Democrats can’t lie

Democrats didn’t always have sad lives. Once it was cool to be a Democrat. For a brief period when I was a minor Democrat office-holder, civil rights and antiwar ideas made Democrats cool. Then came all the sixties riots in the cities and sensible, non-glamourous people realized being cool was a dead end.

Democrats in the media elite and universities were, and still are, insulated from the riots in the cities and the high inflation. They are still cool Democrats, if only in their own minds. Even as their party moves steadily toward Venezuelan socialism.

I just hope Republicans never get cool. That would be really bad. Can you imagine a media and university elite which thought the rich should be worshiped for being rich and the poor deserve to be poor? Instead, we have an elite which thinks they should be worshipped and anyone who doesn’t–such as Trump supporters–should be castigated, isolated, locked up whenever possible, and made fun of at every opportunity.

It must be sad to live always looking down on regular hard-working, flag-waving Americans. Since they have no sincere beliefs, the elite look down on anyone who does believe–especially Christians. Yet they have adopted the worst attitudes of the Puritans. Godless, believing-in-nothing Democrats have become self-righteous scolds. Anyone who doesn’t get a vax or doesn’t wear a mask, should lose their job and all right to normal activities.

The good thing is that they will not hesitate to contradict themselves in the future. Wearing blackface was bad until their Governors and other leaders did it, then its OK. Since they have no enduring beliefs, they will reverse their positions on any and everything. So try to ignore their castigation, they will reverse themselves soon.

It’s glaring how they can be so anti-police until they want to lock up people who don’t agree with them. Before Jan. 6, they were all “defund the police”. After Jan. 6, the Democrats declared the Capitol Police heroes as a way to attack the Trump supporters.

Most galling is when Democrats call others insurrectionists or traitors, when they admit they feel apprehension when they see an American flag. Many of them, and I was once one, have been insurrectionists their whole lives and continue to preach the evils of anything the US does–except that now that they are in power, what the US government is doing is good because it is destroying the old America.

They seem convinced average Americans are stupid fools capable of all sorts of evil. They dwell on the CIA overthrowing democrat governments and US soldiers killing civilians and cops killing unarmed black men and invent a connection with “white supremacy.” Meanwhile supporting today’s woke CIA and Chief of Staff undermining a sitting President, drone strikes killing civilians, hundreds of thousands of covid positive people swarming across the border, and the eliminating bail for criminals who attack low income folks

They are so sad I don’t even like thinking about them. But thinking about Republicans can be even sadder.

I’d rather dwell on love joy, peace and the other fruits of the Spirit. I’d rather live way out in the country where the Clinton, Bush II, Obama, Trump and Biden years can be pretty safely ignored as the winter tomatoes set fruit and the basil spreads seed for next year.

When diversity, equity and inclusion become DIE

The latest acronym you must know in government and big business is DEI: diversity, equity and inclusion. Those three commandments have now supplanted the ten we used to learn about. Unfortunately the acronym is often DIE in practice. How can that be when diversity, inclusion and equity are so obviously good things?

White bread is not wholesome even though it’s brand is “Holsum.” Wheat is a naturally nutritious grain that has provided sustenance for entire civilizations. With a little yeast and a little heat, wheat goes from a tough grain with long storage life to a light fluffy delicious treat. Somewhere along the line, brown bread became the bread of the commoner and everyone wanted white bread. Until they realized the empty calories of white bread and other overly refined foods were death warmed over.

Similarly, diversity as it exists in Nature is a valuable attribute which contributes mightily to the resilience of systems. Decreasing diversity often leads to the destruction of systems. Taking wolves out of ecosystems leads to overpopulation of deer and antelopes, overgrazing, and destruction of land and soil.

When systems face disturbance, diversity is crucial in rebuilding a system. Grasses may be rare in a mature forest, but after a forest fire, their quick growth from the soil seed bank preserves the soil for slow growing trees species which eventually reestablish dominance, only to lose it at the next fire.

This mutually beneficial interaction of diverse species can be permanently destroyed when some species are introduced. Conservation groups introduced multi-flora rose for wildlife, but lack of competitors has made it the dominant species in many systems, crowding out the food species needed by wildlife. Kudzu was introduced for soil conservation and grazing but was no invasive it has smothered all vegetation, including trees and even houses and cars.

Diversity can destroy. Kudzu smothers everything in its path.

Rabbits were introduced in Australia to increase the diversity of wildlife. Instead, with no natural predators, prolific birthrate and tendency to eat plants down to the roots, they have destroyed brittle ecosystems in Australia and stimulated desertification.

