two quick politics articles
Mood: busy
Posted on 2008-10-09 15:44:00
Tags: politics links
Words: 148

Work = good. Throat = about the same as yesterday = meh.

The Obama Surge: Will it Last? - good short article that highlights the fact that Americans might be ready for the real change in health care Obama is proposing.

Rage in the Town of Bethlehem - more ugliness at McCain rallies. Includes this bit:

Even the opening prayer was politically charged. "O God, we are in a battle that is raging for the soul of this nation," the preacher said. "You, O God, have raised up Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin for such a time as this." The preacher went on: "Help them, O God, to strengthen our economy, to keep our taxes and spending low . . . and grant them the privilege of being elected the next president and vice president."

10 comments

Comment from tehfanboi:
2008-10-09T16:42:15+00:00
God's got a risk tax and spend plan there. I'm an agnostic and that pisses me off. I'm all for people believing whatever they want, but to use religion as a policy justification is offensive.

Comment from gregstoll:
2008-10-09T16:51:21+00:00
Talking about abortion in a religious context is OK by me - I may disagree or whatever, but it is a moral issue.

Taxes and spending: not a moral issue!

Comment from medryn:
2008-10-09T18:40:52+00:00
There is certainly stuff in the bible about taxes and lending:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=MATT+22:17-21&version=9;

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2023:19-20&version=9;

I guess that spending could also be a moral issue because it could be gluttonous or motivated by envy.

Comment from gregstoll:
2008-10-10T09:29:53+00:00
Well, the first passage is about paying taxes and how you should, and the second is about not charging interest which is out the window for pretty much everyone these days.

I agree that spending on a personal level could be a moral issue, but I don't think the government is motivated by envy...

Comment from djedi:
2008-10-10T11:33:47+00:00
Actually, the biblical stance against usury is pretty strong although you're right...I think that ship has sailed off into fantasy land.

Comment from medryn:
2008-10-10T11:35:55+00:00
Isn't "usury" usually interpreted to mean an outrageous amount of interest, rather than any amount of interest at all?

Comment from djedi:
2008-10-10T11:48:37+00:00
The idea of what's outrageous varies by time period and circumstances though.

Originally, I believe, usury meant any interest, but these days it just refers to outrageous interest since we've come to accept interest as acceptable due to inflation and other factors. I think dictionary.com discusses the now obsolete definition in its entry.

Comment from medryn:
2008-10-10T11:36:43+00:00
I think there was a little bit of envy motivation when we were trying to beat the USSR to the moon :-)

Comment from abstractseaweed:
2008-10-09T20:13:16+00:00
They're ignoring the 2nd commandment, "Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain." Invoking His name for political purposes doesn't seem right, yet the right does it all the time.

Comment from djedi:
2008-10-10T11:34:55+00:00
This is what pisses me off the most, using religion/God as a political tool.

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