Thoughts of a Freethinker

JD Vance said it was Iran that beat Republicans. If Trump, however, had never made his tariff mistakes Iran may not have mattered as much. After China responded to Trump's tariffs by stopping grain purchases and price increases, prices went up. Then he bombed Iran and oil price increases were added to the increases from the tariffs. One of the mistakes without the other might have allowed him and Republicans to survive. With both, it was no chance.  The link which highlights the harm to Republicans of Trump's tariffs was on a Christian site. It's as if Christians might be waking up to the incompetence of Trump. Since our system gives the President most of the authority over trade it presented the opportunity Trump values most. That is to dominate each three-day news cycle. By threatening tariffs or saying he might raise tariffs news outlets followed the story. Trump used this news media trick on a new country every week or two. He cycled through China, Mexico, Canada and Eu...

The Governor Elect of Georgia, a Democrat, says God told her to run for Governor. When campaign funds were low, she prayed and things got better. We all know there are plenty of believers and non believers that are Democrats. The same with Republicans. I've come to the view there may be more atheists among Republicans than Democrats. Yet, it is hard for me to embrace a politician who is a Democrat and uses the office to promote the faith. This woman was talking to her own circle of people in a church and not necessarily a national audience. I still wish she would leave the God-talk at home. The world as I want it to be will be on display shortly after I write this. I'm on the Board of a condo building of about 50 units. We have a Board meeting in a few minutes and will argue intensely about some of the business. Other owners will be present to observe and will not be able hold back their comments even though it is not a "town hall" meeting which invites audience parti...

Pundits talk only about affordability and corruption. Voters were asked to rank their concerns and these were at the top. Interviews bring up these issues.  According to exist polls, however, the marque elections, Talarico in Texas and Hamilton in Kansas, people who do not identify with any religion or are atheists and agnostics, voted for the winners by 80%. These voters are a huge number and more focused than "Christian" voters. They might answer polling questions the same way as others but deep inside they strongly dislike politicians who push religious views.  The conventional wisdom, which is discussed in the link, is that "nones" are hard to organize. They tend not to join stuff. I think they can be reached without rallies and organizations. They need to hear the magic words, "Religion and government are separate. I (candidate) will not impose my religion or anyone else's on you or weaponize government to do that. Abortion and gender issues are privat...

A Swedish Catholic, who is a historian, provided an inside peek at how hard it is to remain a believer when what is known about the past and eternity keep changing. He uses the metaphor of standing on ground that once seemed so stable and having it start to shake.  We know a big portion of Christianity starts with believing the Bible was written by God and is the ultimate truth about the past and future, future meaning eternity. Along comes the knowledge parts of the Bible contradict other parts. Ouch, they both can't be "true." Follow that with scholarship that finds there is no surviving writing from the original authors. Not only is there no surviving original written material, but it is also not even known who wrote it. Anonymous writers at an unknow time and place cause the ground to shift. The miracles are not hard to believe when we are children, but as adults we train ourselves to look at things with skepticism. One might ask herself, "Do I really need to bel...

  A New York Times columnist sees Trump the same way I see him. Maybe I see him that way because of my experience as a mayor. Previous mayors in my city, Fargo, ND, were big local celebrities. When I arrived it was not uncommon to have a reporter ask to follow you around on your trip to the grocery store to see what the Mayor put in the cart. I saw this attention as a way to appear bigger than my critics and competitors and encouraged the press attention. When I watch Trump, I see a guy with little interest in governing and completely absorbed in his press coverage. That is why the NY Times columnist thinks Trump is looking forward to Democrats having majorities. He sleeps almost none at all and spends the night writing insults about others and compliments to himself. This favorite way to pass a night of insomnia is more pleasant if he has Democrats to destroy and less pleasant if he has to be nice to Republicans. He has little to no interest in issues but lots of interest is tonig...

Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, is always in search of more donated money. He lives quite well with donations from anti-abortion but he always wants more. His fund raising strategy for years has been from anger the Federal Government does not prohibit the mailing of abortion pills. He was mad about that when Biden was President. Trump has changed nothing. Perkins figures he made money bashing Biden, why not make money bashing Trump? He is doing that . In an interview he said the Republican defeat on Tuesday may be God punishing Republicans for not stopping abortions. Perkins joins Catholics in linking abortion to religion. We all know Christian efforts to control the behavior or beliefs of others is to weaponize religion. Recall the best know group opposing alcohol consumption was the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). Perkins reasons that if that group made money by linking their deal with religion he can too. Perkins claims the increase in abortions has...