Diversity must be complementary. Resilient ecosystems have gradually accumulated a wide array of organisms which are complementary to each other. The waste of one species is food for another. Each plays a role in maintaining the ability of the system to survive and thrive.

Natural ecosystems have adaptive cycles of rapid growth, maturity, release and reorganization which ensure that all component species are limited in their ability to dominate the ecosystem. Too many of one species will result in disease and predation on that species. Diversity, equity and inclusion exist in natural ecosystems but they are not goals of natural systems.

Artificially inflating the power of one population in the system will result in degradation of the system.

Even worse is the inclusion of populations which are dedicated to the destruction, not resilience of the system.

Many groups in the US appear dedicated to the destruction of the US, not helping it to improve and become more resilient. Increasing their numbers is like purposely releasing more rabbits in Australia or planting more kudzu in the Southern US.

Then DEI becomes DIE.

What the far left elite should learn

” . . .the most lethal terrorist threat to the homeland today is from White supremacist terrorism.” Dear Leader, April 28, 2021

” . . . to take on the government, you need F-15s and maybe some nuclear weapons.” Dear Leader, June 23, 2021

One basic take-away from the surrender of the American far left elite to the Taliban: a dithering, misguided elite can be defeated by a rag tag group of religious zealots. If you are sure of your beliefs, make sure your children are educated to realize the truth of those beliefs, and order your local society based on those beliefs, you can defeat even the greatest empire.

Constantine’s cross

Those who are scared of “white supremacists” are chasing a ghost. That time is long past. Racial equality (as defined in the New Testament) has spread throughout the land. If you do find a “white supremacist,” he’ll be a pretty dumb, isolated fool who can’t organize his dirty dishes.

The titular leader of the American far left elite was also wrong when he said: ” . . .to take on the government, you need F-15s and maybe some nuclear weapons.” The Taliban showed that the far left elite will roll over and give you all the weaponry they have. The far left elite are so inept, even barely literate villagers can outwit them.

Early Christians conquered the Roman empire with similar tactics, though it took a bit longer. While Caligula and other Roman emperors persecuted early Christians, even using them as candles to light up garden parties, the early Christians were resilient. They helped each other and showed their children and their neighbors the truth of their beliefs while living in a society which considered them pests and ignorant, low class boors. The last major Roman persecution of Christians was under Diocletian. Emperor Diocletian began having health problems and retired in 305 to an estate in what is now the city of Split in Croatia. After Diocletian, Galerius started a policy of religious tolerance. When he died in 311, the way was open for Flavius Valerius Constantinus, known as Constantine. Constantine’s mother was a Christian and taught her son the truth, though Constantine only became a convicted Christian when he fought to become the new ruler of Rome.

His fought with other Roman generals ending in a battle nine miles North of Rome in 312. In the afternoon before the battle, Constantine saw a “flaming cross in the sky” with the words “in this sign conquer.”  The next morning, a voice told him to have his soldiers mark their shields with the symbol of Christ, the letter X with a line drawn through it.

They won the battle and Constantine became Christian. In 324, the ancient city of Byzantium was renamed “New Rome” and declared the capitol of the Roman Empire by Constantine.

Christians then, as today, argued about the fine points of their faith. Some liked the Arian approach which downplayed the Trinity. To resolve this controversy, Constantine presided over the famous Council of Nicaea in 325. Athanasius wrote up the resolution of the conference and this was the basis of the Nicene Creed, which we recited last Sunday in my church.

In 330 New Rome was renamed Constantinople and became the largest and wealthiest city in Europe with a university established in the 400s. This Orthodox version of Christianity spun off the Russian and Ukrainian and Georgian Orthodox churches. Constantinople gradually began to stifle new ideas and fell into decline, some say beginning with the Iconoclasm schism in the 700s. The Orthodox like their icons to this day. Others Christians say only God should be worshipped, not physical graven images. Eventually the icon-hating Muslims took over Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul.

Meanwhile, Arian Germanic tribes sacked old Rome in 24 August 410 AD and several times thereafter. In 493, the Arian Theodoric the Great became king of the region and soon united with the Orthodox Emperor in Constantinople to drive out other barbarians. Theodoric let all religions flourish, saying: “We can not command religion, for no man can be compelled to believe anything against his will.” His country didn’t last long after his death and gradually became a bunch of warring city states. These were not fully reunited as the Kingdom of Italy until 1871.

This long digression into Christian and Muslim history is meant to show that ragtag low caste groups can win out over effete, citified elites. If they are sure of their beliefs, make sure their children are educated to realize the truth of those beliefs, and order their local society based on those beliefs. Even the greatest empires have fallen to a few people dedicated to the truth.