Revellian

Thoughts and Fiction of Bobby Revell

Posts Tagged politics

What Is The Difference Between Liberal and Conservative?

Jun 19

Posted by Bobby Revell in Uncategorized

What is the true difference between a liberal and a conservative? Why do people buy into the entire idea that you must be one or the other? In the words of political pundit George Will, “A conservative is willing to accept freedom. Liberals tend to favor equality of outcome and are willing to sacrifice freedom to get it.” I agree with him, but I do not believe the people in power are either one – not in a true sense. I am personally much more conservative than I am liberal, but disagree with most of our political leaders.

Henry Adams said that politics is a system of categorizing our hatreds – so true, that’s exactly what it is. The origin of our political system was quite ingenious, and the two parties, republicans (conservative) and democrats (liberal) – widely speaking – are supposed to provide a balance so the society has structure and cohesion. What they failed to account for was the greed infested criminal element which is so prevalent in todays politics; thus, the political parties serve to drive people apart, giving them more reasons to hate each other. They also keep people at each other’s throats, while a corrupted government makes billions for themselves – a massive diversionary tactic with a life of it’s own.

What I cannot stand are people that play partisan politics – meaning a person will side with their party regardless of what they do. Think abut this: Many republicans will stand behind George W. Bush, no matter what mistakes he makes. One such person is the cackling Elisabeth Hasslebeck on the female driven morning TV show, The View. George Bush could stab a baby, and she would say he did the right thing; well, maybe my example is extreme hahaha. What if George W. Bush were a democrat and did all the same things, the only difference being a little “D” next to his name. The republicans would hate his guts just because he’s a democrat. What I’m saying is that people defend their party no matter what, which is a very ignorant thing to do.

Many people may believe I’m liberal because I fight for equality and am anti-war, but I am not. I am a libertarian conservative. I believe government should be small, protect our shores and deliver the mail. The idea that our federal government can equalize all people is a liberal fantasy of unrealistic idealism. We really are not born equal. We are born as a product of our environment. If we are born into a rich family, our lives will be much easier. If we are born to homeless crackheads, we will face a serious struggle. I am a political conservative with many liberal views. For instance, gay marriage isn’t an issue with me. I could care less if they get married, which is a liberal view. I am lost when it comes to federal health care. I guess the only way to find out if it will work is to give it a try. I must admit my political views are evolving into something I cannot really explain. I am simply fed up with our system. It is time to try something different. Maybe liberalism is the answer, maybe it’s not. We will find out soon enough.

Modern society has come a long way, and equality is important to ethical conservatives regardless of what people think. It’s also a myth that liberals are so anti-war they are willing to die just to be a fair person. The Federal government cannot fix the problems. Modern society has only been going a few hundred years, so perfection is an outlandish idea. My favorite politician is Ron Paul, and he says most issues of equality are being worked out through every individual’s involvement in politics and that most issues, like gay marriage and abortion should be left up to individual states. I agree with him 100%. The bigger the government is, the more problems we will have. In America, most people do not vote and really don’t care – a massive problem indeed.

If you don’t mind seeing gay guys holding hands on every street corner, move to California. If you want the right to shoot someone for walking through your yard, move to Texas. With a liberal Federal government, we will lose that ability (so I’m led to believe). I would like to point out that the current Bush administration is not a conservative government. Bush has increased the governments size and given conservatism a bad name.

So who will I vote for? I wish I could really get behind one of the two main candidates, but I cannot. I know many people who have Obama fever, but have you actually looked at his stance on every issue? I don’t believe there will be much difference between Obama or McCain, both are too liberal and are for huge government. I know that gas prices will not go down and that taxes on the middle class will only increase. Michelle Obama said that Americans don’t mind paying higher taxes as long as it’s for something good. I disagree with that 100%. I love the idea that both a black man and a woman have come to the forefront – it represents a big change in popular beliefs and opinions. That’s all fine and dandy, but how will you feel when you get major tax increases? The only thing I agree with Obama on is his position on the Iraq war. Other than that, I strongly oppose most of his policies. I could be wrong though, and am willing to change and learn something new. If something works, then I will support it. I am willing to accept anything that works regardless of party affiliation. Political evolution and adaptation is the wave of the future – at least I hope.

The reason people hate George W. Bush isn’t necessarily because of the Iraq war, it’s because it sucks being American with prices getting so high. Our economy is all screwed up because of a corrupted congress, big government and big oil. Want it to get even worse? Then elect Obama or McCain. Government will get even bigger, prices will skyrocket and taxes will become unbearable. Don’t believe me? Wait 4 years and see.

I know, the above statement is quite sarcastic and somewhat negative, but I’m trying to be realistic. If we lived in under a truly conservative government, operated by honest people of honorable character, things would be fine right now; however, they are not honest and are greed infested scum. The idea of conservatism, is truly the root America is built on. The problem is, most people cannot afford health care, and more and more young people will not have an opportunity to go to college unless their family is financially well off. This is where liberalism is supposed to provide balance, giving a voice to the poor and middle class. I agree 100% that we as a society have to lift up the poor, and give them every opportunity. Who will pay for all these programs? It will be the middle and lower middle class. It’s a complete conundrum. What if every rich person were of such high character, they never left their money to their children, but instead gave it all to a poor citizen college fund? Haha…dream on! A rich family will of course leave their money to their children which helps fortify a lopsided division of wealth. When you’re talking about a radical redistribution of wealth, you’re talking about communism.

