Cool your heels, Joe Biden.

NATO is a military and political anachronism that deserves to be disbanded like the Warsaw Pact was in the early 1990s. I DO loathe and despise Putinism.... but this very dangerous, volatile business of Russian, Ukrainian nationalism; Western intervention in the Baltic states and Poland; coupled with NATO military exercises on the Russian frontier.... make it crystal clear it's time for the West to step back. Russia does have legitimate historical concerns about being attacked by European and American forces. The West would do best by not escalating. Even 600 NATO troops in the Baltic states and Poland is one provocation too many. The US needs to remove its newest warship, replacing its previous warship, from the Black Sea. "Don't poke the Russian Bear." They still have nukes, after all. And so does USA, unfortunately. Some people are saying the Chinese aren't happy with current developments in Ukraine. What an ominous moment for Obama to express his preference for Japan over China in the geopolitical saber-rattling now occurring between their respective navies! http://en.itar-tass.com/world/729227

"Anarchy" in the USA?

In the event I came off as too "statist" or "authoritarian" before, let me put it this way: In a profoundly non-revolutionary age, such as the Present in these United States, it's completely unrealistic to think we can: 1. Scrap all or even most regulatory authority over a very, very dangerous, virulent, unrestrained, pathological extreme strain of Capitalism. What would we get in exchange? Only a number of WILDLY unconstructive delusions, like the following: "Laissez Faire Capitalism (that FOUL creed now killing the Planet!) in its "tender mercies," will somehow PROTECT us." Now how daft can a person get? "Laissez Faire Capitalism" is notorious for its inherent destructiveness, and its utter lack of any altruistic motivations whatsoever! Case in point, and a strange one considering the parties involved: The reason the Three Mile Island accident wasn't as devastating in 1979 as the Chernobyl disaster was eight years later has a lot to do with the need for effective regulation. American nuclear power stations are under the authority of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. And for whatever reason, they operate shielded by "containment domes." Apparently Soviet reactors weren't subject to such a requirement - at the very least, sensible regulations governing atomic power generation weren't ENFORCED in the USSR. Humanity's technological obsession (and its resulting achievements and pitfalls) has gone too far - we do indeed live under the threat and promise of many sophisticated technologies that allow of such drastic "deregulation" only at our extreme peril. We left "the Garden," the "Simple Life," at least a century or two ago. 2. Were we to TOTALLY scrap our environmental and regulatory scheme, in favor of the "Invisible hand of the Free Market," WHO would stand to benefit? The very same "One Percenters" who are NOW benefiting so obscenely by the increasingly unrestrained ebb and flow of predatory global Capitalism. The Kochs, the Sheldon Adelsons, that's who would benefit. Even more than they do now. Within the current socioeconomic arrangement, in which so many "Citizens" have been so debased; where ignorance characterizes the majority; where education is an expensive and difficult commodity to acquire, typically sold to the highest bidder; where violence is as prevalent as Apple Pie... in this kind of a society, the People must be protected FROM the Corporations. We live in a land of institutionalized inequality and almost total political subservience, or at least mass indifference. It seems pretty evident that the people MUST retain the LEGAL right to prevent Laissez Faire Capitalism from destroying this very planet! Capitalism is not, and never has been, the social system one could reasonably trust to solve the Global Crises of Climate Change. Capitalism is the single entity most culpable for causing climate change!* Whatever your political philosophy: Scores of nations (regrettably perhaps) DO EXIST on Terra Firma; they must possess the ability to engage in meaningful negotiation, the aim of which could be to ratify binding treaties aimed at saving the Earth. Domestically, consider the people who contracted mesothelioma due to corporate malfeasance with respect to asbestos-related mining and manufacturing. Screw "tort reform!" May we never see "trial lawyers" perish from the face of the Earth! 3. While I do believe that we could - and SHOULD - eliminate more than 99% of the present statutes governing non-violent, "victimless crimes," (i.e., those "offenses," lacking a real victim or culprit, in which no physical harm transpires) it sickens me at heart to concede that we would have a damn hard time of it, were we to eliminate EVERY American police agency. I'd love to believe we could somehow achieve an Anarcho-syndicalist "non-society" characterized by universal Harmony, Peace and Freedom. My experience of Massive American violence and criminality - which permeates the culture at all levels - suggests that now is not that time. Sadly, 2014 isn't the "Utopian" sort of era in which any and all such "authority" could be abolished. Not without subsequent mayhem, perhaps on a scale unprecedented thus far. I know you America - you CAN'T be trusted. You can only be restrained. *The following is the text of the 9th Amendment of the Bill of Rights: “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” So it must surely follow that The People need to get up off their collective behind and retake the machinery of government! How can we blame the Ruling Class for our plight - if we "Average Joes and Janes" allow them to get away with their crimes!? If we're not going to have a revolution - and I think the prospect of THAT is a distant one at best - then we damn well better have a fundamental transformation! Move to Amend!

