Author: R J Adams

George W Bush ~ “Today I have walked through devastation that is hard to describe.”

He needs to take a stroll through downtown Baghdad.

Filed under: Great soundbites

Who did you vote for at the last election? And why?

George W Bush and Tony Blair are, at least statistically, examples of successful politicians. Both have persuaded their electorate they are worthy of additional terms in office. Despite the Iraq war, problems at home, and symptoms of a serious reduction in street-cred, Tony managed three, and George achieved his maximum, two terms in office.

Why do electorates re-elect leaders even when their abilities deride individual personae?

Are we, in fact, seeking a new Messiah?

The Bible is rife with tales of false Messiahs, yet the Jews of old were certain that one would arise to solve all their problems, drive out the oppressors, and return them to the good times.

Not that they ever had any good times. Again, the Bible describes the evolution of Jewry as fraught with misery, slavery, and abjection. But, as the saying goes: one can live in hope, even if one dies in despair.

When Jesus of Nazareth shuffled off this mortal coil – his manner of doing so is debated – about AD 32, the Jews hope for a Messiah took a turn for the worse, but the arrival of Christianity around the turn of the first century raised hopes of a new beginning, a fresh world order. Two thousand years later we’re all still waiting, with little hope that the tide will turn for the better in anything approaching the near future. Even though Christians insist on going through the motions every Sunday, and fundamentalist preachers keep raising hopes with tales of Armageddon just around the corner, it has to be obvious to all but the insanely optimistic that this two thousand year old Messiah isn’t showing much enthusiasm for getting off his divine backside and sorting us out once and for all.

In a nutshell: don’t hold your breath.

Are we then, searching for substitutes?

Like sheep milling around the hillside while the wolves grow ever bolder, we are desperate for a leader. As the 21st century barely gets itself into second gear, our lives seems to be falling apart. The world order is, once again, crumbling before our eyes. Global warming threatens those of us the mad Islamists don’t get first. The planet is degenerating into conflict wherever we turn – Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Chechnya, the Balkans, are all hotbeds of unrest. China and India are threatening to overwhelm us economically, if not militarily. How long can our safe, secure, western standard of living continue to resist the bombardment from these external sources?

Like the Jews of old, we are desperate for a new Messiah. One who will lead us out of the chaos and disorder, to a new and fertile promised land.

Who do we choose for this task?

George W Bush and Tony Blair.

What an utterly sad lot we are.

Filed under: Poor judges

Only last week, the state of Virginia passed a resolution apologizing for its role in slavery. Today, in Britain, a group of white aging hippies – chained and manacled – began marching from London to Hull, in the north-east of England, as part of a campaign demanding Britain apologize for its part in the slave trade.

Let’s make a distinction here.

There seems to be some confusion, both in Britain and Virginia, between “regret” and “apology”. Virginia delegates voted to express “profound regret” for the state’s involvement in slavery, which is a bit silly, but fine if it makes them feel better – and then, according to the Yahoo news report, went on to say:

“……..they know of no other state that has apologized for slavery……..”

The Bible certainly talks of “……visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children……”, but if by that it means we must apologize to…….. whoever(?) for the wicked avarice of our ancestors, then count me out. I believe it would be a presumption on my part to do so. Not only is it utterly stupid, but illogical.

Conversely, I have no problem with expressing regret at the actions of my forefathers, for I consider they were a disgusting, corrupt, selfish and brutal set of monsters who, had they faced any form of justice, should have been whipped around the town till the skin fell from their bones. Sadly, that fate more often befell their victims.

If the good gentlemen of Virginia are expressing their personal guilt based on Biblical doctrine, then it may have been unnecessary. While the quote above suggests guilt may be fairly apportioned to the descendants of the “sinful”, Deuteronomy 24:16 says, “Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin.”

Which would seem to make overly-belated apologies unnecessary.

As for the aging hippies of Britain, emulating the slaves of their ancestors with chains and manacles (and sore feet, it’s a long way from London to Hull) in the hope of shaming Brittania into an apology, I have only three words to say to them:

Get a life!

Frankly, while regretting the suffering of all those who were forced into slave labor, my sentiments tend to lie with those of Virginia Republican delegate Frank D. Hargrove, before he became a turncoat and voted for the resolution, who said it was time “black citizens got over slavery.” Britain and America between them have lit enough conflagrations in the world already this century, without dwelling on the mistakes of long ago.

If the good gentlemen of Virginia and the somewhat dubious British contingent marching to Hull, were campaigning for an apology to the unfortunate Iraqis, for Britain’s and America’s continuing crimes against that people , then they would have my full and complete support.

The world changes little. Brutality is still practiced in abundance, only today it is generally at a distance rather than on our own doorsteps. It may well be another hundred and fifty years before our descendants feel some strange compulsion to apologize for the sins of their ancestors, to the descendants of those people in Iraq who are suffering at our country’s whim today.

Filed under: Strange ideas