Of Wizards and Wingnuts

I have often wondered what can be done to thwart the right wing ideologues and the constant drumbeat of their message reverberating in the echo chamber of the media. Unfortunately, most of the left wing just stands there with their mouths agape in stunned disbelief unable to respond let alone launch a counter-attack.

The realization I had thinking about this is that people are going to have stop being naive and stop trying to be nice. There ARE evil people deliberating ignoring the truth and twisting peoples' minds. They are pretenders and deceivers. They are liars and betrayers. They are wolves in sheep's clothing.

So, what to do? First, we need to know the difference between right and wrong. Knowing this difference is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom is knowing the truth of things and from that we can understand the past, present, and future. This is the original meaning of the term wizard. And as Gandalf says in Lord of the Rings, "Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger."

In this way, as wizards who deal with subtlety and take no shit, we need to start speaking the truth and calling things what they are. If something is a lie, call it a lie and do NOT equivocate with wiggle words. If something is cruel and heartless, say so and seal it with the stamp that such acts are inhuman and monstrous. And when they talk of freedom, I would challenge them to prove that America is truly the land of the free when dissent is questioned and called unpatriotic. Since when do Americans have to sign loyalty oaths to attend a political rally? And I demand proof that the U.S. should not be bound by the Geneva Convention which was enacted to protect everyone, including U.S. soldiers.

If the Iraqis hate freedom so much, why are they fighting us so hard? Why ARE we in Iraq? It's not for weapons of mass destruction which the inspectors already knew didn't exist. It's not for terrorism because the intelligence community knew that bin Laden hated Saddam Hussein's SECULAR government. The fabrication of this lie was born out in the 9/11 Commission Report. Nor is it to spread democracy when ours is in such question with fixed primaries, voter disenfranchisement and intimidation, and an almost total lack of political awareness and participation in the local party organization by average working folks. With oil about to peak and profits on the line, oil is the only reason we are in Iraq. The religious element is just a convenient cover.

But beware, religious zealotry and fanaticism in America is a danger to the world because it is neither wise nor subtle and has the capacity to support a president whose policies are leading us to a nuclear holocaust. If we can question the sanity of a suicide bomber, how much more so a cult that supports worldwide armageddon.

If you have a healthy instinct for self-preservation, care about others, and show others the respect and dignity every living miracle of the universe deserves, then stand up and speak out. Speak out the truth, challenge dishonesty, and fight for our common humanity. Anyone advocating an elective policy of war, death, and destruction in the name of anything but self-preservation is neither human nor humane and should be shown the nearest padded cell and removed as a danger to humanity.

We must become wizards, wise and knowing, who take no shit if we are to save humanity from those who would destroy it.