The Case For Female Circumcision

There is no case for female circumcision.

But we live in a very sick world.

We've come to expect the worst.

So here you are . . . reading this.

I’m not being judgmental. I would have clicked on the link too.

Curious . . . confused . . . offended . . . appalled . . . outraged . . . sickened!

I would absolutely have to see what some psychopathic individual had to say
about such an inhumane, degrading and completely offensive practice,
what twisted justification some misguided misanthrope was proposing for
perhaps the ultimate assault on the dignity of females __ the mutilation
of their genitals.

But isn’t that the way things work these days?

There’s always some outrageous headline, some teaser being dangled, some
grotesque manipulation of our reality using loaded phrases and
press-your-hot-buttons language.

It’s not just the sensational stuff either. It’s often fluff, feel good blather which
plays on sympathies or compassion, fantasy or nostalgia, offering
hearts-and-flowers stories or syrupy melodrama, maybe patriotic anthems
and tales of alleged bravery and heroism    __ which dramatically slant
and obscure the truth.

Anyway . . . here we are: “The case for female circumcision.” 

Yup . . . that’s how it reads.  Sucked you right in!  I do understand . . .

 

You wanted to see some demented asshole try to stick up for grotesque and degrading mutilation. What would he look like? Maybe you wanted to both disdain and savor his depravity?

Why?

So you could gag? Hate someone for being so pathologically and sadistically ignorant?

Then share it on Facebook? Send out indignant Tweets?

Really show that bastard!

Yes, letting people know how we feel gets the job done, and more importantly, establishes that we're morally superior . . . because you and I could never support something so foul and inhumane and repulsive, right?

How about these photos? You and I paid taxes and that money went toward this . . .
 
I rest my case.

We all live in a glass houses. I’m not going to pretend I’m any different.

But that’s not the end of the matter, is it?

I am confident that most of you __ like me __ would like to do better.

We’d each like to turn things around and become the person we always 
believed we could and would be.
But to do that, we must first answer this question . . .

How did we become so numb?


[ This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com ]

What is more evil than pure evil?

 

My Japanese wife in her quest to understand Western
culture regularly runs by me some very interesting, sometimes entirely
bizarre web sites. Recently she directed me to one strangely called  
vegetariansareevil.com,from which I borrowed the image you see posted 
here. The site is now shut down, I guess because they couldn't pay their 
bill or maybe there are still some sane people in the world who had the 
good taste to delete it.

I have to say that while I am pretty jaded about what pops up on the internet, 
this one truly pushed the envelope of absurdity.

Offering a twisted taint-by-association logic __ which even makes the outlandish
satire of The Onion seem tame by comparison __ the web site seemed to be
promoting more meat consumption, based on the intrinsic evil of being a
vegetarian. Right! Just what we need. More heart attacks, colon cancer,
strokes, hypertension, clogged arteries. More stinking blood-drenched
meat farms and global warming resulting from even more massive herds of
steroid-plumped beef cattle farting continent-engulfing eddies of
methane gas. More tectonic escarpments of slimy pig shit and tidal waves
of cattle piss to foul the waterways and aquifers of our fragile
ecosystems.

It can safely be assumed that whoever is behind this __ if it is not a complete
put-on, in which case my hat goes off to them for their entirely
brilliant if bizarre bit of mockery __ suffers from severe blockage of
the arteries that supplies blood to their brains. But that's a whole
other can of beans. Or spam. Or something. Maybe a Double Down from KFC?

The reasoning is as direct as it is specious . . .

Hitler was evil incarnate. Hitler was a vegetarian. So vegetarianism is evil incarnate.

I am reluctant to point this out __ since I don't want to trivialize the
extent to which such thinking can impede any constructive exchange of
ideas __ but I have it on good authority that Hitler also breathed. So
we all should stop breathing? Because clearly such imitative behavior is
evil incarnate? Inhaling an endorsement and praise of the Holocaust?
Exhaling like clicking our heels together and yelling 'Sieg Heil!'

Maybe more interesting, or at least sensible, is to ask: Exactly why was Hitler a
vegetarian? The answer is brilliant on many levels and the perfect cause
for disbelief and indignation.

First we have this quote from Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Minister of Propaganda,
asserting the extent of Hitler's devotion to the idea . . . 

"The Führer is a convinced vegetarian, on principle. His arguments cannot
be refuted on any serious basis.  They are totally unanswerable . . .  He
believes more than ever that meat-eating is harmful to humanity. Of
course he knows that during the war we cannot completely upset our food
system. After the war, however, he intends to tackle this problem
also." 

