Dwain Northey (Gen X)

The world’s faithful account for 83% of the global population; the great majority of these fall under twelve classical religions–Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism, and Zoroastrianism.

Amendment I of the United States Constitution.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The First Amendment is freedom of or from religion and it does not say what that religion is. I hear all the time that American is a Christian nation, but I do not read that anywhere in our founding documents. The misinterpretation of what many of the founders inscribed in the documents that founded our national is that many of them were not Christians but were Deists, and I am well aware that many don’t know what that means.

Deist believes in a higher power/supreme being. – Belief in an afterlife. – Rejects revelations as a source of religious evidence. – Oriented toward scientific fact and natural observation, rather than scripture.  

Some of these tenants fall inside Christianity but also are in other faiths. Although the founders i.e. Jefferson, Frankin, Washington and others were Deist they did not espouse that as a citizen of the United States had to believe in anything.

Today many want to create a secular country where Christianity is practiced above all others… the Catholic Church tried this in the Dark Ages and we all know how that turned out.

I suggest that instead of espousing a religion we just try and exercise kindness and try not to be ass holes, one rule that seems to hold true in all faiths is ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ It’s the international don’t be an Ass Hole rule, lets all do that.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

I heard the most ridiculous, well one of the most insane comments come out of the Mara Logo Mango Maniacs mouth when a reporter asked him about the Speaker of the House kerfuffle. First off, he isn’t in the government anymore so who really cares what his bloated ass thinks, and the nation that Repulican’t are still vying for his endorsement is ludicrous. His divine statement was that Jesus Christ should be elected Speaker, “He could get the Votes, think he’d do a pretty good job.” WTF!!!

Ok first part of that insane statement is that any Republican would nominate Jesus… Lets think about what Christs Platform would be.

• Welcome the stranger.
• Feed the poor.
• Left up the downtrodden.
• Turn the other cheek.

Those tenants are completely opposite of the Republican platform. The current right-wing lunatics would make Pontius Pilate seem like he went easy on the Jesus. Plus, the thought of the GOP actually following orders from any one other than another pontificating white guy is laughable.

This is a short rant but I had to get this out of my head…feel free to comment, agree, disagree, tell me I am over reacting. I am easy…

Lyle Northey (Silent/Boomer)

  So many in the Republican Party claim they want to get rid of Democracy. That is a statement that must have a reason attached to it. What have you found that you believe is a better system? The people that seem to be least in favor of a form of government that stresses equality are people either with extreme wealth or with a lifestyle that promotes independence much more so than the life of the city dweller. 

  To be independent is very admirable but farmers and ranchers that lead that life do not get rich if they have no where to sell what they produce or if the market is fixed by someone that owns the market. The very wealthy  do not retain that status or gain if that wealth has no way to grow. The control of others lives by owning the estates they live in because they work for you and they must live as you decide, believe as you believe, and be content with only that which you provide is a world of fantasy for the rich and a nightmare for those subjected to live it.

   The recent laws that have been enacted in many of the Republican states are very good at controlling women and women’s health issues. Alongside that the gun laws passed makes it very easy for those at the bottom rungs of the ladder to decide to make things a bit more even, so it would seem on one hand you have gained control and on the other you have lost it. Creating a snitch environment is also a great way to show people what you are.

  We all know that you do not like paying for health care, day care, senior care, schools, courts, roads, transportation or anything else that you figure can be operated by someone else for a profit. Perhaps there are other reasons that being lords of the manner appeal to the wealthy. The first shot at a new bride, or trying out the upstairs maid. All of the things that they did in days of old and you weren’t there, damn.

  The control of communications networks, radio, tv, newspapers all helps in putting a smiley face on your propaganda. The forcing of private schools and closing libraries furthers the effort to make the rightwing point of view that much more desirable. The truth is that no matter how you package it a bucket shit is still a bucket of shit. 

   Is the justification of this choice based on the self. In other words are we so important that we believe I, me comes first and my wishes are to be fulfilled even if no one else’s are? If this is following your great leader then you have to know that the only me is he and you will be as important as a goat turd smashed on the sole of his shoe.

   Is the reason based on a religious belief? If it is then which one and since most of the ones that are hawking this idea are men we can assume that it is all about male dominance. By all means go to church, sing your songs, repeat your prayers and try not to choke on your hypocrisy. The God you pray to that gave up his son may not greet you kindly on the day when it comes. 

