear all sweetness and light, perceive themselves as winged angels floating above the worlds woes, not recognising they are waste deep in a stinking fetid shit bowl of destructive self delusion. They generally arise from apparent self confident middle class suburbs, clean and freshly scrubbed wielding the sword of their constructed Christ.

It is not hard to see how this dreamy, touchy feely style of religious behaviour could inadvertently slip into unacceptable behaviours. It’s surprising we haven’t seen more revelations of perverted activities, but I suspect these people pull together, pray together for the healing of any poor transgressor. Fuck the victim; they are the ones who cause the problems.

But if that was the only damage caused by these deluded fools, bad as it is... No it is just another aspect of the carnage ‘innocent’ ignorance wrought on an already troubled society. We are coming to the end of ‘Mental Illness’ Week: An awareness week, into which this discussion segued perfectly. My rage stems from having seen. Numerous times I have seen and experienced just how stupid, heartless and destructive these people can be.

Imbued with the love and vast power of their jesus construct, they truly believe they can heal any ill, but the reality is never addressed or considered after the fact. Whether it is a broken person off the street or one of their own who inevitably succumbs, they jump in with a confidence that is bound to fail every time.

Like a child with a new puppy, they jump in with an abundance of enthusiasm. They lavish love and sustenance; they are all enthusiasm, guiding their charge to becoming part of the dream. They chant their baby talk ‘prayers’ only to find their puppy shits and pisses on their pretty carpets. The puppy barks and bites in inappropriate ways.

Their puppy might be deep in the grip of the black dog or any of a number of the debilitating illnesses, yet are treated with warm communal meals, happy clappy sing songs and fucking prayers! Talking to imaginary friends to help people with mental illness is the absolute height of their destructive stupidity!

And finally, when the puppy becomes unmanageable, having already removed it from any natural support system, they abandon it with scorn. This is the real trigger for my deep, white hot rage. I have seen too many victims of the idiocy of religion; some merely driven to sad isolation and disorientation; others driven to suicide. People I would not normally care to associate with I have found myself being the only source of support, or worse, having to watch impotently as the damage takes its toll.

I do need to thank Wolty and friends for picking up the argument when a white shaking rage struck me. I supposed I owe thanks to some of those misguided twats for making me understand, again, what it really is driving my anger at religion. Perhaps for bringing back to mind those people who I’ve seen suffer the results of this idiocy. Religion is never benign. It always has consequences.

Abbott's Bullcrap

This is Tony Abbott's Australia, but when it comes to sleight of hand our fearless leader is a fail.
Perhaps he needs coaching... From 3 Word Slogans Facebook

From Australians Against the Liberal Party  Facebook

Did it “shock, horrify and terrify” you? It was supposed to, that’s why Abbott turned a police operation into a piece of grand theatre. For once, it is just possible; there was actually evidence of ‘police intelligence’.  The police did, at least in part, what they are paid to do; to pick up, track and act on criminal activities. Sure, if the allegations hold up, it was a potentially bloody awful act of criminality. But take the emotive ‘terror’ out of it and it’s no worse than many other criminal acts we hear of.

Of course the timing creates its own issues for some of us. It was only yesterday Abbott announced that he is dragging us into a war which has nothing to do with us. He and his cronies know that many Australians will react in a suitably xenophobic and racist way to his high drama; will simply accept he has some form of legitimacy.

What they don’t see is that to shore up his shaky program he must undermine the rule of law, as shaky as that has become. Now police brutality has been legitimized, in the name of terror raids. Now pre dawn raids will become normalised. Holding people without due process will likely be excused as necessary in the name of national security. Any number of protections can now be progressively reduced or done away with.

Okay, I know they were bloody Arabs! That’s what Abbott and Co want you to think. Corgi Bernardi and Mastiff Morrison, Abbotts junk yard dogs, have confirmed the target enemy now. Well even if you do feel threatened by strange neighbours, it might be just as well to consider where this can go. Today those identified as Middle Eastern, tomorrow anyone is fair game.

