Miriam:
I hold that the man called Jesus, while a born Jew, was an extreme
radical in his actions and teachings.
R. E. (Dick) Driscoll, Sr.
On 12/22/2015 12:18 PM, Miriam Vieni wrote:
Well, there are folks who might disagree with the following gem in your
email.
As far as the silliness of covering Christmas with some nondescript phrase
as, "Happy Holidays", I always respond with, "And a Merry Christmas, to
you". Why not? It is our unspoken acknowledgement that Jesus is our
Savior, and God is still a Christian. Although He did start out as a Jew.
The Right Wing would love it. But then there are the Jews who celebrate
Hanukah at approximately the same time of year, and the Pagans, who most
likely celebrate the Winter Solstace. There are the Jews who have Christmas
trees, christened "Hanukah bushes, and all those people who think that God
is a force within each person or a non denominational father figure. There
are the Evangelical Christians currently debating with other Christians and
Muslims about whether or not they are worshipping the same God.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2015 10:44 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: I tried...I really, really tried to listen...
None of us rebel in the same way, over the same issues. For me it is the
Big Lie, this basic premise that we are the Special Creations of some All
Loving, although violent, God. Along with our indoctrination in loving
Capitalism, we are trapped in a downward spiral. Until we address these
false beliefs and set them aside, all else is of little consequence.
So indoctrinated am I, that I still do buy gifts for my loved ones.
But they are small potatoes compared to what I once thought was expected of
me, and they are mostly little personal things. As far as the silliness of
covering Christmas with some nondescript phrase as, "Happy Holidays", I
always respond with, "And a Merry Christmas, to you". Why not? It is our
unspoken acknowledgement that Jesus is our Savior, and God is still a
Christian. Although He did start out as a Jew. Even bringing in Santa
Clause and Christmas trees and going into debt, we have not shaken this
fundamental belief. All of us Working folk cry out against the cruel heel
of the super rich on our backs, but we worship Capitalism because we just
might be the lucky person to make it out of the swamp.
As I say, we record our favorite programs and skip past the long
commercials. If the day comes when we are forced to view the entire
program, we will simply stop viewing. Even my interest in some sports, as
corrupt as they have become, is not enough to cause me to sit through
viewing stuff I would never buy.
Anyway, Cathy is off to take her mother to the doctor, and I need to have
her show me where the Christmas wrap is, so I can pretty up the stuff I
bought her.
Carl Jarvis
On 12/21/15, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
OK, but the presents? Does loving and sharing have to involve buying
more stuff? Of course, I am an outsider. Truly, I am. And I watch each
year while everyone around me is programmed to spend hundreds and
hundreds of dollars on things because this is how we show that we love
each other. Those corporations have truly learned how to program all
of us so that their share holders' profits will rise. There's this
mass hypnosis that takes place. It starts on Thanksgiving. I can tell
immediately because on the DB Review list, everyone starts reviewing
Christmas fiction. It's an annual event.
Some people read the same books each year as well as new ones. People
around me rush from one crowded shopping mall to another and from one
holiday party to another. And several people who were in my life in
the past, went into deep depressions and began drinking alcohol more
heavily. As for your definition of the meaning of Christ, it's nice.
But, of course, it's one of many interpretations. It does become
obvious at this time of year, how the Christian ethos still dominates
in the US and in all western countries. In America, lots of people who
aren't Christian have joined the celebration to a more or lesser
extent for the sake of survival. At the end of a call to the doctor's
office the other day, the receptionist automatically wished me a Merry
Christmas. We're just all swallowed up in this, willinglyor not. So
every year, being the kind of person that I am, I rebel.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2015 10:09 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: I tried...I really, really tried to
listen...
Guilty as charged! But of course I do have my own spin on what this
Season represents. True, I still insist on calling December 25,
Christmas, but I do not spend my day worshiping a mythical Son of a
Made-up God. And of course, only a very few dedicated Souls do that.
But to me it is a Season of Good Will, Love and Sharing.
And besides, Christ represents Man's recognition that he is flawed, if
he is to survive. The concept of Christ envisioned a change of heart,
a move from our violent self to a communal, caring People. But of
course our not so loving spiritual leaders perverted the basic
meaning, creating a violent loving God who drove fear into Men's
hearts and caused them to turn to killing one another in His Holy
Name.
