As I listened to Richard Engel’s interview (NBC’s “On Assignment,” 4/14/19) with “Trumpian shill” Steve Bannon pertaining to Bannon’s going after the Pope’s ruination of the Catholic Church and his issues regarding the dismissals of pedophile priests, along with his absolutely outrageous claims that Trump’s election was a “prophecy from God, I immediately reflected on the insightful protestations of French philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623-1662).
Pascal’s enlightened and profound “truisms” seem to be more prevalent in today’s world of political charlatans and religious zealots, especially in concealing their true intentions to deceive the manipulated they target. Pascal stated, “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.”
It’s become the most common mantra of the Republican politicians like Newt Gingrich and Rudolph Giuliani, who’ve been caught lying and cheating in their multiple marriages, so the practice of including religiosity’s holiness in their deceiving ploys is now “a commonality to be aware of.” Lying is now “The Trumpian Way” for alternative facts.
Bannon’s outrageous and ridiculous comment regarding Trump’s election being a prophecy from God was actually “spin from truth.” The Godfather the Mafioso leaders influence in helping pillage and corrupt our nation further than it has been to date.
Frank Rohrig, Milford, Conn.
Life and death are equally Divine. nnPain and pleasure are equally divine. nnHappiness and sadness are equally Divine.
Light and darkness are equally Divine.
The ability to feel everything is the miracle. Remember, the Divine is, and creates, living consciousness in every moment, and so can only be experienced by living consciousness right now. No matter how inspiring words or scripture might be, the Infinite will never be contained by them.
Religions try to define and control that which is limitless — they have nothing to do with truth but only divide us. Everyone, including atheists, can know God directly, by feeling what is inside of themselves without judging.
Faith is for what you know, not what you don’t.
Mark Ivan, Calexico, Calif.
Lately (i.e.: two weeks ago) I heard that Southern/American black slaves were given the Bible to learn from, about God, but their versions had no Galatians and no Exodus, as well as anything except that “slaves must do good to their masters.”
Could anything be more … well, devilish?
The whole point of the Bible message is “…If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” [meaning “to set at liberty.”] (John 8:31-32).
It goes on to say, “They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
“Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
“And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8: 33-36)
The “Puritans” who founded Massachusetts colony in 1620 wanted to base their society on the Word of God. They built their churches with pulpits intentionally very high in order to emphasize that the Word was the most important focus of the service.
Times change; circumstances change. But the Word of God does not change. It still begins in Genesis and ends in Revelation. Many know Genesis, at least somewhat. The same could be said for Revelation (also written by John). This last book ties up all that has come before it, so anyone who wants to know how this life ends can clearly see how it does. Remember, there are the “worlds”/kingdoms of God and “The god of this world,” which are antagonistic to each other. In this last book, we learn that God wins: Chapters 14-22 lay it all out, especially Chapter 22. I would point out this verse: “Blessed are they that do his [God’s] commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. (Revelations 22: 14-15)
Then, verse 18 says, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelations 22: 18-19)
That applies to the whole revelation, i.e., the Bible.
Our ancestors in the lands beyond this one were influenced by many cultures that began in many places and many ages. There is much to explore in our heritage. The more one learns, the richer one is. Mining our spiritual knowledge is always fruitful. Not knowing it is to miss the point of education in the first place.
Like the Mueller Report, reading the original document is better than all the summaries and only getting what other people say it is.
Cheryl Lovely, Presque Isle, Maine
Is Gene Lyon trying out for a job as a rock critic? Because he is an uncool person who does not rock. So are most rock critics.
That said, Lyons is right in saying that Bernie Sanders’ pinko involvements should warn Democrats off any idea of running Sanders for president [“Sanders’ past is not right for America’s future,” 5/15/19 TPP]. The mere fact that, at this late date, I can still use the word “pinko” and have everybody know what I’m talking about, proves Lyon’s point.
Maria Rose, Indianapolis, Ind.
I’m so tired reading drivel from Gene Lyons bashing Sen. Bernie Sanders in the progressive media. If I wanted to hear neoliberal crap, I’d turn on MSNBC or CNN instead.