When the liberals become too far left, and the conservatives get too far right, the outcome is fascism and communism; which is where we are right now and it’s only getting worse.

When the big corporations are heavily taxed, they just move to other countries and outsource their work, which only fuels the problem even more. The oil titan Haliburton, moved to Dubai for that very reason, just one example of how taxing the rich effects things. There is no one greedier than a billionaire who loses a few million – something I do not understand.

The degree of corruption is so deeply ingrained, I don’t really see an answer. I believe any change from Bush will be a good change. I certainly hope if Obama gets elected, he doesn’t get so caught up in “Washington”, that he forgets why he became president. It would be impossible for any of us to comprehend just how Washington changes people. Look at what happened to the Bush administration; they went in to change Washington, but Washington changed them.

If things continue like they have been here in America, we Americans will eventually be a third world country doing outsourced jobs for all the foreign corporations that actually used to be American corporations. The answer to all these problems is really up to individual citizens. When I hear someone say, “I don’t vote…I hate politics and don’t pay attention to it,” I can only surmise that’s it’s this person’s fault we are in the shape we’re in now. Every problem we have is caused by individual citizens who just apathetically ignore the political system. It is your duty to get involved. It is also your duty to see through the lies and corruption and not play partisan politics. No one is above being called down on the average citizen’s floor – where the true power of our democracy is supposed to be. In my heart, I so yearn to get behind a great leader. Whoever gets elected, please don’t let us down.

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19 Comments

Crooked Politicians and the Honor of a Common Thief

Jun 12

Posted by Bobby Revell in Humor, thought

Hey everyone, I was watching the news on CNN earlier – The Glenn Beck Show. Don’t worry if you don’t know who Glenn Beck is, and don’t stop reading because you despise politics with the most soul searing, black hearted hatred a human being could possibly muster; I promise you’ll understand this post. I don’t care what country you’re from, what rock you crawled from under or what multi-trillion dollar penthouse you live in…you will understand.

Glenn Beck is this news anchor/entrepreneur/comedian guy who says he’s looking for answers, you know, the answers to America’s problems: like oil prices, the American dream, education, hunger and so forth. He’s a self-made guy who doesn’t have much college, so I do respect the fact that he did make it. He often interviews Jonah Goldberg, the author of “Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning” as a guest political pundit on his show. I love the philosophical egotism of these guys and often enjoy their discussions.

They were discussing the possible hidden secrecy of back room deals and secret greased palms – often a hot topic among the Internet’s rabid conspiracy theorists. They basically said that there are no “back room” deals and the politicians do everything out in the open – completely transparent. What I want to know is are these guys being paid to say that? Do they actually believe it? Are they insane? It doesn’t take a genius to know just how corrupted and our government is.

Yesterday, congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced 35 articles of impeachment against George W. Bush for a sickening array of crimes against America. The Bush administration actually paid military war experts to say things on every top media news network, among tons of other questionable actions to further their agenda. Will he be impeached? Probably not. The point is, this is just one tiny piece of a gargantuan pie of lies, corruption and deceit.

Every problem going on is caused by a corrupted congress – so far gone – I don’t know if I will ever trust anything they say for the rest of my life. Of course there are billions of back room dollars changing hands, bribing judges and paying for nefarious college educations of children spawned by these crooked scumbags. I don’t buy into every conspiracy theory, and many of them are ridiculous (for all I know, the most ridiculous ones are the only true ones…lol). We the public have the right to rip these people to shreds and leave their political bodies in a burning pile of roasted flesh…disfiguratively speaking. It’s really time for normal citizens to gain the power they could have if they just paid attention. I don’t believe for a second that a new president will improve things. Whoever gets elected had better perform! Every new president has great hopes and dreams – until they get in the White House and Washington changes them. We shall see.

So, now to the climax of my post, ohhhh….uggghhh…ahhhh. Whatever happened to the good old days when people just took your money outright. This may sound insanely deranged and twisted, but there is a certain amount of honor in a criminal just shoving a gun in your face and taking your wallet. There’s a purity and earnestness about a fearless crook pointing a shotgun at a bank teller’s head and saying, “Fill my bag with cash or I will blow your head off.”

Compared to these shady politicians who steal and rob behind closed doors, smelling like fresh spring honey glazed petunias beneath a mask of deception, a simple crook does actually seem honorable

I’ve always loathed the double standard of white collar crime being considered less malevolent or immoral than a common street crime. If an unscrupulous welfare administrator embezzles $100,000.00 from starving school children, it is considered a lesser crime than a bank robbery at gunpoint. What’s the difference? The real difference is that the bank robbers have the balls to go in risking their own lives to get what they want; the spineless namby pamby creme puff embezzler does not. It’s all in which perspective you see it.

