This really is my last politically inspired rant for now,
America was founded with the express intention of keeping state and church apart.
So what’s happening now? Why is everybody suddenly so branded on religion and the religious tenets of the candidates??? Why is harping on fundamentalist bigoted Christianity suddenly a vote-attractor for an aspiring American president?
Some highlights form the very disturbing documentary ”Jesuscamp” Where children are brainwashed indoctrinated into war and religious bigotry, and, amongst other things, made to worship a cardboard cut-out of George Bush (while condemning Harry Potter as the devil ) And I have heard there is allready a book out picturing Obama a saint from heaven. The cover: Barack Obama is portrayed in a quasi-divine posture: Outstretched hands, awash with beaming rays of light.
Sorry American readers, but there are moments when Americans freak me out!!!
Jesus camp is pure child-abuse: God, if I imagined a child of mine being mentally tortured there! It’s pure evil!
Bill Maher, a lighter view at Jesus Camp:
The modern take on Christianity, is that you have to be willing to lay down your life…. And apparently there is a cosmic battle going on between Christianity and Islam. I admit don’t read a lot of papers, but boy, it seems I really have missed out on something this time!
Damn, which camp shall I side with? Who’s winning right now?
Oh, and if somebody points a gun at my head you can bet I will proclaim myself Muslim Christian, Buddist, whatever. Hell, I’ll even promise to go to Jesuscamp next summer.
Just don’t be surprised if I don’t show up.
Bill Maher has also an amusing rant on the Bush-administration hiring 150 people in very high responsible positions. Graduating not from any of the top-universities, like Princeton or Harvard, no Messiah College, also listed as the lowest standard school by US News and World reviews.
So, while I have my doubts about Obama, they are at least doubts. He may be able to make it as a president. Who I am sure will not be able to make it, are McCain and Palin as president. (McCain would start the presidency off, and after 10 months, when he’s dead, Palin would take over)
And to highlight once more the weird selection criteria the Republicans like to implement on choosing the top high-ranking United States officials, they also don’t mind if they hold dual passports.
To another country.
Specifically Israel.
Which is maybe why every candidate for the presidency has to openly claim blind trust and support to that particular country.
Key US officials who hold Israeli citizenship in addition to American citizenship.
- Attorney General – Michael Mukasey
- Head of Homeland Security – Michael Chertoff
- Chairman Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board – Richard Perle
- Deputy Defense Secretary (Former) – Paul Wolfowitz
- Under Secretary of Defense – Douglas Feith
- National Security Council Advisor – Elliott Abrams
- Vice President Dick Cheney’s Chief of Staff (Former) – “Scooter” Libby
- White House Deputy Chief of Staff – Joshua Bolten
- Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs – Marc Grossman
- Director of Policy Planning at the State Department – Richard Haass
- U.S. Trade Representative (Cabinet-level Position) – Robert Zoellick
- Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board – James Schlesinger
- UN Representative (Former) – John Bolton
- Under Secretary for Arms Control – David Wurmser
- Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board – Eliot Cohen
- Senior Advisor to the President – Steve Goldsmith
- Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Christopher Gersten
- Assistant Secretary of State – Lincoln Bloomfield
- Deputy Assistant to the President – Jay Lefkowitz
- White House Political Director – Ken Melman
- National Security Study Group – Edward Luttwak
- Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board – Kenneth Adelman
- Defense Intelligence Agency Analyst (Former) – Lawrence Franklin
- National Security Council Advisor – Robert Satloff
- President Export-Import Bank U.S. – Mel Sembler
- Deputy Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and Families – Christopher Gersten
- Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Public Affairs – Mark Weinberger
- White House Speechwriter – David Frum
- White House Spokesman (Former) – Ari Fleischer
- Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board – Henry Kissinger
- Deputy Secretary of Commerce – Samuel Bodman
- Under Secretary of State for Management – Bonnie Cohen
- Director of Foreign Service Institute – Ruth Davis
Sopan Greene, and source
Clouddragon 
Israel is in violation of more UN resolutions than any other country in the world. And that’s only the ones the US couldn’t get vetoed. I’m holding my tongue on this because I just blogged in your comments on your lost blog, but we’ll talk about this over a few drinks when you make it to London, I’m sure!
