Ignorant politicians whom everyone should vote against

Greetings.

Jewish date:  28 ’Iyyar 5770 (Parashath BeMidhbar).

Today’s holidays:  Day 43 of the ‘Omer (Judaism), Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) (Judaism), Feast Day of Nereus and Achilleus (Roman Catholicism), Feast Day of St. Hugh Hefner (Church of the SubGenius).

Worthy causes of the day:  “ONE | Fix This Budget”, “Heart Disease and Stroke. You’re the Cure.:  Tell our Senators to get moving on Child Nutrition”, “Congress is 0 for 9 - The Petition Site”, “Take Action: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing | Save Darfur” and “Save BioGems: Take Action: Save Yellowstone/Greater Rockies”.

Topic 1:  “Hezbollah-Iran-Syria Axis-Supporting Arab/Muslim Knesset Member, Ganaim, calls for Islamic caliphate in Israel”.  This article deals with Arab Keneseth member Masud Ganaim, who presents what are arguably treasonous political views which make sense from an Islamic point of view.  He wants the restoration of an Islamic caliphate, with Israel included  as part of it.  Two quotes are of especial interest:

We are not necessarily talking about Israel here, but I believe an Islamic caliphate would be in the interest of the Jews themselves, since their golden era was under this caliphate.

We are not against the Jews, but against the Zionist movement and its racist ideology. We have no objection to the Jews managing their own matters themselves.

These quotes would only make sense from an Islamic point of view.  Islam has the notion that Muslims should be in charge and that everyone else should be subservient.  This is only in the interest of Jews in so far as being second-class citizens (dhimmis), they would be under constant pressure to convert to Islam—the goal that Muslims want, not necessarily what Jews would consider to their benefit.  While Jews had their moments under Muslim rule, it was never because of Muslim rule but rather despite it.  Considering that Israel is a scientific and technological powerhouse and its Jews have high levels of voluntary religious observance (even among self-proclaimed secularists), the idea that Jews need Muslim rule to prosper is untenable.  Furthermore, the Qur’an is littered with anti-Semitism, so the claim of being not against Jews but only against Zionism is also untenable.  At best it can be interpreted only as “We are not against Jews when they are subservient to us”.  That Ganaim knows nothing about the ideology of Zionism should be obvious; Jews are not a racial group, as they have always accepted converts without regard for ancestry.  I am seriously considering moving to Israel, and if I do so (YHWH willing), I intend to vote against obvious ignoramuses like this.

Topic 2:  “Sarah Palin: American Law Should Be 'Based On The God Of The Bible And The Ten Commandments'”.  Competing with Mr. Ganaim for sheer historical ignorance is Sarah Palin.  Palin is completely unaware that the United States is a Christian nation only in the sense of having a Christian majority.  Little does she know that the Founding Fathers were not so unanimously Christian (e.g., Thomas Jefferson was a known deist), and the Constitution neither invokes the Christian Trinity nor promotes Christianity.  On the other hand, we have a legal separation of church and state, and the government is supposed to be religion-neutral.  This is why Palin is completely getting wrong the notion of a National Day of Prayer.  No one (trying to work within our legal system) is arguing that Americans should not pray or discuss religion publicly; such a restriction would be a violation of freedom of religion and free speech.  Rather, it is simply not the business of the government to encourage or discourage prayer.  If I remain in the United States, this is the sort of obvious ignoramus I will continue to vote against.

Topic 3:  For today’s religious humor: “The Kitty’s Journey: Joseph Campbell and Friskies”:  This article argues that a cat food commercial fits the pattern of religious stories which Joseph Campbell laid out in The Hero with a Thousand Faces.  I think I will let this absurdity speak for itself.

Peace.

Aaron