"The Bill Hicks Story"

I am in such awe of Bill Hicks that I can't find words....

There's a new movie about him -- it looks like it could be pretty damn good.

Here's a youtube video of Uncle Bill giving some career advice:

"Suck it, Republicans"

I actually know and respect many people who hold very conservative political views. My father, whom I loved and admired a great deal, was a huge fan of Ronald Reagan, although he despised George W. Bush. I also have very little tolerance for well-programmed knee-jerk "progressives" who mindlessly repeat whatever they believe the party line to be, and who are quick to resort to epithets such as "racist" and "fascist" against all arguments that they disagree with, or, more likely, fail to understand.

I am disgusted by all attempts to limit freedom of speech in the name of regulating so-called "hate-speech", and I believe that anyone who doesn't think that the Bill of Rights protects the rights of individual citizens to own guns, well, doesn't understand the Bill of Rights. And I believe that anyone who wants to monkey with the Bill of Rights is a danger to us all.

I could go on and on with other legitimate protestations about my appreciation for nuance and subtlety in political matters, and my own loathing of the poison of lockstep political factionalism. But fuck all that. The Republican Party opposed Social Security. They opposed Civil Rights. And now, as a Party, they are monolithically opposed Health Care Reform. So I have to agree with a friend who said, simply, "Suck it, Republicans." That's right. Suck it.

I mean Jesus fucking Christ. Newt Gingrich actually came right out and compared Health Care Reform to Civil Rights, like that was a bad thing:

Former Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich said Obama and the Democrats will regret their decision to push for comprehensive reform. Calling the bill “the most radical social experiment . . . in modern times,” Gingrich said: “They will have destroyed their party much as Lyndon Johnson shattered the Democratic Party for 40 years” with the enactment of civil rights legislation in the 1960s.
[Dan Balz, Washingont Post, March 21, 2010]

I mean how can a person say such a thing? And Gingrich is no drooling idiot. In fact, among Republicans he is widely considered to be a towering intellect -- a scholar, even. A scholar of history in particular. And yet he can still bring himself to think: boy howdy, the Democrats have sure fucked themselves again, just like they did with the Negro Question.

I mean for fuck's sake, Civil Rights legislation was needed in order for African Americans to be able to vote at all! Before Civil Rights, Blacks who wanted to vote in the South were murdered, and the murderers got away with it. Yeah, OK, maybe the Democrats paid a political price for saying enough of that shit was enough. And maybe as a Party they took a political hit, as Republicans spent the next half a century fine-tuning their appeals to white racists, especially in the South.

Gingrich has since tried to "walk back" his comments, claiming that, oh, yeah, sure, like Civil Rights was the right thing to do and all that. But Gingrich can Suck It, too. He was following a very old script, and one that originated in the Democratic Party, by the way. Before the Civil Rights legislation of the 60's there was Harry Truman's advocacy for civil rights, including the desegregation of the military in 1948. Which led to Strom Thurmond and other "Dixiecrats" bolting from the Democrats and eventually landing in a party where racists were still welcomed: the Republican Party.

The script that Gingrich was following goes like this: these dangerous radical experiments (like desegregtion and health care for all) go too far. They represent an unwarranted and unconstitutional invasion of individual rights and States' Rights. At best they amount to reckless governmental over-reaching, at worst they are the thin end of the of the dreaded Totalitarian Wedge. I can't believe this shit still works, but on some people it apparently still does.

I know that not all opponents of Health Care Reform are raving, racist fools. But a very significant portion of them are. And even those who aren't are simply on the wrong side of history. You pay a political price for that, too.

The Amazing Randi Pulls Yet Another Rabbit Out Of His Hat!!

I'm not going to tell you what it is, but it turns out that, true to form, James Randi has had something rather interesting up his sleeve all along. And, also true to form, he has now dispelled the illusion and revealed the truth that had previously lay hidden. But I'll let him tell you all about it in his own words: How To Say It?

The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming!!!!

American politics now has a brand new shiny Third Rail, people!!!

The Republicans opposed Social Security because it would end civilization as we know it. They claimed that minimum wage laws were tantamount to Communism. They claimed that the Voting Rights Act violated the freaking constitution.

It's happening, it's really happening! Health Care is a Right, Not a Privilege!! Holy shit, what's next? The metric system?!?!?!?

"Since that night, she returned to my memory always haunting me . . . ."

Seriously, you just cannot make this shit up. Submitted for your approval:

I found Taslima Nasrin as one of the most sophisticated ladies as soon as I first met her. She was one of our bank clients in the early 1990s when I was manager of a bank branch. Quite frequently she used to visit our office for her banking transactions. She was an extraordinary lady with grace and dignity. She used to speak in measured words, walk in measured steps and smile in measured air. Tall and fair, she used to wear modest costumes. She had all the femininity a Bangladeshi docile lady is known for. Never ever I found her agitated. She was never found behaving like those ultraliberal and muscular ladies mimicking a man's gaits or wearing a man's dress. Nobody heard her ever utering any vulgar words. She was a perfect lady a gentleman should tip his hat to.