There is a side of me that longs for a Hereafter. That would also
mean that Hell exists. And every pompous, self-righteous, controlling
Spiritual Leader would be lined up and marched into the eternal fire
and brimstone.
Since no such place exists, we will need to do the job ourselves. The
day will arrive when what few humans remain on this stinking,
destroyed planet, will set out to cleanse the land of those Evil Beings.
And besides, Seattle whupped Cleavland. How much better could a day be?
We
always tape the game and watch it as we skip past the commercials. I
wonder how long it will take our Corporate Masters to put an end to
such behavior?
Carl Jarvis
On 12/21/15, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'm shocked! shocked! You were manipulated by the corporate world totoday.
purchase more stuff to celebrate a holiday that is the be all and end
all of the religion at which you scoff!
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl
Jarvis
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2015 10:40 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: I tried...I really, really tried to
listen...
As I said, I could not make it through the entire debate. The theme
I noted was one of shaking fingers under the Corporate noses, shaming
them for their greed, while condoning their violence around the
world. Who ever settles into the presidents chair in 2017 will
forget all the political promises and at best we will see an
extension of Obama. At worst? It's too scary to contemplate.
At times I feel like a crew member on the Titanic, watching the ship
go down while I'm bailing frantically with a coffee cup.
We went Christmas shopping today. Marlene, Cathy's sister, took me
to Bed, Bath and Beyond where I spent gobs of money on stuff I think
Cathy will like. Then we took their mother to Chinese Buffet and
Cathy and I stopped at the Christmas Tree Farm and cut a seven foot
Noble Fir. Then we settled down in our recliners and spent some
quality time watching the Seattle Sea Hawks whip the Cleavland Browns.
After all of that, I stuck my nose out the door and found that the
world had changed very little.
Carl Jarvis
On 12/20/15, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Well, here's my story. I couldn't watch the first debate because Iafford to lose the appearance of its power base.
only pay for basic cable so I don't think that CNN is included in
that. I didn't attempt to watch the second debate because I never
bothered to find out what channel was broadcasting it. The reason I
didn't bother to find out is that I, too, think the debates are just
a show and have little to do with the actual mechanics of choosing
candidates, electing them, or the governance of our country. I'd
rather read a good book. But this time, I thought maybe I'd watch at
least part of the debate. I even knew what channel it was on and
what time it started. But when I pressed the on button on my remote,
nothing happened. I don't know why. We put new batteries in it a
while back and I never use it so the batteries should have been fine.
So much for the debate.
I read summaries of it on Truthdig and Alternet this morning, which
is quite sufficient. But someone does have to find out why the TV
that I never use, wasn't working.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl
Jarvis
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2015 9:48 AM
To: blind-democracy
Cc: Virginia Jarvis
Subject: [blind-democracy] I tried...I really, really tried to listen...
Say what you want about last evenings debate, and yes, it was better
than the republican clown show, but it is still a part of the
Two-Headed Monster, The Corporate Empire.
I really tried to listen to the differences between the three
combatants, but in the end they will knuckle under and find ways of
justifying our Corporate Empire's need to dominate the World.
We once talked about the Industrial/Military Complex . But it has
morphed into what I now call, The Military/Corporate/Greed-Driven,
Empire.
"Times they are a changing", far faster than our ability to adjust
to the World we now live in. While Corporate Giants duke it out for
dominance, we wander about with one foot back in the Mister Rogers
World, and the other foot in Lah Lah-Land.
But just for the record, and so folks can later on say, "I told you
so!", here is my spin.
The Republican Party is scared
that Donald Trump just might become their presidential candidate.
So in back rooms, formally, smoke filled back rooms, the Corporate
Masters of the Republican Party, have decided to set up a backup plan.
That plan would be to quietly support Hillary Clinton. She is
already mostly under their control...maybe all under their control,
so they would avoid the disaster which would surely occur if Trump
were elected, and they could continue quietly bleeding the American
Public dry. The old adage, Divide and Conquer, is only good if you
can control the divisions. Trump and his radical backers are
threatening to split this nation wide open, filled with angry little
divisions, unwilling to join forces with any other division. The
nation could well fall into disarray. While, on the one hand, the
Empire no longer needs the United States of America, on the other
hand it cannot
Which brings me back to why I could not view the entire debate last
night.
It, along with the Republican Side show, are nothing more than a
distraction. More entertainment without substance. Frankly, I'll
get more substance from watching Seattle beat up on Cleveland, later
Carl Jarvis