It’s much like a political leader who sends men to die in war, while they do not have the bravery to go themselves. This is so much more the case than it was in ancient times. Leaders like Alexander the Great had the brains and the guts to lead his armies on horseback, willing to die first. Compare that to a modern president, who would piss in his pants while facing being blown into pieces. It always bothers me to think about how, while 17 year old boys are being immolated by bombs, the leader who sent them is drinking 100 year old scotch and eating fine cuisine in the lap of luxury – often playing a round of golf or two afterwards – far, far away from the horrendous pain of reality.

I do not condone crime of any kind, this editorial is only meant to give you a unique perspective.

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18 Comments

Help Fight Modern Day Slave Labor

May 24

Posted by Bobby Revell in issue awareness, racism

Like most people, I thought slavery ended in 1862 with Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The 13th amendment of the constitution was implemented a few years later in 1865, supposedly ending slavery once and for all.

The 13th amendment states:

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

I am certainly no expert on modern politics and learn more everyday about how little I truly know. I do know what happened to me and my firsthand experience with modern day slave labor. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, thousands of homes needed new roofs, among many other repairs.

I hired a local contractor to replace my roof and surprisingly, got a really good price. At the time, I thought the good price was the result of stiff competition between contractors. I remember being woken up by what sounded like a herd of stampeding water buffalo on the roof. I walked outside and saw 24 Mexican men feverishly working as if they were going for a world record. The entire roof was replaced in three hours – I was astonished. None of the men spoke English, so I was unable to ask them any questions. They piled up in a few work trucks and went to the next job.

At the time, I suspected they were illegal immigrants, but the contractor assured me they were not. The telephone services, including cell phones were still out of order and I couldn’t call anyone. When you have massive holes in your roof with animals and hordes of mosquitoes coming into your house, the last thing you’re thinking about is illegal slave labor. It was several weeks later when the horror stories started, mostly by word of mouth. Stories of how these Mexican workers were promised paychecks week after week spread like wildfire. The contractors promised them money, dangling false dreams of a new life before their eyes. In most of the cases I heard, the contractors waited until the workers became so suspicious of being ripped off, they finally refused to work. At that point, the contractors disappeared with all the money, leaving these battered, hungry men alone without pay. These illegal workers spoke no English and were not American citizens. They had no rights, no one to complain to and no where to go – a disgraceful and horrific crime against humanity.

There are numerous types of modern day slavery from many third world nations, including sex slaves. Last week, I happened to catch an interview with John Bowe on C-Span Book TV talking about his fantastic new book, “Nobodies: Modern American Slave Labor and the Dark Side of the New Global Economy” read the full transcript here.

Nobodies: Modern American Slave Labor and the Dark Side of the New Global Economy

In the interview, he said he believed the census statistics are incorrect and the percentage of illegal workers in America are as high as 20% of the entire workforce. I tend to agree with him because I have seen it in action – right here on my own property. I strongly urge you to read his book (I’m only half way through it), and check out his websites. One thing he talks about is how it’s very likely all of us may become slave laborers ourselves. Here’s a quote from his website, “Globalization means that soon, we, too, might be working for pennies an hour. It’s like Adam Smith in reverse: trade with people less free than you, and your own freedom is threatened,” a frightening prospect indeed. Go read John Bowe’s wordpress site.

I applaud him for doing the right thing and bringing this issue to the forefront. One thing is for sure, this information is not popular and John Bowe is not getting the attention he deserves. When people do things of monumental importance, they are often buried in the rubble of mainstream political fluff and irrelevant information – like which pastor our presidential candidates use. Situations needing the most attention are almost always considered irrelevant as tiny blips on the media radar.

Why isn’t this subject being covered in the media or under heavy fire by politicians? The answer is simple: money. They are not being paid to cover it. It is up to all of us, as citizens, to get the ball rolling.

Now to the most important part of this article: Please sign the petition to end slave labor – it only takes a minute. It is in our own complacency and laziness that nothing is ever accomplished. The next time you eat a tomato or buy a pair of shoes, think about who actually grew it or manufactured those shoes – they are likely the products of modern day slavery. I proudly offer the popularity of my web site to help with this extremely important cause – it’s the least I can do.

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27 Comments

How Society Rewards Liars

May 3

Posted by Bobby Revell in critical thinking, issue awareness, thought

What bothers me more than just about anything is how people in the political arena, the news and on TV act like they love everyone, only say good things about others and blatantly lie about nearly everything. Anytime you hear an actor being interviewed, they say everyone they work with is wonderful, the director is so nice and so on. We all know these people are just saying that and hiding the truth. I’d like to see just one person tell the truth and recklessly risk their career because they refuse to lie. What if some famous actor said this in an interview:

Q: What was it like being directed by Steven Spielberg?

A: He’s a freaking jerk, and I will hate his guts until the day I die. I did make 18 million dollars, and I know I’m supposed to act like I like him just because everybody else does. No matter how you slice it, he is an asshole who thinks he’s God. It truly sucked working with him.

Why do they lie? The main reason is because they would never get another job. It’s all about superficial image and fake reputations. Society reinforces and rewards these behaviors, producing highly deceptive individuals. There is a fine line between being polite and being a fraudulent liar. I’m not saying Steven Spielberg is really like that, but if he was, we would never know. When a famous person is exposed for a crime or something nefarious, we love it even more. We love to watch people fall and have their lives ruined.

I was the only person that ever stood up to an out of line boss at any job I’ve ever had! When something was wrong, I would stand up for what is right while everyone else turned a blind eye. Every time I’ve ever done that, my coworkers turned their backs on me in order to keep their jobs. I would love to work as a professional journalist, but would be fired for telling the truth the first time I opened my mouth. The people in the media, especially the corporate media, are told what to say and write. They can’t just say whatever they want. They are controlled.

We all try to save face and protect our reputations even if it has a powerfully negative effect on society. I can forgive someone who tells the truth, but it’s much more difficult when they lie. Why not admit you’re wrong, apologize and change your ways (that would be far too truthful). This is a tough subject to discuss because it is so sensitive. We are taught to be two different people: the one in the public eye, and the real one at home behind the scenes. We bloggers are like that too in many ways.

Telling the truth will make you unpopular and kill your career

A few months ago, TV talk show host Montel Williams, was working part time for Fox news. He was being being interviewed and was asked about the death of actor Heath Ledger. Montel said though he felt bad that Heath Ledger died, it was unimportant compared to the many soldiers who had died that day in Iraq. He said nobody mentioned who these soldiers were, and would appreciate it if they would talk about the soldiers instead.

He upset the producers of Fox news, and was fired for telling the truth. Maybe what he said wasn’t the popular thing to say, but I personally appreciate him saying it. I don’t want to see anyone die, but when an actor gets more attention than soldiers getting blown in half, something is terribly wrong. I believe that most of us appreciate the few people out there who bravely tell the truth regardless of repercussion and backlash.

Polygraph Test

Politics is infested with liars and the public demands it. Recently, presidential candidate Barack Obama said that when small town Americans fall into hard times, they cling to religion and guns. People were extremely offended by this statement. What he said is true, but telling the truth can destroy a political career! Now, to avoid losing the election, he has to hide his real feelings so people don’t get upset. The public doesn’t want the truth, they want to be coddled and lied to. Why are we so sensitive? He didn’t wear an American flag pin on his shirt, so people think he is unpatriotic. By that rationale, a person can wear a flag pin, proclaim their Christianity and kiss America’s ass – they will then fit the superficial mold of what is acceptable, even if they are lying.

I want the truth and nothing but the truth

We need a leader who will tell the truth, no matter how brutal or offensive it maybe. We need journalists who tell the truth, even if it gets them fired from their jobs – fearless warriors of the written and spoken word. More than anything, we need a public who can handle the truth. I’d like to have a president who looks into the camera eye and says. “You people suck. You don’t care about anything except yourselves. This country is all screwed up because of you! It’s your fault!”

That would be refreshing because it is absolutely true. I don’t want lies, nor to be coddled by anyone – I want the truth in all it’s glory. We all tell little white lies, and we don’t want to purposefully hurt people’s feelings; however, when it comes to important things like the leader of a nation or war, the truth must be told no matter how whose feelings get hurt. It’s time for people to toughen up and get over their delicate sensibilities.

I would like to see every person running for public office undergo a polygraph test on television. Wouldn’t that be fantastic? We the public should demand it.

I know a young guy who had his arms blown off and lost his left eye in the Iraq war. He told me he was so hurt to see the media hardly ever talking about the war. Everyone is busy watching American Idol and Survivor. People are so far removed from reality, it is truly bewildering. It’s not really their own faults because the media never talks about who died in any detail. At the end of every news cast, they mention how many people were killed that day and never even mention their names. The media only shows what is popular to keep ratings high. It’s all about money.

I know many people who don’t watch the news or pay attention to what’s going on in the world, mostly because they’re not interested and are disturbed by it. The truth is, our entire society is based on lies, not just in America, but all over the world.

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t enjoy our favorite shows and movies, but we should learn about what is going on in the world – no matter how much we don’t want to.

* The polygraph picture is from Tennessee Lawman

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31 Comments

Capping Credit Card Interest and Economic Revolution

May 1

Posted by Bobby Revell in critical thinking, issue awareness

I’m dedicating this post to my friend Euroyank’s Battle of the Blogs Debates. I didn’t follow the rules exactly, but as an oppressed American, I have an aversion to rules. Check out his post, it is brilliant!

By using credit cards, you are personally destroying your own life. Most of the economic problems in the world are your fault, not the fault of the world banks and our leaders. I read a fantastic article from a blogger I happened upon today, Steve Karmazenuk, who wrote The Perverse Society: The Illusion of Freedom in the Market Economy. This guy has the right idea! He basically says to cut up your credit cards and not pay the bills at all. Good credit is irrelevant. Find three people to do the same and so on…haha! Too bad we don’t all have the guts to do that. Be sure to read his post.