Then we have the words of Hitler himself . . . 

"One may regret living at a period when it’s impossible to form an idea of
the shape the world of the future will assume. But there’s one thing I
can predict to eaters of meat: the world of the future will be
vegetarian." 

It appears that Hitler based his vegetarianism on an opposition to causing
suffering to animals __ isn't that ironic? __ and rooted in the  
writings of Richard Wagner . . . 

"When first it dawned on human wisdom that the same thing
breathed in animals as in mankind, it appeared too late to avert the
curse which, ranging ourselves with the beasts of prey,
we seemed to have called down upon us through the taste
of animal food: disease and misery of every kind, to
which we did not see mere vegetable-eating men exposed." 

So here is a man whose demented policies resulted in cruel human experimentation,
the cold-blooded torture and murder of millions of people, a man
responsible for collecting gold fillings from freshly killed victims and
turning people into lampshades, the man who stacked human corpses like
they were cobs of corn during the autumn harvest . . . the same man who
found the killing of animals for consumption as food, indelicate, cruel,
unsavory.

Whew!

Let's try to get a handle on Der Führer, some perspective on him and his times.

Remember that the German people in the 1930s and 40s looked at Hitler as a great
man. He was revered and regarded by millions of Germans, both in Germany
and in enclaves of Germans in bordering countries, as a demigod. Most,
of course, subsequently denied any knowledge of his savage treatment of
the Jews, gypsies, Poles, and others he regarded as 'subhuman'.

I personally believe that many, if not a majority, had a strong inkling of
what was going on. It's hard to be downwind of the human barbecues
taking place at Auschwitz-Birkenau and conclude the stench coming from
the ovens was yet another splendid meal of sausage or beef steak for the
residents, who for some reason looked extremely anorexic.

But citizens somehow looked the other way. They gave Herr Hitler a pass.
Anything which might cast doubt on his noble work on behalf of the
German people was swept aside in the torrents of praise. Why question
this remarkable man? After all, he was telling them what they
desperately wanted to hear, that Germans were a great people, an exceptional
people  __ destined to lead the rest of the world into an era where
Germany would oversee a grand new world order. He told them to stand
tall, be proud and patriotic, serve their country, to support the wars,
and let him and the Third Reich create an empire which would raise them
to their rightful place as the leaders of the world.

(By the way, does this sound at all familiar?)

 

Yes, Hitler turned the faltering German economy around. Hitler restored the
faith of the German people in themselves and their country. Hitler loved
dogs. Hitler loved children. Children loved Hitler! Hitler made his
people proud. Germans worshiped their Führer. He loved his people! By
golly, he was so gently and caring he was even a vegetarian.
What a great guy! So they proffered one of the most savage men in
history the blind eye of absolution, a total pardon for his less than
humane activities, the not-so-pleasant collateral damage, necessary
evils __ the pogroms, the slave and concentration camps, the terrifying
and indiscriminate civilian massacres of the Blitzkrieg, all of the
unpleasant but requisite slaughter necessary to achieve the greater
glory of Germany.

As one of my favorite contemporary philosophers says . . . 

"Rationalization is the evil step-brother of rationality." 

Now with the hindsight of history and the clarity of victory, we know Hitler was
pure evil. Worse than pure evil! Evil evil evil! How convenient, because
our bully pulpit blowhards have the perfect tool at hand to demonize
anyone they don't like. How often we now hear the hysterical screaming . . .

"[Fill in name of latest evil bogeyman here] is another Hitler! He must be destroyed!" 

Now I'm not about to make any such comparison between Adolph and any living
politician or national leader. I'll leave that to the purveyors of
panic, a congested field of hysterical pundits and desperate politicos
who lie and spit their hatred in pursuit of their insatiable appetites
for plunder, death and destruction.

What I want to point out here is that there is an important lesson to be learned.

At the time of Hitler's reign, the German people saw him as a savior, a hero, a
man who would restore dignity and worth and greatness to the German
nation. They looked very selectively at all of the positive things about
the man, ignoring the blatant signs that they were in the throes of a
love affair with a madman, whose unprecedented cruelties knew no bounds,
whose egomania and visions of hell drove his destructive delusions.
Obviously, we now benefit from a more complete understanding. All of the
niceties and personal charm, the propaganda and spin which mesmerized
the German nation and infused them with a pathological reverence for
their leader is horribly irrelevant against the massively cruel,
psychopathic crimes their Führer inflicted on humankind.

