Days of Awe(kward)
First, the Family Research Council held its "Values Voters Summit" on Rosh HaShanah. Maybe they figured it was a good way to avoid the embarrassment of having any Jews show up because they thought "Values" actually meant "values." Or more likely none of them knew or cared when Rosh HaShanah was. That, or they were looking for a way to keep the liberal media away from their conference.
Now, Glenn Beck is calling for a day of "fast and prayer" on...Yom Kippur? Are the right-wingers trying to win us back?
Wonder what the right-of-right-wingers are cooking up for Sukkot...
In unrelated news, Norman Podhoretz just spent a book puzzling over Why Are Jews Liberals?
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Did you know that the father of the Erik Prince was co-founder of the Family Research Council (see Wikipedia article on Prince?)
In congressional testimony Erik Prince gave his title as Chairman and CEO Blackwater Worldwide.
This is the same Blackwater that in 2004, the C.I.A. hired as contractors to form a secret program to locate and assassinate top operatives of Al Qaeda (see link below).
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/blackwater_usa/index.html
Who exactly do the "Blackwater executives" ultimately report to? If we contract out the functions of the armed forces the Constitution will have been circumvented. The President will no longer be the Commander-in-Chief but will rather become the counter party in a professional services contract.
We know how politics and professional service providers operate in this country.
Think about how contractors provided campaign "contributions" to both candidates in each political race. Also think back to how Nixon used the IRS to go after people on his "enemies list".
How long will it be until a mercenary contractor starts using physical force on people as a "courtesy" to a particular politician from whom they are seeking a contract? How much easier would the use of force be for a contractor if political views of the politician mirrored those of the service provider?
At this very moment, an uncivilized fight is rising between the Liberals and the Conservatives in this country. Soon it may come to physical blows and the “good Republicans” and the “good Democrats” will each demand a private political army to defend the “good people”.
Could Blackwater (now called Xe Services) easily morph into a political army?
“Those that forget history are bound to repeat it”
Remember Hitler and the Brown Shirts?
September 22, 2009 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Re: Podhoretz wondering why Jews are liberal. Much the same as many on the right wondering why most college professors are liberal. Well, duh.
September 22, 2009 12:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
When I saw the book title on the cover of the NY Times Book review, I thought it looked interesting--there are clear theological reasons why Jews tend to be liberal, and I'd read a book exploring those.
But then I saw who wrote the book, and realized that the title was actually a whine: "Why are Jews liberal? Why can't they be despicable neocons like me?"
September 22, 2009 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink