Gratuitous Common Sense

“To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;
This is to have succeeded.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Share This

That’s what the “Generals on the ground” (i.e. the voices in Bush’s head that he has been listening to so intently for 4 years) are trying to do to this administration’s dreams for Iraq. Their hubris, their resolve, their misguided preordained righteousness. Like any bad habit, it’s an addiction that will be difficult to break, even for those whom the decider has promised to listen to.

Nightmarish political realities in Baghdad are prompting American officials to curb their vision for democracy in Iraq. Instead, the officials now say they are willing to settle for a government that functions and can bring security.

In other words, settle for the government that Saddam had in place. Perhaps? Just maybe? I’m willing to bet they’d take that trade-off at this point. I’m not saying Iraq would be better off with Saddam still there, it’s just odd that his government meets the qualifications of what they’re willing to settle for now. Oh, if only they could have 1980’s Saddam back, wouldn’t that be dreamy.

This would be funny it weren’t so fucking late… by about 84 years. And if it wasn’t just another nail in the coffin for the rose-colored predictions that the Bush administration got absolutely 180 degrees dead wrong, it might even qualify as ironic.

I might even be dumb enough to think it will have an effect on this administration’s policies if I hadn’t already seen the video of 1994 Cheney telling us that these exact circumstances would exist in Iraq if we “liberated” them. If I wasn’t so sure that they’d trumpet the old “9-11 changed everything” slogan right in the face of perfect evidence that it, in fact, did not, then it might be worth it to hope that the habit can be curbed.

But it’s not.

Share This

…but you can get thrown in jail or fined, you filthy Atheists! So watch out!

PART IV. CRIMES, PUNISHMENTS AND PROCEEDINGS IN CRIMINAL CASES

TITLE I. CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS

CHAPTER 272. CRIMES AGAINST CHASTITY, MORALITY, DECENCY AND GOOD ORDER

Chapter 272: Section 36. Blasphemy

Section 36. Whoever willfully blasphemes the holy name of God by denying, cursing or contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, government or final judging of the world, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching or exposing to contempt and ridicule, the holy word of God contained in the holy scriptures shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars, and may also be bound to good behavior.

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/272-36.htm

This is not to say that Massachusetts is alone in having arcane and unenforceable laws on the books, they are just first on my list. Perhaps I’ll turn this into a series that highlights these kinds of laws, which appear in more than just those famous states where you can’t hold office without pledging your allegiance to the appropriate god.

Indeed, you can’t get stoned in Massachusetts, but what about everywhere else? We’ll see.

Share This

Maybe we aren’t all that different…

But who am I kidding? This kind of harmony and similarity between species is so beautiful that the only possible explanation is that it was designed by someone or something far superior to ourselves.

I mean, just look at it. Could you design that? I don’t think so.

Share This