And that is the lesson we must learn from this.

I'm not going to name names here. All of you are big people you can figure this
out on your own who this might apply to. These idols who substitute
charisma and charm for character and honor are scattered far and wide
across the political landscapes of the world. We have them here where I
live in Japan, though I'd like you to focus on America and its European
allies, since the West is the center of power in the world, at least for now, and 
represents the greatest existential threat to humankind.

Having said that . . .

When our contemporary leaders give their inspiring speeches, when they appeal to
our pride, declare America the greatest nation in the world, declare
Americans to be superior and exceptional, appealing to our already
bloated pride. When they calculatingly take popular stands on
"hotbutton" issues sure to bring them easy support because these are
intensely emotional and appealing matters, for example, when they
support gay marriage and minorities and other human rights, when they
voice their concerns for the vulnerable, the sick and the less fortunate
members of our society, even come out in favor of legalizing marijuana,
then maybe give a little boost to the budget to help the unemployed or
shove a nice plate of food in front of a hungry kid at school. There's
no question, these are on their own terms good things. These show common
decency and compassion and common sense. These are fine, genuinely
heartening gestures for sure. They feel good and give us the warm and 
comfortable feeling that we're in good hands.

By golly . . . they're just like loving children and dogs and being vegetarian.

Hmm.

The point is, when these same people then slaughter tens of thousands of innocent
citizens around the world, start unnecessary wars over oil or other
resources, promote aggression to enrich the corporate stockholders of
our vast defense industries, sponsor extrajudicial torture and killing
__ drone and special ops assassinations __ refuse to sign or approve treaties like banning land mines and cluster munitions, when these same leaders support ruthless murderous regimes around the world, and through all of the horror of these and other crimes against humanity, we look the other way, are we any better than the German citizens were before and during WWII?

Aren't we just giving these putatively wonderful men and women a pass on the things that are the true measure of their moral leadership, the things which will blot our history for generations to come with the blood stains of our savage disregard for human life?

Of course, none of our splendid current leaders will ever reach the level of
depravity and notoriety in history books as the man who was more evil
than pure evil . . . Herr Hitler. 

Our leaders can be forgiven for their sins.

They still eat hamburgers.

Just like us.


[ This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com ]

I really like them!

The other day I watched two historic segments from the Steve Colbert show.

One featured President Obama and the other Hillary Clinton.

Both were great! I mean phenomenal! Entertainment at its best!

Obama taking Colbert's place and ridiculing himself in the third person was
hysterical. Hillary's going toe-to-toe with Colbert in a namedropping
contest was brilliantly funny.

Whoa! I've still got major giggles, folks. I'm burping up so many LOLs I'm 
even having trouble writing this!

But it goes deeper. Beyond being incredibly entertained, the astonishing thing for me 
personally was how much I really really liked them. Yes . . . I am being sincere!

I've certainly pulled no punches on either the President or Ms. Clinton in previous blogs. 
Anyone who has read my stuff knows I'm no fan of either. (What an understatement, eh?)

But on a 'like' scale of 1 to 10?

No doubt about it . . . they are both solid 10s!

Which brings me to the point of this piece.

What has likeability got to do with competence or leadership?

In this age where the science of crafting image and shaping perception has
reached levels of sophistication no one could have anticipated even ten
years ago, it hardly comes as a surprise that public figures look good,
always say the right things, know how to pour on the charm, excel at
doing everything needed to have people follow them around like they're
warm-toasted S'mores Bars at a fat farm for insatiable sugar-addicts.

Unfortunately, like a lot of things these days that are finger-lickin' good and a
belly full of lip-smackin' fun, that doesn't mean they're good for you.

As with way too much in our advertising-heavy, product-saturated consumer 
world, we must carefully read the label and do some serious research to see
what's going on behind all the affable hype and feel-good packaging.

As I have argued before, conflating beauty contests and entertainment
with politics is a dangerous game. Making the election of political
leaders like choosing the prom king and queen doesn't just trivialize
democracy. It destroys it.

Sure, feeling warm and cuddly about our government officials is a pleasant
thought, and maybe desirable on some superficial level. Both Obama and
Ms. Clinton exude charm, are amiable and very videogenic. Judging from
their acclaimed guest appearances on Comedy Central, both have all the
right qualities to host their own television shows, either serious and
thoughtful, or comedic and fun. That's well and good.

 

But the true measure of constructive, visionary leadership is not how
effectively they deliver one-liners, what nice people they appear to be,
how down-to-earth they are, or even how picture-perfect they are with
their families.