I’m about as Anglo-Saxon as they come. Even my Irish antecedents run strong with Viking blood. Yet I already feel threatened, by the Abbott government. Even my little efforts to question the validity of the actions of this government put me at risk in a growing ‘police state’. The shock me, horrify me and terrify me, but I can’t back down from challenging bullshit.

Updating the Name

Bad politics avoids the scrutiny of truth, often using simplistic, empty slogans. Bad politics, everywhere, deserves to be challenged and questioned. When we delve below those pithy catchphrases something far more sinister is often revealed.

We opted for three word slogan because it is the style recommended by that great propagandist, Goebbels. Some reactionaries can’t count past one or two and that deficit tends to destroy the method. For example Benghazi or welfare cheats. Making them three words gives some validity to the call: Benghazi is Bullshit or Corporate Welfare Cheats.

Then there are blatantly false slogans like - Pro-Life. These are the people who will kill anyone engaged in termination activities. They don’t seem to have much feeling for people once they are born, they just have a foetus fixation. But slogans are just the springboard into wider concerns about our political establishments.

Across the world, the same group, the non-elected, big money people are running our countries. So between Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/3wordslogan] and a blog (http://cartledged.blogspot.com.au/) we will be delving into the machinations of those controlling our destiny on so many levels. The push is to reclaim our destiny from the ideology of greed.

The End Is Nigh

The end is nigh, or so we are assured by US lawmaker, Michelle Bachman. Perhaps she is more on the money than we might first think.

Not in anyway she might conceive, I should add. The end will not be one great bang and it is religion heading for the wall, not humanity.

Evidence should be our primary guide, and the evidence shows a slow crumbling of religious adherence, in the western world at least. The reality is religious belief cannot sustain in the glare of knowledge. As to evidence, we are watching the many very public signs of the decaying hold of the mythology. None more dramatic than the frantic antics of the Bachmann's religious right.

There is growing evidence in Australia that following is dwindling and followers  ageing. The result of failing economic viability churches are being closed and sold, various denominations are combining in places where only one minister can be justified.

My concern in this, and I do have a concern, is for those good and decent followers who are increasingly seeing their faith base dwindle. 

I was never quite so anchored in faith, in fact despite having been a lay minister I was a total failure in regards faith and belief. Even so I know it took me many years to transition from church involvement to godless. Leaving was immediate, immediate but finding answers to the many new questions was something I was left to do on my own.

Lets be honest, religious groups are a business model and there is no profit line for those who are no longer involved. They rarely look to residual responsibility as maintaining what is slowly dying captures all the focus.

I will continue to badger the Bachmanns of the world, the entitled Romans who spread their malignancy, those cults and sects which entrap and abuse. Yes, abuse, a word solidly fixed in the mind now with religion.

What I would argue is that godless of goodwill should, must be there, ready to help those who are left floundering as the inedible decay of religious establishments progresses. I'm not entirely sure how to do that, except to suspend judgement and at least be available to discuss and share a tortuous journey. 

  

Forget the church and state debate

Forget the church and state debate. There is a related and far more insidious problem, politics and religion. 

Most western countries have constitutional provisions separating church and state, provisions difficult to overturn. 

Those very same provisions allow religious influences to dominate through the democratic process, while equally allowing for its expulsion by voters. That same process also allows manipulation through the media. 

We are now seeing the effects in the USA with the religious right attempting to hijack the country’s political/social agenda. 

I would be surprised If this inane performance is not embarrassing to the average Christian. For the rest of us it is a frightening demonstration of a believe or we destroy mentality of all the Abrahamic religions. 

With respect to those who are religious adherents lets look at the absurdity inherent in religious/politics activity. 

If there was any basis to the religious claims the concerned congressional Christians would have already resolved this impasse with prayer and the active intervention of their deity. 

Of course life doesn't work like that, reality requires ration problem solving and actual application. 

