Recently in Politics Category

It looks like I am going to just have to give in and let the political commentary take over this blog for the time being.  Today, I post a video strictly for humor purposes.  I don't really like Bill Maher.  I don't dislike him either but I would not consider myself a fan.  Regardless of those feelings, however, I think the following is pretty darn funny.  Seriously, if you are reading this on Facebook be sure to come over to the blog (www.anutterwasteoftime.com) and check out the video. 


The little "ROLL TIDE" bit at the end was absolute genius!

The period leading up to November should provide plenty of comedy fuel and I am looking forward to it.

I don't have an overriding vision for this website.  I don't want this site to be known as a political blog just like I don't want it to be known as an "atheist" blog.  I don't even know if I want the site to be known at all.  I don't pretend that it is anything more than what the title says it is and it is thus with some trepidation that I find myself again writing about Alabama politics.  The following ad, however I just can't ignore.



I became aware of this ad a few days ago and decided it wasn't worth mentioning but it seems that the ad is gaining some steam out on the internet tubes so I thought maybe I should give a comment. At the very least those of you that haven't seen it will get a few moments of entertainment.

I don't suppose I care much about who is the Commissioner of Agriculture in Alabama.  I probably should care as agriculture is kind of important but I guess I just don't know enough about that job.  This ad, however, may change my thinking on the subjust.  Apparently agriculture is an untamed wasteland akin to the American West of the 1800s.    You see, Dale Peterson isn't just running for office, he is "After" the position like a lion stalking his prey and Mr. Peterson is bringing a gun to get it.  "This shit just got real!" as the kids like to say.  Unbeknownst to me, agriculture is as much about stealing campaign signs and busing in illegals as it is about pesticides, planting seasons, and predicting the weather.  Agriculture is a dirty business and we need someone like Dale "God Damn" Peterson to clean it up!

I do have some concerns about Mr. Peterson.  First, it seems like he has had quite a few professions in his life.  I don't know if he has a problem sticking with things or is just one of those guys who just likes to move around a lot.  It does, however, make me question if he will stick around the entire term.  Second, does the Commissioner of Agriculture work out of Montgomery?  He might need to trade in that horse for a Prius if he has to start commuting.  Third, is the choppy editing what we can expect from the Peterson era?  Seriously folks, we can't stand by and let someone create bad agricultural videos in Alabama can we?  We must look out for our epileptic bretheren.  Finally, Mr. Peterson says he won't take any prisoners.  So what exactly does he plan to do with all those illegals he is so upset about?  I see the gun so I can makes some assumptions.  What I wonder is can Alabama really stomach such a bloodbath?  In comparison, however, the Tim James platform of a single language for driver's license testing seems a bit pale.

Snarky humor aside, things are really looking up for Alabama this year.  Based on the early goings, this election season should be fan-freaking-tastic! 

One question first...  Should the 'our' in the title of this post be capitalized?  I am unsure about this case based on what I remember about capitalization rules.  Then again, I pretty much failed those classes in middle school.  Shocking right?  I guess I could try Google for the answer but that would be too much like doing something smart and, as it has been pointed out to me recently, my intellect is questionable at best.  Time to move past this diversion and get on with the show.

I think it is clear by now how unhappy I am with what is transpiring in the Alabama's governor race.  Today I read another article about one of the candidates that blows my mind.  Understand I am not surprised at what I read; I am just consistently shocked that people running for office can say things like what you are about to read and get away with it.  Not only can they get away with it but they are cheered.  Today's statements come from former judge Roy Moore.  If you know anything about Roy Moore and my own ideology then you probably know where this is going.  If you are a right winger you may want to click away at this time.  Try this site instead.  You might find Jesus riding a dinosaur!

In the article on AL.com, Moore states:

"For the government to acknowledge God is not a violation of the Constitution," Moore said in an interview Thursday, echoing the stand he built his career on. "To deny God is to begin to take away rights. In the long run, the welfare of our state depends on the blessings of God."