A Constitutional argument with a friend

Laws and regulations, T., result from our Constitutionally-prescribed system of checks and balances, of the divided government proposed by the so-called Founding Fathers in the 1780s. You know - The Legislative, which enacts laws, The Judicial, which interprets the laws, and The Executive. (The latter has become a sort of imperial presidency, but was not originally intended to be THAT bad.) You can take issue with particular laws and regulations. But the method by which they were adopted, ideally at least, is outlined in the Constitution. If you object to Plessy v. Ferguson's finding that De Jure segregation was justifiable, and you believe instead that 1954's Brown v. Board of Education was the right decision, then you to some degree implicitly recognize that some laws, at least in theory, are beneficial. If you supported the passage of the (so-called) Affordable Care Act, then you implicitly recognize that some degree of regulation is at least permissible - the thing is thousands and thousands of pages long! Obama Care is pretty clearly a bureaucratic excess; I agree with you to THAT extent.)

Money Talks!

Hello, I'm a hundred dollar bill. I got RIGHTS, ya know! Foremost among my rights is the right to freedom of speech, and expression. Oh, and to peaceably assemble to redress any number of grievances against the government, which I do every day by remaining in circulation. But getting back to the matter of speech, specifically, I have the UNLIMITED right to speak up VOCIFEROUSLY in support of the candidates of my choice, be they Democratic or Republican. I'm a human being too, and my feelings are deeply injured when mere PEOPLE try to restrict my influence. I'm just like anyone else; I receive just as much representation as I can afford to purchase. DON'T BOX ME IN. Don't put me in a gilded cage! I get around, here, there and everywhere, and I have a helluva lot to say. And I got a warning for the Supine Court, in case they EVER get the wrong idea: You folks in black robes BETTER keep outta my way, if ya know what's good for ya! Money Talks! Just in time for next November's midterms! http://www.politico.com/story/2014/04/supreme-court-campaign-donations-limit-105284.html

Playing "Saviour Says"