  For the sake of ruining a great many lives in this country it will be hoped that your plans never are fulfilled. Members of Congress that feel that way took an oath and you have violated it shamefully, to the extent that you at the very least should be removed from your position and forbidden to ever hold any kind of office again. Were it up to me you would have all of your benefits as a citizen stripped from you. 

  It is common to identify problems with almost anything but before you come to the conclusion that complete removal is the answer other solutions are usually suggested. There is a provision in the Constitution for that and a suggestion for a correction is to put the members of Congress back in the employ of the citizens of the nation not the citizens vote you in and you do as you damn please without consequence. If you or anyone else reading this does not know how that happened it occurred on the 3rd and final reading of a very popular farm bill in 1963 when members of Congress stuck a rider on the bill. The bill passed and the rider became law, convenient wasn’t it? There should be a way to overturn that rider and put you all back in your proper status.

Lyle Northey (Silent/Boomer)

 It seems that some like to live in fear, or at least they like to cause others to live in fear. It is not enough to take someone to the movies and show them “The Texas ChainSaw Massacre” or “The Shining” or some other movie with that sort of message. No today we have people calling up the wifes of members of Congress and relaying threats . 

  This behavior is not okay. It is understood that the behavior you are copying is that of the 45th President and his method of acting was that of the school yard bully. He has been able to get away with that all his life because he had money so he probably had someone with him that he paid to settle his fights because he is much too much of a coward to settle them himself. He acted this way throughout his campaign and the four years he was in office and has continued to do so even today when he is under order of the court to sit down and shut up.

  Addressing those “brave” individuals that like to make threats over the phone. You like he have not figured it out yet but in the very near future the sky is going to fall and all this bravado that you show today is going to get you nothing. Keep threatening and trying to force people to do as you tell them and you are likely to find yourself in the crossbar hotel. Should that occur you best hope you are not the one with the cutest butt cause it will likely get used for some other purpose than relieving yourself unless of course that is what you are looking for in the first place. The line of crap that you are talking about implies that you are a member of the GOP and we do understand that the GOP is all about controlling others and destruction of our nation and form of government. 

  Throughout history people have had disagreements. In the worst of those times humanity has gone off the deep end of common sense and gone to war over some of the dumbest of reasons. It is still happening today and most of the reasons are either greed or religion. Will we ever outgrow this penchant for violence, it is highly unlikely as you cannot cure stupid.

  Those that have risen above the common denominators of hate and distrust should not have to live in fear of those that have become unwrapped. Society at least within the confines of most national borders have learned how to agree to disagree in a civilized fashion. It has only been the last few years that the bigoted intolerant loudmouth hate monger has been loosed on us that it has now become common practice to be a walking septic tank spewing toxic waste in every direction Will we ever be able to put the genie back in the bottle and return to a semblance of decency. It is a hope that that day will return very soon and that either humanity wakes up or the part that can’t get their heads out of their asses suffocate.

Feel free to comment, engagement is welcomed.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

In the fiscal year 2023, the federal government is estimated to spend $6.3 trillion, amounting to 24.2 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). Each year federal agencies receive funding from Congress. The Department of Defense (DOD) had $1.80 Trillion distributed among its 6 sub-components.

According to my calculations, nearly 30% of our federal budget is on defense. Saying Defense gives us a false sense that this is keeping us safe, but we can all see the turmoil around the world and in our own cities, all this spending but is it really keeping us safe. The Biden administration is asking for $1.5 billion for Israel, Ukraine, and the border that is 1/2 of 1% of our total defense budget. Republicans are as usual against this because they can’t even keep their house in order. If America is a bastion of Democracy and has led the world in that arena since WWII ½% of our bloated defense budget seems like a small price to preserve democracy in the world.

Globally we spend Trillion of dollars killing each other, tens of thousands of dollars on bombs that destroy infrastructure that can only be used once. This seems like a huge waste of capital, spend on an efficient way to decimate something that will cost more to rebuild. These resources would be better spent on solving problems instead of creating them. The time and money we spend killing one another could have solved world hunger, created oases in the desert countries by efficiently desalinating water, made renewable energy cheap and efficient, but that isn’t in our nature.

Gene Rodenberry’s picture of a time when we explore without the desire to conquer seems to be a dream that will never come to fruition. We assume that if there are other world out there that they are violent because we are, our narcissism has us believe that other life forms haven’t evolved out of the violence that we perpetuate.

My hope is that one day that effort is made to help instead of harm, to grown instead of tear down. It’s a hope…

Feel free to respond to any of my post.