Lyons couldn’t say enough against Bernie and couldn’t have been more of a cheerleader for Hillary in 2016 and we all know how that worked out. Thanks to the lousy, elitist Clinton campaign, we ended up with the worst president anyone with a conscience has ever witnessed! And, no true progressive can possibly get excited about the folks who voted for the Iraq War and helped Wall Street banksters wreck the economy, like Clinton (and Biden too). If the un-democratic DNC would have made Bernie the nominee, millions of Millennials would have made it to the polls and we’d have a Democratic Socialist running the country instead of an immoral reality-show con-man. I don’t really blame most Americans for not voting — it’s always the same lousy show of corrupt red and blue teams pushing war and empire.
Lyons couldn’t resist poking fun of the Woodstock dream either and the generation of sell-outs that he is a perfect example of: the Baby Boomers. Too bad Lyons didn’t stay in Ireland where they, at least, all get socialized medicine. Well, this Boomer retains his ideals of a peaceful world ruled by love and would rather die trying than suck up to the powerful and their smear merchants who are wrecking this country, indeed the entire planet, with vulture capitalism.
Mark Deats, River Vale, N.J.
Please thank Robert Reich for me on his observations about Mitch McConnell. Reich is one of the very few reporters who has even mentioned Mitch McConnell, who has become one of the most powerful men in the world. You know I don’t exaggerate.
How many excellent pieces of good legislation has he thwarted? How many years has he been an unstoppable force holding back any fair legislation? The man is such a hypocrite and such a terrible human being. Why hasn’t the media pounced on him? He thwarted President Obama for six years and now he’s stifling House bills passed by a Democratic majority. He doesn’t bring them up for a vote at all. He is, in my mind, a man who is not a patriot, not a representative of the people, not one who took seriously an oath to serve, but a traitor to our country. Robert Reich and others should be even harder on him.
Grace Gambino, Monroe Township, N.J.
Daniel Marans and Jonathan Cohn wrote informatively about Medicare for All in TPP 5/15/19. Of the 20-odd candidates in the Democratic presidential field, only Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard back a plan that makes the private health insurance industry superfluous — for that is the ONLY WAY to keep costs manageable; otherwise, the profit motive would drive insurers to cherry-pick the low risk buyers, and so, make Medicare-for-Some too expensive to be sustainable. By making Medicare for All more expensive they would destroy it!
The 160 million people who receive health insurance as an employment benefit are the reason for stagnant wages that keep income inequality so extreme. This economic argument is seldom heard on the mainstream media.
Under Medicare for All, (and NOT Medicare for Some), workers would be free to seek employment wherever they might prefer to work, instead of being tied to their jobs as the only source of health insurance, and be able to demand a higher (living) wage.
Andrew Martin, Morrisville, Pa.
Donald Trump, Mike Pompeo, John Bolton and Sen. Tim Cotton (R-Ark.) appear to be attempting to start new US wars in Iran and Venezuela in order to seize control of the oil reserves in those two countries, and they also appear to believe their own lies too much! Putting a US aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf will make it a “sitting duck” for Iranian cruise missiles (and rockets) from their mountain caves along the eastern side of the Persian Gulf. Apparently, in order to please their corporate sponsors, Trump, Pompeo, Bolton, and Cotton are willing to sacrifice that aircraft carrier and its accompanying naval vessels (and most of their crew members) in order to “justify” a massively bloody war with Iran!
Christopher C. Currie, Pascoag, R.I.
Trump continues to tell his supporters our government is “taking in billions of dollars for the first time” from China because of tariffs he’s imposed on Chinese imports. That’s another lie to his supporters who will be hurt by the increased prices they pay on those imports.
American consumers pay for the tariffs in the form of a tax when they purchase them. Thus slowing the economy and, possibly, escalating a trade war without addressing the real issues: Chinese currency manipulation, stealing trade secrets and forcing companies to manufacture in China if they want access.
Tom Minnerick, Elgin, Ill.
From The Progressive Populist, June 15, 2019
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