Prologue: On July 23, 1970, I met up with Mr. Jesus H. Christ in His tastefully-but-modestly decorated guest mansion, "Paradise Park." I'm proud to share this, the First ever interview with Jesus to grace the pages of Throwing Stone Magazine. HE graciously allowed this reporter to conduct a no-holds-barred session. Our chat was intensely enlightening, and Jesus had His fetching handmaidens serve me cup after stimulating cup of low-cal Manna. The transcript that follows was Faithfully transcribed by Mr. Christ's loving Pharisees. Dear Lord, how that gaggle of ornery clerks and secretaries has come around to His way of thinking! I was only seven years old in 1970, the year in which Jesus was dubbed "Superstar" by fans and critics alike. When one embraces one's Higher Power, ALL THINGS become POSSIBLE. What follows is headlined "Playing Saviour Says; The Jesus H. Christ Interview." It's a "Throwing Stone" exclusive! DG: Howdy Mr. Christ, thanks so much for Your time today. JC: No problem, dude. Time is one thing I have in abundance. And please call me "Jeez." Everyone calls me that except Dad. DG: Thanks again, Jeez. Now you've been in suspended animation for what, about 2000 years? JC: That's right, Son. Ever since I was nailed, died and put inside that awful cave. Then, three days later, I self-resuscitated, rolled the boulder out of the way, and emerged from the grotto. Trouble is, I saw my shadow; that's why we've endured two millennia of unbroken Winter. DG: I bet it felt good to break that cabin fever, back in the day. Where have You been residing all these centuries? JC: Well, I've tried for over 1964 years to get out of My Father's House. But He's a mean old man, and very possessive. Keeps on insisting I have to take over the Family business when He retires. FINALLY retires that is - seem's He's a workaholic, very paranoid, extremely argumentative and goddamn near Immortal, if you catch my drift. What's even worse, and I don't mean anything personal.... but Dad is overly.... Jewish. DG: Ah. No offense taken. But would You describe His attitude as Orthodox, Reform, or.... I can't even imagine Him as a SECULAR type guy. JC: You got that right, buddy. Old Jeb - that's what we call him, short for Jehovah - is strictly Old School. Never seen the Light. Still considers Himself the "Hebrew Boss." And I don't mean like Bruce Springsteen! The Lunkhead's never gotten it through His thick skull: I'm way past all that "Israelite" stuff by now. In many ways, He's still a rigid, inflexible, nasty-tempered six billion year old pain in the butt. Unforgiving as Hell and vindictive. In other words, Orthodox to the marrow. He's never agreed to write the sort of Letter of Recommendation that would enable Me to get an easier, more rewarding job. Won't even allow Me to get My own apartment! DG: Doesn't Your Mom try to talk sense to the Old Goat? By all accounts, she's a pretty kind old lady. JC: Well, "Ma Mary" is a softie like you say, but kind of a doormat. Dad's always had His Way with her. No matter how much I encourage Mom to stand up to Him, she caves. It certainly wasn't her idea to hook up with Jeb in the first place. In fact, Ma's been trying to work out an amicable separation for more than 700 years; He won't hear of it. And don't even mention no-fault divorce; oddly enough, They were never married to begin with. DG: Do They still exist together? JC: Much as it pains me, Dad's been keeping Mom in an Assisted Existence Facility for Eons and Eons. It's way, way Downtown, out of reach for ordinary mortals. Some place called "Purgatory Prairie." Dad insists she's got a lot of "issues." Claims she's got a lot of explaining to do before she can move Uptown, to His opulent McMansion, "The Mile High Club." Isn't He just the ultimate Prima Donna? DG: Bummer. What's up with Your brother James these days? JC: Jimmy's been living in obscurity for AGES, it seems. Problem is, he's got no name recognition and a pretty thin resume'. Jim's prospects for retirement from his crummy job don't look too good. I guess he's stuck driving the Shuttle between Terra Firma and Dad's City on a Hill, "Heavenly Heights." For the Indefinite Infinity anyway, poor bastard. DG: Sure sorry to hear of it. Let's talk politics now, shall We? Has President Jehovah ever considered trying to achieve Detente with the Evil Empire? After all, General Secretary Lucifer has changed his tune markedly. I know the Devil's in the details, but Satan Luciferovitch makes no bones about his desire for reinstatement as a fine, upstanding member of the Cosmic Community. What gives, Jeez? JC: Contrary to conventional wisdom, Dan, Birds of a Feather don't ALWAYS flock together. Those two curmudgeons are SO much alike. Both power-hungry, capricious.... hostile as Holy Heck most of the time. They haven't exchanged a single word since the Cuban Missile Crisis, and that was only about which one would inherit the Earth. And THAT, as you know, is STILL an open question. DG: Whatever became of Mary Magdalene? JC: Mary Mag's been doing great work promoting Tolerance with Margot St. Jane's feminist organization in Saint Francisco. I can only keep minimally apprised of her good works through our web forum, up at Jesus.com. Jeb insists she's a bad influence and forbids me, upon pain of irrelevance, from contacting her directly. It's truly heart-breaking. DG: Christ! I mean, uh, Jeez! That's pretty harsh.... JC: Well, consider the source. DG: Switching gears again.... some folks claim that Mr. Lucifer came shockingly close to deposing Your Old Man, way back when. Any truth to that? JC: Bah, humbug. Does that lousy upstart Beelzebub REALLY believe his effort to impeach My Father would ever come to fruition? Sure, the Eternal Sanhedrin voted for impeachment; but you know as well as I the Supreme Church would NEVER have removed Pres. Jehovah from the Throne. And to think they brought those proceedings for the TRIVIAL infraction of adultery. You can search for all ETERNITY - nowhere in Our Family history has Dad ever denied that He's kept a close watch for cute little Angels. Big hairy deal! DG: So whatever happened to Saint Monica? JC: Spokeswoman for the Divine Diet Plan, Inc. Slimmed down considerably herself, and pretty as a picture. Admitted everything that occurred in the Ovular Office, she did. You know, that was one of the few times I was able to successfully intervene. Very indiscreet, of course. But Dad's endless stream of peccadillos is getting mighty tiresome. DG: I see Your circle of friends is as illustrious as Your family life. Jeez, You never cease to amaze! JC: Amen Brother, no pun intended. It was positively a MIRACLE.... DG: For a change. And only for Monica.... JC: What do you want from Me? I did the best I could! And I know what else you're driving at.... Dad insists all those "little people" who were smitten got what they deserved, and then some. Let's be fair: Dad's never tried to hide the fact He's a very jealous guy. He's never cloaked his displeasure when His constituents cast their ballot for some "American Idol." Remember His words: "Thou shalt have no other President besides Me....." DG: Excuse me!?! "American!?" JC: Of course Jehovah is American! Doesn't he SPEAK American? What do you THINK he is, Ethiopian? Do I LOOK like some Son of an Ethiopian!? Man, Dan, didn't you even READ the book before requesting an interview? DG: Uh.... well, I skimmed it. And I admit, Your blond hair and blue eyes should have been a dead giveaway. JC: It's practically a SIN for a Throwing Stone correspondent not to do his homework, Dan. DG: Yeah, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa. My bad. (Sighs) JC: Ah, Don't worry about it. My job description goes on interminably about "....the need to forgive." Sometimes I wonder if I'm REALLY My Father's Son. (Chortles) DG: Let's not even open THAT can of worms! JC: I don't want to tiptoe through those tulips, either. (Chuckles) This series continues next month with: "Judas Iscariot; Turncoat or Tragedy?"