Revellian

Thoughts and Fiction of Bobby Revell

Posts Tagged war

All Races & Religions – All Welcome Here

Jan 15

Posted by Bobby Revell in critical thinking, racism

So we’re born as pure innocent children–blank slates with eager minds and sparkling eyes, filled with wonder and astonishment (if we’re lucky). Then we go to school and make friends. We don’t care what race, religion or whatever our friends are; too young to know anything, but smarter than any adult where it counts most.

We get a little older and the separation begins–the division, partition, divergence forked into endless segregative paths. The black kids hand separate from the white kids; geeks divorced from jocks and so forth. A little older and we are driven further apart by religion, more distance by race, body size (fat, skinny, ugly, weird, hot, fine, etc.) and then . . . we grow up. We learn to drive a thousand more asphyxiating wedges between us based on class, sexual preference, who your family is, how much money you have–by the time we’re into our early twenties we become “mature” separatists conforming our lives to every ridiculous form of separatist identification possible.
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How Society Rewards Liars

May 3

Posted by Bobby Revell in critical thinking, issue awareness, politics, 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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Fox News is Un-American

Apr 10

Posted by Bobby Revell in politics, 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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Iraq Blogswarm

Mar 19

Posted by Bobby Revell in politics

Today is a day I’ve been waiting for. It’s March 19 Iraq Blogswarm – all about why we shouldn’t be in this war. This is a chance for those who are against it to speak up and for our opposition to tell us we don’t understand the world. I will keep this article short and simple.

BlogSwarm

I’ll be the first to admit that Saddam Hussein was an evil man. I don’t like the horrible things he did. Perhaps the world is better without him. One thing I cannot stand is when someone in favor of war tells me that I don’t live in reality or understand danger, killing or the world. I also cannot stand those who say, “Yes, they found no weapons of mass destruction, but overall it is a good thing. It’s for the greater good.”

I’ve been told on numerous occasions by many people that I hammer the American government when I should be bashing Islamic fundamentalists and terrorists. I’m hammering all of them. Yes, there are terrorists. And then you have the corrupted American government. Put the two together and you have the petri dish to cultivate war.

I’m not partial to saying our government is the only corrupted one – most all governments are. They should have waited until they actually found the weapons before attacking. Is that too much to ask for? What if I preemptively killed my neighbors because I knew they were planning on killing me; however, I had no actual proof. I would be imprisoned and dealt the death penalty.

I am not allowed to take the law into my own hands. That’s the government’s job. They control everything. They answer to no one and make monumental decisions behind closed doors. The aren’t just above the law, they are the law. That’s what America is. America is not nor has ever been a democracy, it is a republic; completely based on a representative form of government.

I talked to several American soldiers I know and asked them to let me interview them for this blog. They of course declined in fear of repercussions. When I asked why they thought we were in Iraq, three said,”Because Osama blew up them buildings, that’s what really started it.” (their answers made no sense whatsoever).

There is no proof for any reasons. The conspiracy theorists are laughed at and the people who believe the news are simply believing nothing but public opinion and speculation. Public opinion governs the entire world and that is sad. Let’s use public opinion in better ways and not just be a bunch of noise.

My parents raised me to talk things through. They taught me the difference between good and bad. They taught me that violence is horrific and that killing people is wrong. These are basic morals most of us live with. Governments live by a different set of morals. They are supposed to make the hard decisions that shape and mold society. They have no easy task.

This such a more complex subject than just right and wrong. When dealing with evil and total destruction, things become opinionated and require covert operations. The truth is, none of us know what is really going on. Certainly, a military cannot reveal everything in the public arena – that would cause incredible problems.

I do believe the inflexible position of, “You cannot negotiate with terrorists” is not working. This is the thinking of stagnant minds. There are better ways to move forward. It is my hope that we as bloggers, can help bring intelligence and fresh ideas to the world. We are doing it everyday – that is exciting to me. We are growing in colossal ways and cannot be stopped. The power of blogging has just begun. I am proud to be one of them.

Yes, war is horrible and humankind should be above it. We can only work towards a better world – all of us. This Iraq Blogswarm is about awareness, keeping the issue alive and never letting us forget why humanity can do better – much better.

Peace and love to the world

Bobby Revell

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