So lets start calling for the removal of religion from politics. Again, even my Christian friends would probably agree that it's horses for courses  and exposure through political activism only serves to further diminish religions credibility. 

Back on the saddle

I am feeling the time has come to rebirth Grub Street Journal. The effort which was involved in fighting against insanity of conservatism tok its toll. The election, first of Obama then or Labor in Australia signalled the time for a break.

Not to say those progressive governments have been all sweetness and light, but there is a certain reticence when it comes to attacking their fragile existence. 

It seems that conservatism, or more correctly regressive powers are i the ascendancy so that fight should be rejoined.

At the same time, during that hiatus, I have responded to the negative effects of religion, both in its own right and in its effects on public policy.

The juxtaposition of politics and religion is hardly a new phenomenon, but it is high time it was directly challenged. When religions start to contribute, economically, when they are corporatised with all the imposts that involves I might consider their right to a voice. 

Might but in doing so, if that miracle ever occurred, retain the right to challenge the types of inequitable policies they traditionally champion. So expect a bit more input now, a voice against regressive pressures on public policy. As usual I make no apology for criticising the politics of countries other than my own. It is a small world and events everywhere effect us all regardless of national sensitivities.

The Devil You Say

A short story

The Devil You Say

The clubhouse was rapidly filling, and perhaps becoming noisy. For the old greybeard at a corner table it was simply part of the great continuum.

He existed in a secure bubble, fairly impervious to the vagaries of his rowdy surroundings. He kept glancing at the door as he sipped slowly on his tall glass of ambrosia.

Suddenly the activity stopped as his voice boomed through the  universe; "Gabriel, Michael! Here, now!" The two angels were already on their way to his table, and simply continued their journey without concern.

As they sat a waiter, with eight arms, placed a bubbling black storm in a shot glass before the greybeard, along with another ambrosia, it just served the other pair with the latter.

They sat and watched as the old one threw back the stormy shot, then sipped his cooling chaser. 

Then Gabriel said, "we were on our way, why the impatience?"

"I have a problem. I need your help", he said stiffly. "But where have you pair been?"

Gabriel looked at his associate then took the lead, "Out on the links God, not here but an even better course."

"What are you taking about? I created golf as a punishing pastime for stupid mortals and you have become besotted with it. Even after I created the clubhouse for the likes of us you have still been drawn to this punishment?"

"You said you have a problem Lord, what is it we might help with?" Michael asked, hoping to divert the boss. 

The greybeard indicated back over his shoulder with his thumb. 

The pair needed to look past, around or through the freaks at the bar. Multi limbed, headed or simply slimy blocks, they all blocked an easy view of the target.

It didn't matter, in fact, because the target known to them, since the beginning of time. They had watched as the former angelic visage of this one time Special Prosecutor For God; indeed officially he still was. 

But everyone knew the ravages of idleness, abundant ambrosia and unrestrained anger at the old man had devastating consequences.

The svelte charm of the angel had turned dark and musty. The white robes had faded to near black and eruptions on his skin from an excess of ambrosia, and too little manna, gave off effects like the horn looking lumps on his brow. 

"He just sits their sucking ambrosia, day and night. The bar staff are constantly complaining about it. I need to do something about it or I'll have no peace for eternity."

"Satan?" Gabriel asked. "He's been there since the last task you set for him. You were happy about him then, maybe you should just give him another task. That was a few millennia ago after all."

"Satan? I mean Ha Shaitan," the old guy looked at them quizzically.

"That is what people have called him for ages Lord. Satan, the old Hebrew name isn't very popular now but for that one old job, no pun intended, his reputation has been working overtime for you."

"Whatever," the old one blasted, "What are we going to do about him now?"

The two archangels sipped quietly on their ambrosia as long as they dared, then Gabriel said; "Lord, there is a descendent of old Job who is causing us a bit of bother. Declares, even shows his devotion to you. 

"But all along he's just a bleeding heart lawyer who is screwing up many of our, errr your, better plans to have fun with mortals."