These things are on my mind a lot these days because it’s getting so difficult to afford necessities, and be able to drive to work. I personally don’t use credit cards and only buy in cash – if I can’t buy it outright, I do without. In America, if you buy a house, chances are you will lose it and your credit will be destroyed. The banks and governments are enslaving us, keeping us all in eternal debt. Most people never pay their credit card bills on time, and end up never actually owning anything. They are basically renting their entire lives, making banks richer. Who’s fault is it? It’s our own fault.

Putting a cap on credit card and loan interest

This is a great idea! I don’t know if I’m the only one who has ever thought about it, but I haven’t read about it in the media – not once. This should be one subject on the front page of every newspaper, but it’s something completely ignored. Have you wondered why their is no cap on the amount of profit credit card companies can make off of you? Theoretically, you could end up paying $100,000.00 for a $5,000.00 car! Why aren’t our politicians talking about that? Instead of capping profits, they incur more fees and lower your credit rating every time you get behind, making life harder and harder. It’s called slavery.

People are worried about identity theft, and are paying for protection from high cost services like LifeLock. This sounds exactly like a mafia protection racket! The federal reserve is the world’s greatest loan shark and our leaders are a bunch of greed infested scumbags who deserve a prison cell (or a rat infested dungeon).

The greatest protection against identity theft is to have bad credit – no one would want to steal your identity then! I guess I am pretty safe

Then we have the big oil companies making record profits while we can barely afford to drive to work so we can make more money, so we can buy more gas at higher prices, so we can get to work to make more money, so we can by more gas…until we eventually die – what a great life. If you don’t have these problems, then you are in a very small minority. Oil companies should not even exist. There should be only one oil company and it should be owned by who? Us!!!!! It should be a corporation evenly owned by everyone – by law.

We need radical solutions not band-aids. It’s time for a worldwide revolution – an economic evolution. I wish Americans had been smarter and voted for Ron Paul, but they didn’t. Instead, they picked 3 yes-men (yes I do consider Hillary to be a male) who will not solve a single problem. I’ve been listening to political pundits on the news all week talking about how oil companies have the right to make a profit…hahaha! What? They only make around 7% profit, and most of that is invested in the stock market to make them even more profit. They make it sound like these billionaires are suffering.

Terrorism

Terrorism has been blown way out of proportion. I am completely unconcerned about it. I’m concerned about the corrupted filth behind the world banks. One or two more terror attacks, and America will be a totalitarian police state. As soon as it happens, I’ll know who did it: our own government.

People actually believe that 9-11 was not an inside job. The media will not even consider the idea! Wake up and smell the bullshit, our government is responsible. When we get hit by another attack, I will still be unafraid of terrorism. If you don’t believe it was an inside job, then you just don’t know the facts.

Socialism

Socialism is considered a bad word. As soon as it’s mentioned, it’s followed by the phrase “socialistic utopia” that will destroy our country. I don’t want a socialist government, but some aspects of socialism would be good for America and nearly every country. Right now, if I get cancer…I will die without treatment. I cannot afford health care. I am scared to live here. To think that people are actually behind John McCain for president frightens me even more. The entire country should stop working right this minute and go sit on the white house lawn. Imagine 300 million people demanding a new government, right this second. What would happen? I think they would drop bombs on us and roast marshmallows on our burning bodies – with evil smiles on their faces.

To sum up here’s what needs to be done:

  1. Abolish the federal reserve
  2. Abolish federal income tax
  3. Cap all credit card and loan interest
  4. Give everyone a clean slate, removing all bad credit ratings
  5. Give everyone healthcare

Which presidential candidate will do this? Not one. I hope Ron Paul lives long enough to get elected. I know these are radical ideas but they must be accomplished. I have nothing else to say about this subject. I am over politics. My next post will be about something much different. I really appreciate the people who have commented on my past few serious posts because I didn’t think I would get any comments at all. Thank you very much. I know many of my readers don’t comment on these types of posts, but I do understand. This information is important to me and it really should be important to everyone. Maybe I’ll write an extremely twisted horror story or do a meme…hahaha! :mrgreen:

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24 Comments

The Insanity of Stereotypes, Labels and Generalizations

Apr 29

Posted by Bobby Revell in Humor, racism, thought

I was filling out a job application and couldn’t help but feel violated because of the detailed information required. I’m going for something much higher paying than I have now which is understandable because of the collapsing economy. One thing on my mind is how people are stereotyped, labeled and categorized in modern society. Like many places, this one had me sit down at a computer to fill it out the application; there was no person to talk to, just an impersonal machine.

The collection of demographic information makes me feel uncomfortable. They first ask you to check a square by your race. Am I African American, Caucasian, Latin American and so on. I’m wondering what difference does it make? It was incredibly detailed – even asking if I had a tattoo and if so, where on my body it was as a picture of it would need to be taken. They required a highly detailed 12 year job history and required I give them permission to check my credit. I feel that is a violation of my constitutional rights. No employer has the right to peer into my private credit history. I had to give them permission to also do a criminal background check which I understand, but for this particular job, I felt was quite unnecessary.

