I’m sorry, but after seeing shit like this, I can’t support Israel at all. I apologize for invoking Godwin’s law, but they’re acting as evil as the Nazis did, getting back for the Holocaust the way black Americans are trying to get back for slavery. I support one country called Palestine, where Hebrews, Arabs, Jews, Christians, and Muslims all coexist, not in apartheid (and Palestine’s flag doesn’t even have a crescent moon on it the way Israel’s has the Star of David, which to me is today to the Palestinians what the swastika is to the Jews and the Southern Cross is to black Americans). America needs to stay the hell out of international affairs, pissing away trillions on international conflicts that have nothing to do with us, and focus on its issues. Putting the interests of foreigners above residents of your country is called treason, similar to Abraham Lincoln’s illegal invasion of the Confederacy. I’m no isolationist, but I believe that containment while working for peace is the best policy towards warring nations.
Though I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it took years to become an option in mainstream dentist offices (especially in the US), since, you know, politics pretty much prevents any kind of human advancement like this from becoming widespread in the first place.
I read about the former Connecticut U.S. Senator’s death in the Retro Swap gaming newsletter, given his role in creating the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). I didn’t agree with him on everything, though given things like what occurred in the 2006 midterm elections, I find his experience then relatable today, even more so in recent times. It seems that every American politician has “controversies,” “scandals,” or “skeletons in their closet” (but 99.99% of the time, such charges are from their political enemies within the government and media), and while I know he had his, I’m no different, and in most respects, he has a place in my heart. In pace requiescat.
Probably an overwhelming majority of American politicians, since most of them seem so sure of themselves, for better or worse (mostly the latter), whereas those in my country who are genuinely wise tend to harbor doubts.
March is Women’s History Month; today is International Women’s Day. Sorry, but the very idea of those things is sexist. Men don’t have their history month, and whites don’t have theirs like blacks, which is racist as well. Being of an “ostracized” group does not make one untouchable (as I’ll freely admit as an autistic), which is still a problem in America and the rest of the world, which falls in line with Paulo Freire’s warning that “oppressed” groups risk becoming oppressors themselves, as has often been the case throughout history (like various communist dictatorships, even Nazi Germany since the Nazis themselves were an oppressed political faction during the 1920s). I support the equality of everyone, not the favoritism or supremacism of specific groups, and from what I’ve seen, said groups are often full of hateful bigots themselves. If you educate a man, you educate an individual; if you do so with a woman, you’re just educating another person, nothing more.
Written by Union Civil War General Lewis “Lew” Wallace, the first fictional work of literature blessed by a Roman Catholic Pope (Leo XIII), and the inspiration for numerous live-action and animated film adaptations, Ben-Hur opens with the Three Magi: Gaspar the Greek, Melchior the Hindu, and Balthasar the Egyptian, visiting the newborn Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. Twenty-one years later, the Roman Messala and the titular Jewish protagonist, Judah Ben-Hur, have a rivalry, with the latter being sent to galley slavery for life after a tile from a home whence he witnesses a procession nearly kills the new procurator of Judea, Valerius Gratus.
A few years later, Ben-Hur labors as a galley slave aboard a ship commanded by Quintus Arrius, who is fascinated by the young Jew and thus adopts him as his son. In Antioch, Judah sees Messala again and yearns to rival him in a forthcoming chariot race while hearing of a Messiah speaking of a greater kingdom, not of the Earth. The race transpires, but the results are contested, with northern barbarians dispatched to kill the Jew when he finds himself in an empty palace following the games. However, a maneuver involving his falsified demise allows him to escape.
Afterward, Pontius Pilate succeeds Valerius Gratus as governor of Judea, and Ben-Hur seeks his mother and sister, who went missing after the incident that led him into slavery in the first place. He eventually meets the prophesized King of the Jews, witnessing His miracles and returning to his former palace. Throughout the book, Judah befriends Balthasar’s daughter Iras, who talks of an escaped galley slave Jew who murdered others when they reunite. Messala’s fate receives its resolution, Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus, and the Messiah is crucified, having refused the throne of His ancestor David.