I included the entire paragraph because I don't want to be accused of taking anything out of context.  The section that I have the most trouble with is the second half of the last sentence even though I think the first half is bogus as well.  Moore says "...the welfare of our state depends on the blessings of God."  The best question I can ask, and I would ask this of Moore, is simply "Why?" 

There are a lot of ways I can go here but I am going to try and go in a direction that may be unexpected.  Alabama has traditionally been one of the most religious states in the Union.  I don't think anyone would argue that it is a major component of the bible belt.  Religion has been an integral part of state government really since Alabama became a state and certainly since secession and re-integration with the nation as a whole.  With that being said, a couple of things should be true assuming God in the Christian sense exists (yes, I am an atheist, but stick with me here).  If the Christian God is real either God has blessed Alabama or he/she/it hasn't.  I understand the nature of a blessing is really only known to God but we should be able to infer certain things about a blessing.  Things like a blessing would be good for the welfare of the people or even the overall welfare of the state and not just its people.  So, given the assumption that a blessing should be seen and/or felt is there any evidence of this?  Well, statistically Alabama is at the bottom of the list in just about every meaningful statistic. 

Here are some numbers for you:

Health Index - 41 out of 51
Child Death Rate - 6 out of 51
Deaths out of 100,000 - 5 out of 51
Diabetes per 100 adults - 1 out of 51
Bachelor's Degree or Higher - 46 out of 51
Best Educated Index - 43 out of 51
High School Diploma or higher - 43 out of 51
Median Family Income - 43 out of 51
Percent below the poverty level - 9 out of 51
*data provided by Statemaster.com*

The list goes on and on.  Clearly Alabama and it's people have serious issues all of which have plagued the state since reconstruction.

Nothing in these numbers speaks to a blessing of any kind.  At least not to me.  So, if a state as religious as Alabama hasn't been blessed up to this point, is it rational to think it will be blessed in the future?  Is it also rational to assume that if God is passing out blessings that other states are more blessed than Alabama?  That's what Moore is saying right?  Isn't it more likely that Alabama is in the condition it is in today because of poor leadership, an uneducated citizenry, self serving business community, and other social ills that just haven't been addressed?  In the history of humankind have these types of problems ever been fixed by prayer?  Is there ANY evidence that shows such problems magically going away?  Of course not.  People have to take the responsibility to lift themselves up.  Therefore, why should ANYONE vote for a political candidate that believes the welfare of the state and its people depend on the blessings of God?  I would think we would rather have a leader that takes responsibility for the situation and works to find ways to energize the government and the people and inspires them to fix their own problems. 

It is no secret I don't believe in god.  I also don't, as a general rule, have a problem with leaders that do.  However, if a leader expresses the opinion that it is GOD who is responsible for the well being of a political division of land and the people within it then I just have to laugh.  Roy Moore would be the most infective and possibly most dangerous governor Alabama could elect.  I say this because he seems to indicate he would leave the welfare of the state up to God.  Of course there is the whole defiance of a federal court order thing but I don't see that we have to go over that again. 

At the end of the article there is a great quote by Joel Sogol, former chairman of the ACLU:

"Other than this one issue, it's hard to figure out where he stands," Sogol said. "I don't think anybody has a clue where this state would be going if he gets elected. I don't think he does."    

Roy Moore only cares about one thing and that is shoving God down everyone's throats.  There is nothing illegal about this and he as every right to say what he wants, a right I would defend, but as a governor there is little doubt in my mind he would be worthless.  He has shown that he can not be an impartial judge which leads me to believe he would not be a fair and equitable governor who would seek to defend the rights of ALL citizens of the state of Alabama.  He has shown he doesn't respect the rule of law and that his own personal convictions are justification enough to act outside of his legal rights.  Finally, he has shown no ability to understand the generally needs of the state nor given voice to any vision on how he would better the state other than leave it in the hands of God.  I would rather have a leader that would try to help his constituency first and pray for a miracle second.  If God decided to lend a hand then GREAT but past human history has shown that people who help themselves are more likely to make a difference in their own lives and the people around them.