Finally of course, they required a hair shaft drug screen, where they pluck several hairs from your scalp for spectroscopic chemical analysis. By the time I was done, I felt like I had been molested. You may be wondering what kind of job I was applying for. Surely it was to homeland security, the FBI or something extremely sensitive…right? No. It was a bartending job at the Beau Rivage Casino…hahaha! That is unbelievable isn’t it? Yes, it is an incredibly high paying job, but the requirements are ridiculous.

Modern society is based on shallow attitudes and ratings. We have learned to stereotype and rate people based on different criteria. We are being psychologically conditioned by mass media entertainment: she’s beautiful, he’s an asshole, those people are black, they’re racist, he’s a fundamental Christian bigot, she’s an atheist with no heart or soul and so forth. It’s so ingrained into our lives – we have become slaves to entertainment, religion, patriotism and many other labels.

I talked about how we do not realize how much power we truly have in my previous post on aikido. You live your life, do the best you can and become a slave to society itself. People have this take care of your own backyard mentality because there is nothing you can do to change anything. That’s true and exactly what our leaders want. They want you enslaved and helpless, watching TV, noodling on the web and on and on – all while a handful of super rich individuals have and own everything.

Think about this: You are a Christian parent with a five year old child. Religion and Jesus is everything to you and you’re teaching your child the same thing. Your neighbors are an atheist family with a five year old child. The atheist family believes that Jesus is a myth and never actually existed. They believe the bible is just a bunch of mythological stories plagiarized from other works that predate Christianity. Would you let your Christian child play with the atheist child? Would you be friends with the atheist family? What if the atheist parents told your young impressionable Christian child that nothing in the bible is true? Would you be upset? Of course you would, and chances are, you would not be friends with them. The point is, when religion or any view causes such a deep division among people, it ceases to be good. There are even fundamentalist atheists who think all religion should be outlawed. They are both wrong. I am part of no group and choose instead to be a free thinker, which is also a label and causes division. Isn’t life fun?

Some people think a possible second American revolution is coming. I fully disagree with that. We are far too lazy and just don’t care enough to do anything about it. Have you heard the phrase, divide and conquer? That’s exactly what is going on in this world. We are all divided, not just geographically, but by race, religion, class and other means. The world is filled with problems, but at the heart of every single one of them is this division between us all.

Stereotypes-Labels-Generalizations

Stereotypes-Labels-Generalizations

These labels, stereotypes and shallow generalizations will never go away, but we have to live together and get along. We shouldn’t generalize anything. Some people generalize about Muslims which is ridiculous. They are all different depending on where they’re from and many other factors. It’s just like there are many types of Christians. People think Jewish people are tight with their money, Mexican people steal cars, British people have bad teeth, people from the southern United States commit incest – it goes on forever. Young girls feel ugly when they don’t fit the image of what popular magazines say is beautiful, which is so unsettling it makes me sick. In France, I believe “stick” models are banned from magazine commercials if I’m not mistaken. In America, such a law would be considered a violation of our freedom…hahaha! Go figure.

I don’t have the answers, just some observations. None of this stuff stresses me out any more, it doesn’t help anything, especially me. I was thinking about what could help me and my blog. Here are some ideas:

On The Lighter Side

  • I need to get in the Oprah Winfrey studio audience or do something wrong and get sued on Judge Judy’s TV show. As soon as the mike got near my mouth I would say, “Revellian dot com…that’s r-e-v-e-l-l-i-a-n dot com,” over and over. I wouldn’t shut up until they arrested me gaining me national headlines. While basking in my 15 minutes of fame, I would go streaking down the streets of New York City screaming my website name. Following that, I would get a book deal and a spot on some sitcom. Hey…it’s a plan.
  • If I could be spotted alone with Hillary Clinton and get someone to snap a photo, I would tell everyone I had sex with her. When asked by the media, I would say something smart like, “She was walking with a limp on cloud 9 when I got done with it.” I figure this site would get 10 million hits the day it happened. With 15 year old Miley Cyrus getting tons of attention because of her new racy pictures, I could do something similar. People don’t realize that her ploy was engineered specifically to garner massive press. Vanity Fair magazine got 5 million hits yesterday because of this. After all, isn’t any and all press, good press? Sorry to get off topic towards the end, but I didn’t want to end this post on a sad note. :twisted:

* The picture is How to spot a psychopath! from Dan’s Data
* I actually wrote this post several months ago, one of many sitting unpublished. I added a little to it this morning so it would be better and more current.

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Aikido: The Peaceful Resolution of Conflict

Apr 25

Posted by Bobby Revell in philosophy, thought

Whenever I’ve written a “deep” article in the past, I’ve noticed that few people are interested. I hope you read this one. I’ve been a little burned out on blogging and have been taking a little break. I feel better now:)

When it comes to the subjects of religion and philosophy, I rarely share my views because people take it so personally. I feel like religion tends to segregate people instead of bringing them together in many cases, especially in America. Martin Luther King said the most segregated time in America in on Sunday morning; he was absolutely correct. I was raised to be a catholic. At age 13, I scrutinized and questioned the beliefs I was taught and decided that I wasn’t a Christian. There seemed to be too many different versions of Christianity, all with differing viewpoints. Every group thinks they are right.

