On the previous blog post, one of my readers posted this interesting little number:

Your letter is good but you have to realize the kind of "logic" someone like our beloved fearless leader is operating under.

1. Any socialist system is inherently unstable and doomed to failure; capitalism is the only truly functional and stable economic system for an industrialized nation.
2. All homosexuals are inherently promiscuous, and therefore no social incentives will increase monogamy within the homosexual population. IE: the only way to have fewer promiscuous homosexuals is to have fewer homosexuals.
3. AIDS is God's punishment on the homosexual population for living an immoral lifestyle
4. Most scientists are atheists and therefore outside the will of God and not to be trusted
5. Russians are still not to be trusted, and we must be capable of defending ourselves form the communist nations of China and North Korea in the event of a nuclear attack.
6. Things like poverty and hunger are natural consequences of original sin and can therefore only be solved by God and not through human actions.
7. The United States of America is the most democratic and free nation on Earth, possibly a little too free, the most prosperous and the most powerful nation on earth, due to it's Christian heritage, and therefore any violations of the rights of non-Americans or people in this country who are un-American to protect this status is totally acceptable.

Posted by Carey on Wednesday, June 07, 2006 at 9:21 AM

Oh, I understand the logic here all too well. So, let's explode the myths our current presidency operates under, which you have so kindly enumerated for me:

1. Socialism is not inherently unstable. People are, at least when they desire power. The only reason socialism doesn't work is because humans are still greedy little bastards - well, most are. The Iroquois had an intricately-balanced socialist society before Europeans came about and screwed it all up.
2. All humans are inherently promiscuous, not just homosexuals; face it, sex feels good. The only way to be less promiscuous is not to get addicted to sex. And the only way not to be addicted to sex is not to repress the desire for it until you can binge. This is analogous to the difference between how most of Europe treats alcohol as opposed to the way we do here in the U.S.
3. If AIDS is God's punishment against homosexuals for living an immoral lifestyle, then why do straight people get it, even the ones who are innocent of any lifestyle which could remotely be called "immoral"? Maybe the fact that we are currently in a war, have an energy crisis on our hands, and are currently the enemy of most industrialized nations in the world is also God's punishment - for electing Bush. Or maybe it's because Bush is an idiot and we are for having elected him. Imagine that - a rational explanation! Maybe AIDS gets spread because it's a disease!
4. There has been no study of scientists to show that most are atheists. Even so, a scientist who is theist can tell you the difference between science and theism. And even most atheists (scientist or not) will just leave a theist to his or her beliefs. Of course, you do have the radicals - just like the theists who stop you on the street and ask if you have accepted Jesus as your lord and savior.
5. The issue is not one of trust. The issue is of whether or not we blow our lovely planet to smithereens. If we don't trust someone, that is no reason to have an RPG under our pillows at night. We simply don't rely on him or her to act in our best interests.
6. So, that means the people who are rich and always have something to eat are absolved from original sin? But all humans are subject to original sin. So, by definition, those people are not human. Interesting how such an inhuman statement can come from a non-human. Also, I distinctly remember the Bible somewhere having the passage "God helps those who help themselves." I guess that either means the rich are supposed to give to the poor or the poor should simply take from the rich. Wait...I also remember that "the meek shall inherit the earth." Ah. Case closed.
7. Yes, the United States has a Christian heritage. We also have a history of witch burning. Aside from that, though, anyone who thinks that this country is founded upon the Bible simply hasn't read their history. Go look up "Thomas Jefferson," "Benjamin Franklin," "Alexander Hamilton," "John Jay," and other of our most influential founding fathers, and you will note that most of them are spiritual humanist at best. That means "Agnostic" for those of you who aren't following. Besides which, I distinctly remember that the Declaration of Independence cited the "God of Nature" as its inspiration - not the "Son of Man" or "Holy Father" or any other references to the Christian God, which follows Enlightenment thinking, of course. Look that up, too, by the way. Oh, and while we are at it, why not look up the definition of "American." Either it means being a resident of the Americas or (as an adjective) being a citizen of the United States of America. If you take it figuratively, it means "one who is espoused of the values of the United States of America." So, being non-American in a figurative sense would mean being opposed to democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and other things that United States citizens tend to take for granted. How, exactly, does forstering public debate and fighting for freedoms (the very thing upon which this nation is founded) un-American? If you're George W. Bush, I guess that means someone disagrees with you. Sounds like he's either trying to be a pope or a king. Either way, he doesn't belong in office with that attitude.

   Any questions, class?