The true measure is on the larger national and international stages what set
of values they represent, what ideas they offer, what plans they embrace and
and promote, what promise of peace and prosperity they achieve, what path 
they lay out for shaping the future of America, both for us and generations 
to come.

I say we keep things in perspective.

Both of these American icons are very talented people. Isn't there some
Biblical injunction about proper use of talents? I sincerely believe we 
should put their real talents to work.

Sarah Palin __ god help us __ has her own subscriber television channel.
Much admired and forward-looking patriot that she is, dear Sarah has
laid the groundwork. Let's take the baton and run with it!

We've seen what these two are capable of on TV.

How about a Barack Obama Channel?

A Hillary Clinton Channel?

Why not?

This is what America is all about. It's what make our nation great!

Television!

On the other hand, as to our Nobel Peace Prize President and the lady 
who engineered the destruction of Libya as a nation . . . let's be clear 
about our political future.

We've endured Obama's stealthy alliance with the neocons, corporatists, the
imperialists and oligarchs. We've found every excuse in the book for his
putting the needs of banks and corporations before the needs of the
people. We've averted our gazes as he started more wars and killed
innocent citizens with drones. Not much we can do about that now.

But we still have a choice with Ms. Clinton. Forget the pretty picture on the 
outside of the package, folks. Start reading the fine print on the label before 
it's too late. Let's nudge this self-serving sociopath out of politics and into 
show business where she belongs. 

The Hillary Channel: Name-Dropping, Self-Aggrandizing Hillary, All Day Everyday 24-7!

I like it!

Enough said. To end this on a positive note, I will now throw a bone to the
diehard Obama apologists and lets-elect-a-pair-of-ovaries-for-president
Hillary supporters out there, who may have accidentally stumbled on my
blog site, showing what a doggone open-minded guy I am, proving along
the way that I am without question, a truly gracious blog host.

Appearing below are the two Stephen Colbert show segments that had me
belly-laughing, happy-slapping-my-knee, and rolling on the floor with
delight. Together they provide the perfect laugh track for the final
self-indulgent excesses of an empire in decline.

Enjoy!

[ This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com ]

Along Came Joe

 

I used to be enamored with Joe Biden.

But what a tool he has turned into.

What a dancing puppet for the oligarchy.

Is it something in the water? Or is it like Stephen Marks says in his 
eye-opening book Confessions of a Political Hitman,when you get 
to that position of power, they take you in the back room and give you 
"the talk". They explain how things actually work, how things are done, 
and who is actually running the show. 

They give you the choice: gold or lead.

Kennedy made the wrong choice.

Clinton went for the gold and has been richly rewarded.

I'll admit, this sounds like a bad movie to me, so I can't say I entirely buy it.

At the same time, I don't entirely dismiss it.

Something gets to these guys. Something burrows into their brains like those
amoeba that make a pinhole in your skull, climb inside and eat your brains.

Some criticize Vice-President Biden for his gaffs. Frankly, his gaffs are
trivial compared to the actual stands he has taken the past several
years on a wide variety of issues.

Just a few revealing examples: He is implicated in the ongoing attempts 
by the U.S. to overthrow the democratically-elected leaders of Venezuela,
the late Hugo Chavez and the current president, Nicholas Marduro. Similarly, 
he has been an outspoken supporter of the chocolate king Petro Poroshenko, 
current president of Ukraine, installed by violent coupein a U.S.-sponsored 
subversion of democracy in that fragile and volatile part of the world. Mr. Biden 
has been a huge advocate for the unnecessary and provocative sanctions against 
Russia, just a few days ago ridiculing the EU countries who won't go along with 
America's imperial madness. We also find out that Biden's support for the takeover 
of Ukraine goes beyond America's alleged geopolitical agenda there. In fact, his son 
Hunter Biden, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Burisma Holdings,
a private oil and gas company in Ukraine, which stands to profit handsomely from 
the privatization and plunder of the country's natural resources.

That Vice-President Biden has been a prominent voice for America's propaganda 
and saber-rattling against Russia goes without saying.

I admit that my first impressions of Mr. Biden were just that __ impressions __
so all of my positive feelings were very superficial.  I saw him speak
at campaign rallies and other public events, as well as appear in
several debates. I loved the guy's punchy directness, his ability to
dissemble convoluted arguments and spurious propositions with a just few
well chosen, often funny phrases. I found his wide, confident grin
engaging. Overall, he created in me the impression he was his own man,
an independent thinker, more concerned with the truth and cutting
through the bullshit than worried about winning popularity contests.
I've so had it with oratorical grandstanding and highly crafted,
high-sounding but usually empty political bombast, a little in-your-face
straight-talk went a long way.