I am also disturbed by the big play religion gets in national elections here. It’s nothing new, though; it goes back at least to John F. Kennedy, when his opponents claimed he would take orders from the Pope. (Not that I was around for that one, but I’ve read about it …)
PS I adore Bradley Whitford – and he made me shout with laughter in that clip.
Please write as long comments as you like!
Why is harping on fundamentalist bigoted Christianity suddenly a vote-attractor for an aspiring American president?
It’s not suddenly; this is how Bush took power in the first place 8 years ago, by appealing to the fundies. Before that, they were an overlooked source of untapped votes. Someone figured this out so Bush actively courted the religious right both times he ran.
My husband and I saw Jesus Camp, too; scared the hell out of us.
Wow, how interesting! I guess I’m vaugely ignorant of most of this political shenanigans because I keep to my own world of the hobbies I like, but…I had no idea….
But are they really living up to the Christianity Jesus preached & lived. While it’s not my place to judge, I seriously doubt it. When it comes to politicians sucking up to the people for votes it’s a case of whatever it takes & they don’t care who or what they discredit to get them voting for them….
US politics is reigning supreme on the news here in Oz I I am so fed up to the back teeth (except my top left molars which the dentist pulled out last year. Actually for a dentistphobiac I found him to be a very nice man, and it didn’t hurt at all. His chair was comfy, his surgery was calming & he had a pretty nurse. I will gladly go back to him anytime as it was a positive experience, even if I can’t chew steak & other chewy stuff on my left side now…. Oops rambling on) with seeing Obama especially on TV, the media seems absolutely obsessed with him. I don’t care for Australian politics so I certainly don’t give a damn about the US politics…
Poli – latin meaning many
Tics – blood sucking creatures
P.S. you did say Please write as long comments as you like!
P.P.S You haven’t visited my blog for a long time, don’t you care anymore????
Annie; To me 100 years is long ago, 200 years is quite long ago, and 8 or 10 years is very recent 🙂
Nevis, I try to do the same, I can’t help it, I can’t escape this! I don’t even have ”politics” on my category widget!!!
Tony, I don’t want to know about politics either….
I haven’t visited because I was too busy; I am still busy, and I had to re-put you on my blogroll ( again…..)
Thank God Obama seems to be doing somewhat better now (one good thing from the stock market crash). I can’t believe they could elect Palin-McCain!
When are the American elections and bleeding campaigns going to be over with?!
I don’t want anybody who thinks “End Time” and the return of Jesus is likely to happen during their life time to hold any government position that should require the ability to competently plan for our American future and the future of “others”. Hence, Sarah and her Man: McCain will have the code and a finger over “our” nuclear button. Yet, The neo Cons which Sarah & Mr.McCain are, are affiliated with a small group of Catholic intellectuals who has worked to inject its radical religions ideas into the nations politics and provide theolpogical justification for any coming conflagration: Iraq is good example of that. And god, gods, God forbids Iran is next. I dont want that.
Sumeera, I thik we will have to suffer for about 40 days more.
Dragon: I absolutely agree: What we need as president of America is a rational atheist with a firm love and appreciation of life as we know it!
And one who loves prosperity and comfort, and is firmly opposed to war in faraway countries.
Wanting to save the world … what such grandiosity. Thanks Aafke.
Oh my God. The second video of that jesus camp is so disturbing.. Made me sick so much..
I am so sick of this american election and politics. All seem to me like a performance to fool people.. Too much hypocrisy, too much stupidity..
I have to live here and this place freaks me out sometimes……..
Aafke,
Again, just catching up on the archives. this is very interesting post, because, let me tell you, as a former government employee, they wouldn’t let any civil servants keep their dual citizenship! Not even my friend who had dual US-UK citizenship – I mean, they are our allies! It is so annoying when appointees don’t have any of the same standards of security applied to them! What the heck?!?! Shouldn’t they actually have to be even more “pure” than us little cogs in the wheel?
Well, it doesn’t sit right with me!