"Job? Haven't thought about him for eons. Is this fellow as devout as the forebear?"

"God Almighty, if anything he is worse." Michael winced. "As hard as we try to sow despair among your god fearing Christians Job busily works at undoing our efforts, all in the name of God it seems.

"Of course, he can't possibly stop everything we do, and he does constantly go on about Satan, which helps us a little."

"Soooo," God mused to himself, then out loud, well no universe loud!

 "Do you think this Job can hold out like the last one? Might be a bit more fun for us all, sent Satan as you call him, down for another run. 

" I'm sure he is still capable of ruining, destroying anything he comes in contact with. Perhaps your lawyerly friend might be partial to a little personal destruction; or better perhaps he won't be." It was here the universe had a good dose of God, or at least his manic laugh.

The three sat and talked for a bit, not so much hatching a plan as simply putting the pieces in place. 

"So take him off now, get this thing started. You know well just how quickly an infinity can pass."

As they sauntered off to collect Satan each was rueing how long an infinity really is. They felt an hour with God was like six infinities rolled into one. At least they knew how to handle Satan, it was a topic they had planned and discussed often.

The effects of the Ambrosia were short lived, took an age to develop and a day or two to wear off. They'd both been through the routine in their various efforts to emulate the fellow angel for the sake of humans.

The wretched gown was another thing. Science had not yet discovered a material which might just withstand contact with the sulphurous, indestructible fabric.  Nothing would destroy it of course, that would be impossible. But after they badly fitted Satan with a cheap suit, sort of lawyer suit, one of them would carefully transport the terrible outfit to a volcano which was threatening to erupt. It wouldn't destroy the robe, but no one would find it for several eons.

It didn't take infinities, just several Earth days to have Satin, ensconced at a bar stool where Job's lawyer friends liked to relax. 

They thought it might take a while for their god fearing target to appear, but to their amazement he showed up within minutes.

To their further amazement he walked straight over to Satan. 

"There you are," the effervescent character greeted. "Where have you been? I've been waiting forever for you to get out of his clutches."

From the bewildered and bemused look on Satan's face the Archangels knew this wasn't about to go as they planned. 

They could hear Job offering Satan a way out and they could hear that devil wanting out but finding excuses. He surely wouldn't. But Ha Shaitan didn't last long in the hands of a trained evangelist. They winced as the final block fell:

"Of course you aren't an Ambosiaholic Satan, can't possibly be. You don't have the genetic disposition. In fact you don't have genes.

"Look, I'm not asking you to be a double agent, make a clean break. I want to pay the old bastard back too, and I need more help defending against human rights abuses. You'd be great at it..."

We can't tell how long it was before our fearless archangels sat before God Almighty again; minutes, days, years, eons or infinities were all a blur.

"So report!" He demanded.

"the good news or the bad news?" Michael asked.

Just tell me about Ha Shaitan and that Job."

"Oh that, Gabriel passed off airily, he's out of your hair now, sort of." Michael winced at the sort of and added;

"Well that's the bad news. He's an associate with Job Legal. Joined the other side you might say."

"I thought Job was devoted to me!" God roared.

"Ummm perhaps we misunderstood the nature of the devotion Lord. You know how you keep making enemies."

God Almighty stared at them with fury in his eyes, then said;

"You will go straight back, fetch Satan out of there and kill Job!"

"No can do,"  Michael said, without any hint of apology. I'm going right back, but I have a room full of gorgeous women to visit."

God simply glared the question at Gabriel.

"I'm on the pro golf circuit now God, too busy to worry about that stuff. But you are fine here. You never go anywhere or do anything, and no one really cares much for you anyway. Just enjoy existence." He could not keep a nervous giggle from bubbling out.

"GOLF" roared God, you know I hate that game.

As they started to leave a slightly petulant Michael turned back;

"You see God, we have found out a resurrected golf champion is far more loved than a resurrected god. Lots more gorgeous women too. Seeya!"