Biden always said the right things. More jobs. Better life for the average 
American.

Obviously, by now I should know better than to take any of these politicos at
their word. How many times does a dog have to get beaten to realize his
owner is an irredeemably cruel son-of-a-bitch? And Biden is partnered
with the man who, despite his wonderful rhetoric about practically
everything decent human beings would like to see happening in our
troubled country and world, has proven fixated on doing the opposite.

But I'm such a soft touch, even now after decades of being bludgeoned with the 
hypocrisy stick. I had heard about Biden's loss of his first wife and their new
18-month old daughter, how he courageously bore his grief, bounced back, 
continued his selfless service to public life __ all the usual milk toast mythology
that's surrounds public officials.

So I am just as vulnerable to the effects of finely-wrought PR spin as the next guy.

I have learned __ as I hope you have __ from gagging on too much bullshit for
too many years, at least to try to be more discerning, less willing to buy the popular 
song-and-dance about these guys, less inclined take at face value what is spewed 
by the main stream media and, of course, the constant stream of self-serving blather 
by the politicos themselves.

But it's difficult. It is just plain hard work to have to analyze and take literally everything
apart, look at things from every possible angle, view with incredulity and suspicion the 
vast bulk of what we are told to believe, by what are reputed to be sound and objective 
sources.

It's getting easier, though.

Eventually it will be a snap.

Because when everything becomes a lie?

No problem.

We'll know not to believe anything they tell us.

Unfortunately, I fear we are further down that road than we realize.


[ This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com ]

United?

"The United States of America!" 

Doesn't saying it just make your heart leap for joy?

I start hearing the national anthem play in my head, see the rockets red glare
bursting in air, the American flag waving majestically over the capital
skyline.

But I started wondering the other day:  What exactly does the 'united' stand
for?  What exactly during these contentious, deeply divisive, tragically
troubled times does it mean?

'United' would seem to imply Unity. Agreement. Fellowship. Consensus. Harmony.

Does that sound like contemporary America to you?

Here are some big questions . . .

Are we united by a sense of national purpose?

Are we united by a belief in our destiny and place in history? 

Are we united by confidence in our superiority?

Are we united in our belief in American exceptionalism?

Are we united in our desire for empire?

Are we united by a love for our fellow Americans?

Are we united by our patriotism and sense of duty?

Or . . . are we united by our indifference?

Are we united by our faith in the American Dream?

Or . . . are we united by our pessimism?

Our cynicism?

How about some systemic issues . . .

Are we united in our faith in capitalism?

Are we united in the trust of our government?

Are we united in our belief in American democracy?

Are we united by a trust in God?

A system of shared values?

An ethos?

Are we united by our sense of self-determination?

Or . . . are we united by our sense of helplessness?

Our vulnerability and fatalism?

Our surrender?

How about some very specific issues . . .

Are we united in our love of guns?

Are we united by our freedom of speech?

Are we united by our disdain for socialism?

Are we united by the War on Terror?

Are we united by our hatred of Muslims?

Then there's the psychological component . . .

Are we united by love?

Or . . . are we united by hate?

Are we united by courage?

Bravado?

Self-respect?

Or . . . are we united by fear?

Are we united by our optimism?

Or . . . are we united by our despair?

Our desperation?

Our doubt?

Here I believe is a really important question: Where does the rugged
individualism which we see as the hallmark of a true American fit in?

How can we be united if we each have our own priorities and agenda?

Maybe we're not united at all.

Maybe it's all an illusion.

Maybe the United States of America is more like United Airlines, or United 
Van Lines. Catchy name but it doesn't really allude to any real or even
imagined unity.

And speaking of huge corporations, maybe we are united as customers,
shareholders and employees of the vast corporations which seem to run
everything these days. We are the biologic modules of a sprawling
corporate Gaia, united in our service to interlocking clusters of
entrepreneurial entities.

Less abstract and more the stuff of day-to-day living . . .

Are we united by the automobile?

Are we united by television?

Are we united by smart phones?

Are we united by the internet?

Holiday sales?

Shopping?

Football?

Which makes me wonder . . .

Maybe we're just a bunch of lonely people who need to feel like we belong to something.

Or maybe not.


[ This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com ]