Most of my spiritual and philosophical beliefs come from martial arts, many from the teachings of Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba. I’ve studied virtually every philosophy, but none are as deep and truly applicable in modern times as his. Aikido is a martial art unlike any other in it’s level of depth and philosophical beauty. In my opinion, Ueshiba was one of the greatest martial arts master who ever lived. It wasn’t because he could defeat dozens of armed attackers with the utmost of ease, it was the meaning and harmonious nature of what he taught. It is based on the peaceful resolution of conflict, which is apparently impossible to understand by the inept and ignorant leaders who run this world. Aikido should be taught to every child, the world would be a better place.

Here’s a breakdown of what Aikido (way of harmonious spirit) means:

ai – joining, harmonizing

ki – spirit, life energy

do – way, path

The point is, there is always a way to achieve peaceful resolution in all conflict – in everything from terrorism to inner city gangs. Of course, when you have moronic idiots in charge of countries (like George W. Bush), it seems like an impossibility. Morihei Ueshiba, possibly the most prolific and powerful warrior who ever lived (besides Miyamoto Musashi), thought that harmony was the answer to every problem. His teachings have had the most profound influence on my personal philosophy.

The hurricane of miracles blows perpetually. Day and night the phenomenon surges around us on all sides, and (not least marvelous) all without disturbing the majestic tranquility of the creation. This tumult is harmony.

-Victor Hugo

It is easy to drop bombs on people, shoot them, not negotiate and have this staunch position of unyielding resolve. What is the difference between dropping a nuclear bomb on a country and fighting them slowly in a long drawn out campaign such as the war in Iraq? Not much. When you think about the casualties on all sides in the current war, people are dying slowly rather than all at once such as by nuclear bomb; however, the public is more accepting of a slow war. It seems too harsh to just blow a country off the map in one strike. Instead, they do it slowly killing even more people, but it’s easier to swallow. Either way, it is an act of cowardice and stupidity.

In gang or prison violence, there’s this emphasis on “respect”. You’ve seen it in action. Some guy says, “You disrespected me fool,” and stabs someone 147 times – blood splattering – body parts lying about. That is the act of an ignorant fool; the same type of ignorant fools who run the military and modern politics. Yes, our current president has an uneducated, gangster mentality. Life is not a football game or a wrestling match…haha.

This is exactly why wrestling (the fake wrestling like Hulk Hogan performs) is such a popular form of entertainment in America. People love to get behind some loud mouth idiot who beats people up. These are the types of people who vote in America (sorry if that offends some of you). Sure, the times we tried diplomacy in the past came with tremendous problems, but we immediately reverted back to the old war mentality. We haven’t given diplomacy a fair chance. We need an inspiring and peaceful leader with a calm demeanor, not an abrasive person who will cause more problems than ever. I don’t want another president pissing off the world because of his religious ideology.

Many American Christians despise and are fearful of atheists, but I would argue that there is much to learn from the atheistic viewpoint. I believe that atheists are more open minded than religious people in many respects. When a person learns something, they usually have to really study it before they believe it. The opposite is true of religion; you believe it first and study it later. Most religious people are religious either because their parents taught them or they just decided to be religious later in life after coming in contact with a religious group. I respect your religious views but do not judge me for having different beliefs.

I am not religious, nor an atheist. I believe there is a higher power of some sort, but I have a much different concept of what God is than is taught in tradition. I see god as the energy of life or spirit of the universe. I don’t know what God is, but I do know what I’ve experienced. When you hop on the mat with an Aikido master and are thrown ten feet, you feel the power of God. That harnessed energy (ki, chi or prana), doesn’t come from that person, it comes from the power of the universe or God. It is in us and all around us. After practicing Yoga and martial arts all my life, I am certain that there is something – an unfathomable power we all possess. This is far beyond the scope of this article but wanted to share some of my views.

What separates many eastern religions from western is the cultivation of ki or qi (vital energy or life force) which is developed through yoga and breathing exercises. Contrary to popular belief, yoga is religion. It is part of Hinduism. If you practice yoga or the law of attraction, you are practicing aspects of Hinduism. Basically, it is exercise for your spirit or soul. I do not believe that God lives in the clouds or in the kingdom of heaven. I do not believe bad people burn in hell for all of eternity after they die – that is superstition in my opinion.

I am more agnostic than anything. You can believe whatever you want, but I just don’t know the ultimate truth – neither do you (even if you believe you do). I recently got in an argument in the middle of an Aikido class. This Christian guy refused to practice ki breathing techniques because ki is not mentioned in the bible. He told me that ki was the devil’s working…hahaha! I told him that ki is as real and natural as anything you can touch, see or smell. He literally plugged his ears and loudly hummed so he could not hear (unbelievably, he is a 36 year old doctor). We had to remove him from the class for disrupting us. He allowed his religious beliefs to prevent him from learning the most important aspects of martial arts training. I couldn’t believe how close-minded and childish he was.