While I had read this around a decade ago, it didn’t very well stick with me, but I remembered some elements. However, I enjoyed Ben-Hur more with my recent reread. The historical and geographical tidbits indicate that Wallace did his research, with the names of the Wise Men and their respective countries of origin adding nice touches. I could well relate to the themes, within and without my Christian faith, and while there were many portions I somewhat skimmed, I could still follow the central plot well. Granted, much of the dialogue is awkward, such as “Unclean, unclean!” regarding lepers, but Ben-Hur is a must-read for any Christian book enthusiast.
Where I currently stand ideologically according to The Political Compass. It remains largely unchanged since I took the test last.
Today’s Super Tuesday in the United States, when voters across the country in tons of states decide whom to nominate as presidential candidates in America’s duopolistic political parties, which their respective conventions follow a few months later. I’m happy to say I didn’t participate in any fashion since I feel both parties have highly misplaced priorities and that the extremists on either end of the ideological spectrum get the loudest voices. I’ll acknowledge that I was far-right when I reached voting age. However, since 2020, I succumbed to ideological “woke” since I feel most politicians, especially the extreme Left and Right, are among the biggest perpetrators of injustice in the world.
I think political primaries should end, but not parties, since there would consequentially be a greater focus on the candidates themselves. Personality cults, which even early communists like Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and Vladimir Lenin opposed, are a widespread problem in democratic nations. I believe a better system would be for candidates in each party to present their stances on various issues to their respective registered members (no debates necessary since there’s pretty much no way they’ll be changing their positions) so they can research them and decide for themselves how fit they would be for nomination.
A single day of voting for candidate selection for whatever office they’re running for, whether on the internet or through the mail, with early voting potential, would be sufficient, preferably by ranked voting where registered party members pick a first choice, a second choice, a third choice, and so on, with an instant-runoff system deciding who wins the nomination. With candidates confirmed, advertising can begin, but there should be restrictions like no independent news channels or newspapers (except those with explicit political affiliations) or candidates exchanging money for ads and whatnot. Television channels that don’t involve news would be fine since their executives have free thought.
America also needs much stricter campaign finance laws, which have countless holes. Labor union and corporate donations need to be banned, along with donations to legislators while their respective bodies are in session. An ideal system would be where voters and voters alone could donate only to and influence the elections of candidates for whom they are legally able to vote, rather than anyone across the country, which I think would significantly localize elections and reduce the influence of special interest groups. Wealthy candidates should not be able to use their fortunes in their campaigns.
There should be no unsolicited advertising via snail mail, email, or texts, or even franking privileges from current elected officials. Candidates can take their campaigns cross-country, in their respective states or districts, and whatnot, but only present their views on current issues and let prospective voters research their voting records, if legislators, on their own. Full disclosure about from whom the candidates are receiving their donations. Candidates who have issues with one another should discuss their problems personally rather than engaging in cancel culture. I don’t think there’s any need for televised debates or public shaming.
The television advertisements where I live began sometime last month and have already hinted at the sordid tone of the forthcoming election season. Border security seems to be a top issue according to most ads I’ve seen from local politicians (including my U.S. Representative who shares his name with an Edgar Rice Burroughs character; if you guess “Tarzan,” you get a dope slap), despite how their respective districts are hundreds of miles from the Mexican border, which demonstrates misplaced priorities. I favor border security but believe that the problem needs resolution at its core rather than just superficially.
Which issues are important to me? Education, for one, since as an autistic, public school was hell for me, given all the harassment that I was the target of, and I strongly favor educational alternatives, within and without public schooling. College was better for me, but despite getting several certifications and degrees, some with the highest honors, the job offers didn’t roll in for me. I didn’t get my very first paid job a year after I graduated and was always stuck with low-paying jobs way below my skill level. Americans, especially those with college degrees, should be able to find work in their fields easily, regardless of where they live.
