Ayn Rand and Her Hateful Progeny

H.L. Mencken cautioned us years ago about our fellow citizens. "Never underestimate the ignorance of the American people," he said. Mencken was a pretty cynical fellow but he nailed that right on the head.

Still, many of us were shocked when we first learned so many of Christ's followers had embraced Ayn Rand. The coupling seemed a bit incongruous.

Seems to me you really can't serve two masters. If you ascribe to the hate filled philosophy of Ayn Rand, there's no room in your heart for the teachings of Jesus Christ. Rand and her followers view the *takers* among us as parasites. Jesus viewed them as our responsibility to lift up, to love, and to be made whole. 

Jesus said love the poor for they are your brothers and sisters and love your neighbor as yourself. Ayn Rand said if the poor get in your way take a board to their lazy asses. If your down and out neighbor is threatening your property values, burn his fucking house down.

Congressman Paul Ryan has said the reason he got involved in public service in the first place was primarily because of Ayn Rand and for years he has required his staff to read Atlas Shrugged. Rand Paul, current presidential candidate and also a disciple of Ms. Rand, brags that he has read all of her novels.

As Republicans, both Paul Ryan and Rand Paul  promote policies that would crush the most vulnerable members of our society. Apparently, neither sees a conflict with their selfish Randian views and their Christian faith. 

I will not be supporting any who channel Ayn Rand. Actually, maybe we can work together and put Miss Rand's philosophy back where it belongs ... in the dorm room garbage can.

Libertarian My Ass

          So, I meet you at a party and I tell you I’m a libertarian. At this point you have certain expectations of me, some subtle and some not so subtle. Phrases like “less government” and “fewer regulations” are some of the more obvious concepts you now associate with me.

          We talk for a while and you find I want to expand the budget for the Defense Department. You don’t say anything at this point, but you do find it rather odd considering the vast amounts of money we already spend on defense.

          You sip your wine and move the conversation to social issues. You find I consider marriage a religious rite and that I'm opposed to same sex marriage. You dig deeper and find I'm also ardently pro-life. To what extent, you wonder so you ask under what circumstances I approve of abortion. I hedge my answer but you press me.

          Are rape or incest exempted you ask. I look around nervously trying to gauge the political sensibilities of those around us. I do this a lot these days. I mumble and again evade the question as best as I can.

           Feeling somewhat uncomfortable I change the subject and put out my hand. By the way, I say, I don’t think we've met. My name is Rand Paul. I'm currently a United States Senator and I’m running for president.

           Sure you are you think and move off to find another drink. But I really am I say. I'm a libertarian just like my dad and I ...

Note from Cletis: He really isn't you know ... Read here

http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/04/06/3643093/rand-paul-not-libertarian/

Pick and Choose Christians

It's difficult to find much fault with the teachings of Jesus. He laid out a morality that requires each person to do for others and kept it simple but we'd never know that considering the zillion interpretations of his philosophy. 

Chapter and verse poker between Christians and their fellow Christians are the stuff of legend around my way. *I'll see your Luke and raise you a Matthew* is an example of Scripture poker often heard in homes and churches. Generally, these efforts are not efforts to better understand and follow the Way but are more essentially efforts to cover one's ass.

The rampant use of guns in our society is a perfect example. It's difficult to imagine the Prince of Peace packing but many of today's Christians swear Jesus would have been a card carrying NRA member who'd blow your ass away as needed. When pressed, they'll find a basket full of out of context verses to prove their point.

Apparently, and thankfully, my bible is missing this Gospel of Glock. You can't love your neighbor and shoot him too seems pretty simple to me. 

Amen ....

Share the Land & Pizza Equally

Note from Cletis: In an effort to improve the historical awareness of our readers, we will periodically publish little known but vitally important personal information concerning the men and women who have shaped our lives. We have meticulously researched our findings but use of this information is not recommended for your dissertation in that our source material was recently destroyed in a fire.     

    

In life Karl Marx, founder of modern day communism, was known as "The Mooch" by those who knew him well. He actually conceived The Communist Manifesto when a fist fight erupted after Marx snatched the last slice of pizza from Friedrich Engels while Engels went to answer the door. Engels' wife did not appreciate it as Karl had been staying with them for three years and had never contributed a penny to the household.

After the fight, and nursing a fat lip, Marx stomped off to his room and sulked for three days. When he emerged, he had his justification. "From each according to his ability to each according to his need." After reading the Manifesto, Mrs. Engels went to the kitchen and made a large pizza which was shared equally. Little did anyone dream that one day an impressionable, young Russian named Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin) would read far more into the Manifesto than Karl had intended.

Editor's Note: Marx was known for his incomparable ability to hide food under his clothing while still appearing to be concerned with weighty, intellectual matters. "I can take no credit for this gift," Marx is said to have remarked. This statement and Marx's denial of the existence of God have led to bitter debate among historians as to the meaning of this comment.

T A E ... Will Definitely Light You Up

In our ongoing effort to improve the historical awareness of our readers, we will periodically publish little known but vitally important personal information concerning the men and women who have shaped our lives.

We have meticulously researched our findings but use of this information is not recommended for your dissertation in that our source material was recently destroyed in a fire.

Our subject today is American icon, Thomas Alva Edison. For years Edison was dogged by rumors of his uninspiring, early life which persisted until his death in 1931. We are delighted to shed new light on this controversial subject.

Tae 

    

Thomas Alva Edison, known simply as, *Tae*, by his homeboys, surprised everyone with his success as The Wizard of Menlo Park. Documents unearthed by us show clearly young Thomas was running a bookmaking operation out of the backroom of the telegraph office in Louisville, Kentucky where he was working for Western Union.

In a letter dated June 27th, 1866 from one Karl *Keystroke* Wilson to his girlfriend, Thelma *Thunder Thighs* Johnston we learn although Edison was only nineteen at the time he was already established as a man of consequence. In Keystroke's own words, we get a fresh look at the man who brought *lights, camera, action* to the world.

"...girl, I know you're thinking about welching on that bet you lost last week at the track and leaving town, but I would advise against it. It's not my place to tell you what to do, but if you play with Tae you've got to pay. Did you really think I lost my pinky fingers in a farm accident?

By the way, Thelma, I told you no horse named *Dainty Feet* is gonna run well in the mud. What in the hell were you smoking?"

For additional corroboration we turn to an interview given in 1938, seven years after Edison's death, to the publication, Watt Did You Say. A now aged Keystroke Wilson further elaborated on Edison's wayward youth and settled the long raging debate over the origin of Edison's deafness in one ear.

"Hell, it weren't no Scarlet Fever and it weren't caused by no conductor pulling on Tae's ears. Some crap went down over a missed payment and Peanut Anderson went up side Tae's head with a ball bat.

Took Tae a couple of weeks to recover but a little while later he got even. Hell, Tae even showed up for Peanut's funeral. He was like that you know.

Not long after that Tae came up with some kind of  machine he was working on to streamline his bookmaking operation. I heard later he modified it into something to do with stocks.

After that, Tae didn't come back around our way anymore. Hell, I don't blame him. Weren't nothing going on around there."

     

Note from Cletis: Regarding the photo above: Consider Edison's hand slipped demurely into his coat pocket. Is this simply an affectation or an example of "old habits die hard"? You decide; we have our opinion ...

Forgotten Injustice

This is courtesy of my twitter friend @josnoopy I was not aware of this. What's past is far too often prologue. Shame on us again ...


 

The Truth of Jesus Christ

It breaks my heart to know Woody Guthrie is unknown to most young people. This is an amazing song. Note: U2 does a killer

rock version...