I recommend all world leaders (and you) to read a fantastic book:

It is “Aikido In Everyday Life – Giving in to get your way”. This book explains how to achieve the peaceful resolution of conflict in every situation – the art of intelligence. I challenge you to read it. It is possible to win by losing or giving in, something above the heads of most western thought. By pulling out of the Iraq war does not declare that we lost – which is the dumbed down thinking of many people. Is requiring a leader to have intelligence too much to ask? This is one reason I may vote for Obama, he exemplifies this idea and the world has yet to implement such wisdom. When I hear someone brag about how tough they are, I am unimpressed (which is how Hillary defines herself). Yes, I think of Obama as being on a higher level of intellect than all the other current candidates. He is not perfect, but might be the best of the available choices (though I’m still undecided). I could care less what religion a president practices. I wish people weren’t so close-minded. I live in a country where an atheist will never be elected, which is ridiculous – something to think about.

He who will not apply new remedies must expect old evils

-Francis Bacon

My martial arts background: The first art I ever learned was Moo Duk Kwan (which means school of martial virtue, an old school variation of modern Tae Kwon Do, the Korean martial art many people are familiar with). Luckily for me, I had a fantastic teacher, Dr. Donald Green. He taught me that compassion was much more important than hurting people. He was very philosophical, and amazingly so considering his incredible and smart fighting style. I spent nine years studying Hapkido (a Korean art of joint locks, throwing and striking), and have been involved in boxing, freestyle jujitsu and Aikido ever since. I have learned to not get mad and to treat others with kindness and love through martial arts. Whatever path you choose in life, may it be one of peace and love:)

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Fox News is Un-American

Apr 10

Posted by Bobby Revell in thought

I was driving last week, listening to Fox News Radio – a place where you get to hear the true intent of their inexcusable agenda. They discuss things in such a way that it could never fly on the televised version. Actually, this post will show you what I heard on three separate broadcasts over the period of a week.

I can’t throw all the blame on Fox as there are many affiliates involved, but most are under the umbrella of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. What I heard made me sick to my stomach.

  • I was listening to The Schnitt Show, a popular right wing program. The announcer said several horrible things about Muslims and the people of Iraq. The phrase ended with, “The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim,” which was followed by sound effects and a climactic swoosh to provide the common radio style exclamation point. It then went to a commercial. I was appalled by the statement and was slightly misled. I had to listen for several more minutes to realize that it was a recording of someone who had previously called in to give an opinion; however, the announcer did not renounce the statement.
  • On another day, I heard an interview with a Muslim. They announced that this guy represented all Muslims and this was our chance to truly understand what they are all about. The guy went on and on about how all Americans and Christians must be killed. He said that nothing can or ever will stop them from killing all of us. He said that all Muslims are part of this extremism. The ones who don’t openly admit it are really just waiting for them to take true advantage in global terror. I thought I was really hearing something true. It was riveting and extremely disturbing. The guy had a thick mid-eastern accent and sounded quite convincing. It made me wonder for a moment about my many Muslim friends. In the last minute of the program, the main announcer said, “This was not a real interview with a real Muslim! This was an actor who was simply portraying how Muslims really are – to show the world how Muslims really think and plot against Americans.” Needless to say, I was disgusted. How dare they play such garbage on public media. Muslims are not the enemy. Terrorism and corrupted governments are the real enemies.
  • Finally, I heard a guy go on and on about the demise of white America. He said, “Be afraid. The extinction and oppression of white people is here and very strong. White people are being fooled into voting for people who will allow the minorities to take over. Their agenda is to destroy the last vestige of what it means to be white.” Is Fox operated by the KKK? It sure sounds like it.

This is why I will no longer watch or listen to Fox news whether it be on TV or the radio. News Corporation is the most powerful news corporation on Earth. They own American Idol and My Space just to name a few of their products. It should be illegal for a corporation dealing in news to own so many other media outlets. Even if nobody watched Fox news, they can still afford to run 24-7 and shove it down our throats. Think for yourself and do not allow yourself to be fooled by this tripe.

I am pissed off about how news is handled by the media giants. I appreciate the very few people who have the fearless attitude such as Lou Dobbs from CNN. I have been told I am Un-American for bashing our government. Make no mistake – I am proud to be American. I am not proud of our corrupt leaders and politicians.

You want to know what is truly Un-American? War is Un-American. The Iraq war is Un-American. Ignorantly accepting the 9-11 commission findings is absolutely Un-American. George W. Bush is Un-American. I keep hearing this argument that if we pull out of Iraq, we are basically announcing defeat. This is the most childish and ludicrous statement I have ever heard. Wars cannot be won – they only demonstrate pure weakness and cowardice. It is time for the world to realize that humankind can get by without war.

Wherever we are headed, one thing is for sure: I am unafraid of terrorists. I am also unafraid to question the intentions of our leaders. I just hope the media can grow the balls to question our leaders without fear. We bloggers are the new media and we are a powerful force. Our power has just begun! People from all over the world are beginning to see through the bullshit and I am here doing my part – as a very proud American. I am also proud to be a human being from the planet Earth. We are all one people.

We should all be proud of our own heritage, but never forget that we are equals. When I hear someone say America is number 1, it bothers me. It’s like saying all other countries and people are not number 1. No one nation is number 1 – we are all in this life together and should see ourselves as part of a whole, not as separate entities.

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