The economy, also. I think that America’s economic system, in its current state, is incredibly lopsided. Where I live, you can’t make a decent living unless you’re in the military, an educator, a doctor, a lawyer, or a business owner. Even in my previous full-time job, I didn’t make nearly enough to move out and still be able to support myself, and I made well above minimum wage. On that note, I think a minimum wage at the federal or state level is pointless since small businesses largely can’t afford to keep up with increases and need to lay off workers; moreover, the cost of living isn’t uniform around the country. Even with large corporations whose executives could easily cover increases, they won’t sacrifice their lavish lifestyles, lay off low-income employees, and continue to live lavishly. It’s a lose-lose situation for everyone.
The same goes with taxes, regardless of whomever politicians attempt to tax. Taxation is necessary for governments to collect revenue, but America’s tax structure is lopsided. Poor workers, of course, should be left alone in this regard. However, taxation proportion should remain progressive with higher income. Middle-class income earners, after taxes, should still be able to support themselves and their families. The wealthiest should still have to pay the bulk of government taxes. Sales taxes at the state and federal levels are acceptable as well. However, before elected officials consider increasing or lowering taxes, they should close all loopholes in the country’s tax laws.
Ideally, I would rather pay taxes, whether on purchases or my income, and need to do nothing more, with no need to go through the whole business of meticulously filling out tax forms every year, potential audits, harassment by IRS officials, and the like. Responsible, law-abiding citizens should never have to pay compulsory higher taxes, which I think should be levied on individuals like parents and guardians whose children repeatedly flunk public education, illegal immigrants (also the sanctuary cities that harbor them), most kinds of nonviolent repeat criminals, and so forth.
Another point of increasing taxes on certain income groups like the wealthy is that they still won’t give up their lavish lifestyles and instead lay off low-income employees in their corporations while living normally, so again, this is a lose-lose situation. Maybe a maximum wage on corporate executives so that they can’t make hundreds of times more than their lowest-income employees, which I theoretically believe would free more money for them to invest into their employees, companies, research, and so forth. If I were ever financially independent, I would be perfectly content with a hundred thousand dollars a year, provided it exceeded the cost of living wherever I live. I would also be generous with my money and gladly tithe my church regularly.
I also believe that those who can’t afford it should receive significant financial assistance with getting critical healthcare (but the wealthy should have to pay for their own, of course). There are many alternatives to the government taking over the system entirely, like working with private insurers and implementing commonsense policies like breaking down all communication barriers among doctors of various fields and expediting communication itself, which has personally affected me and my family. More doctors and medical personnel are needed to avoid pitfalls like long waiting times, an issue in countries with universal healthcare and the United States.
The military and war, too. I’m not a diehard patriot, but I believe America needs to get all its affairs in order before even remotely thinking about getting involved in those of other countries; we can still trade food, medicine, technology, and other resources. We shouldn’t be involved in overseas conflicts that have nothing to do with us and have historically hemorrhaged endless resources and human lives on unnecessary imperialistic campaigns. Ceasefires need to occur between Israel and Gaza as well as Russia and Ukraine, and military reduction treaties need to happen worldwide. America needs to stop taking sides in foreign affairs and renounce its United Nations veto right. The world also needs to stop dividing itself into “West” and “East,” “free” and “unfree,” and so forth since many cultures across the world have different conceptions of these things. I believe containment is the best policy to prevent the spread of war by stationing soldiers along the borders, nautical or terrestrial, of warring nations.
That’s all for now. More may come eventually, maybe around U.S. Independence Day.
Probably my multitude of negative experiences on the internet, where I’ve discovered people tend to show their darkest sides, the time I’ve spent in paid employment, which really illuminated me to the lopsided nature of the United States economy, and my growing up with my biological family, which made me realize blood relatives aren’t always all that great.
Today was Yukon Heritage Day in Canada, so I decided to use Bing Image Creator to generate Dall sheep, one of the mammals that inhabit the Canadian Territory, serving the RCMP:
Since today was the Emperor of Japan’s birthday as well, I decided to depict him in tanuki form:
St. Gallen's Scribblings 