Between Tim James and Roy Moore I fear for this state.  I don't think they will win the primary much less the election but the possibility exists.  If such a disaster were to happen I feel I would be obligated by duty to my family to pursue opportunities in other states.  I should have already been working on that given the sorry condition Alabama is in today but certainly the election of either of these two nitwits would make the exodus imperative that much more compelling. 

Finally, let me be clear about a few things.  I don't want to live in a theocracy and my understanding is that the Constitution of the United States does not allow for a theocracy to exist at any level of government.  I have no problems with a leader that is religious.  I am happy to vote for religious candidates.  As a public servant, however, it is their duty to govern based on man's law and if they can not do that then they are unfit for their position.  As soon as they begin making decisions based on religious beliefs while flaunting the rule of law then they are in violation of their charge and are unfit for their position.  This is the reasoning that led to Roy Moore being removed as a judge and this is the same reason why he is unfit to be Alabama's governor.
 
Ultimately though you have to ask one thing... Are you willing to wait for the blessing of God to give your children a better education, better health, and a better life or do you think it is in your best interest to vote for someone who will actually take action themselves?  The choice is really up to you.

Personally, I am keeping an eye on snagging some cardboard boxes from the liquor store down the street...just in case.

I know Alabama doesn't have a monopoly on dumb.  To use a popular expression "Thank God for Mississippi" right?  There are some days, however, when I really think my brain is going to leak out of my ears and head off to parts unknown because it just can't take the level of stupidity it is forced to deal with on a regular basis.  It seems there are more of those days every four years.  The reason for this pattern, of course, has to do with elections.  Specifically gubernatorial elections.   This year the fine, upstanding citizens of the great state of Alabama will go to the polls and elect a new governor.  We have a rich tradition of outstanding governors including the likes of admitted racist George Wallace, convicted felon Guy Hunt, anti-evolutionist Fob James, and convicted felon Don Siegelman.  It is therefore imperative that we elect another quality candidate that will continue to bring Alabama the notoriety it so richly deserves. 

A few weeks back I posted a video that has since become a nationwide phenomenon.  If you missed it, here it is again.



Ah yes, the fruit of the loins of the famous (infamous) Fob James has entered the race and is trying to take over where his daddy left off by sticking it to all them feriners. Sorry if that last word there looks funny but that's how they say it around here. There has been plenty said about this ad already so I won't belabor the point, but it is always fun to see a train wreck in action right?  I will post this video though as I think it is pretty funny while being quite the biting political commentary.




As much as I love commenting on the Tim James campaign, another video has been airing recently that I just can't ignore. 

 

Of course what gets me in this ad is the implied disdain for evolution.  Looks folks, evolution is as close to a scientific fact that you are ever going to find.  Evolution as a biological process can be seen, tested, and documented.  Evolution happens and it is this reason why evolution is not only a valid course of study but an essential one.  We can debate the origins of the universe and even the origins of biological life (evolution does not attempt to answer these questions only describe a process in which life changes) but evolution as a process is real and undeniable.  We, the viewers, I guess are supposed to associate Bradley Byrne with the anti-bible, anti-creationist crowd and thus conclude he can't possibly be a true conservative, whatever that means.  So apparently to be a conservative you have to be against all that fancy book lern'n.  At least that is the impression I get.    

That point aside, clearly this ad has absolutely nothing to do with the welfare and well being of the citizens of Alabama.  Of course smearing candidates is what Alabama politics does best.  The ad does not address Byrne's platform not does it address why conservative ideology might have merit in the upcoming election.  This is the point where I get really pissed of about politics.  It seems like so often that the reason we are supposed to vote for candidate A is because candidate B is a worse choice.  Candidate A doesn't have to win on ideas but just has to prove why candidate B sucks.  In the end we are left with people who don't know what they are doing but at least they aren't the other guy.  Pretty sad way to elect leaders in my opinion. 

One thing I do want to say is that the ad certainly has a point.  If Byrne is pretending to be someone he is not then that is a pretty good reason not to vote for him.  What I would rather see, however, is why I SHOULD vote for a particular candidate.  I'd love to see someone who can prove they are a worthy leader.  Someone who has a vision rather than someone who criticizes the vision of others.  Ultimately, however, I just want election season to be over.