One day Taslima Nasrin presented me a book containing a collection of her poems and I thanked her for the courtesy. But one night lying on my bed as I read a few of her poems I had but to visualize her from a different perspective altogether. Her poems took me into a topsy-turvy world and my impression about her inner being turned just reverse, an impression diametrically different from the image of her that I formed when I first met her. Her poetic works staggered me; I was too stunned even to talk about the contents of her poems. One couldn't help but be taken aback by her unfurling of a human body in such intricacy in her words that anyone while reading her works could vividly trace and feel the contours of each and every body part or limb of a woman, or of a man, or even of a eunuch. I was baffled by her attempts to smash the taboos in our society. Her works, though bereft of literary wealth, one may find appreciable at least for their erotic element.

Since that night, she returned to my memory always haunting me as a queer specter.

Often I have to remember Taslima Nasrin. My remembrance of her is reflexive. My remembrance is not exactly what is like a gentleman remembering a lady who was a great poetess or like a young man recollecting memories about an atractive girlie. Neither was it a literary occasion I atended that evoked my memory associated with her. Rather, I remember her whenever I come across a courageous lady doing something extraordinary that atracts atention of the melee. I also respect her for her relentless fight against discrimination between men and women though I don't quite appreciate her literary voice supporting the weird bedroom grammars she introduced in her poems.
[found here]

The Kids Are Alright (In Which I Praise Extreme Pagan Metal)

"We think Christianity is the worst thing to happen in human history."
Sakis Tolis of Rotting Christ

A very good friend has been sharing his enthusiasm for Extreme Pagan Metal with me for the last few months. From the first I was impressed with many aspects of the "message" of this music, although the music itself is not always to my tastes. I was an early adopter of Metal and hard rock in general, going back to the early days of Black Sabbath and King Crimson. In the 70's I was into Uriah Heap, Led Zepplin, Yes, Genesis, and, of course, Alice Cooper. But I was never much of a fan of the much more self-conscious and, in my opinion at least, contrived Metal scene that followed.

But there really is something wonderful going on in the world of Metal music these days (and it has its roots at least as far back as the early 90's). I have already written some posts referring to the band Behemoth and their lead vocalist (and mastermind) Nergal in particular (here, here and here). Other bands who are similarly impressive in terms of their spiritual and philosophical message include Therion, Rotting Christ, and Dimmu Borgir. Other bands that also look promising but that I don't yet know enough about are Opeth and After the Burial, and I am sure there are many many more.

First of all these bands are matter-of-fact and completely unapologetic in their rejection of Christianity. But that is only the beginning. As a general rule these bands have gone through something like a "Satanic" phase. In my opinion the influence of Christianity in western culture is so culturally pervasive and psychically invasive that a clean break from the religion of the creed making fisherman is an essential prerequisite in order to, as Bob Marley wrote, "emancipate yourself from mental slavery." This is what the modern Buddhist writer and teacher Sangharakshita has dubbed "therapeutic blasphemy."

But, as I said, reactive "Satanism" is just the beginning. Therion and Behemoth, in particular, have gone far beyond mere lashing out and acting out against Christianity. They have enthusiastically embraced a variety of ideas and images from the modern Occult, ancient Heathenism and Eastern religions. One of the things that is so heartening about the best of Extreme Pagan Metal is that their luxuriant eclecticism has nothing "fluffy bunny" about it!

The lyrics (and CD cover art) of Therion and Behemoth are filled with references to Classical Greek and Roman Paganism as well as the even more ancient Paganisms of Egypt and Sumer (etc.) -- and also to Hinduism, the Norse Gods, Thelema, Runes, Qabalah, Nietzsche, H.P. Lovecraft, u.s.w. But these references are not thrown around randomly by people who don't know what they are talking about. Adam Darski (Nergal of Behemoth) is a serious scholar of history and classicism while members of Therion participate in the Esoteric order, Dragon Rouge, whose founder Thomas Karlsson writes most of Therion's lyrics.

The great thing about all this is that Extreme Pagan Metal now serves as a potential gateway drug for millions of young people. And it is a true spiritual gateway because at least some of the people behind the music have a deep appreciation for and understanding of Paganism both as an ancient way of life and as a living modern spiritual path.

To illustrate, here is an excerpt from an interview with Thomas Karlsson, lyricist for Therion and founder of Dragon Rouge, when asked about Friedrich Nietzsche:

I’m not a nietzschean although I’m inspired by many parts of Nietzsche's philosophy. I especially like his bombastic writing style in works as Also Sprach Zarathustra. A lot of people misunderstand his intensions (maybe I also do) but I think he made a brave stylistic revolution against the ordinary academic style of the modern age, which is as dry as dust. His language is rich as the prophecies of ancient days. Despite the romantic language in Zarathustra his philosophy is perspicacious and free from all illusions. Parts of Nietzsche's philosophy play a role in both my private life and in Dragon Rouge. Necessary to say is that I do not think much of übermench-wannabes. Nietzsche is often misused. Nietzsche himself should have taken a futher step in his philosophy and become an esoteric adept, but he did not and thats why his philosophy is insufficient although it is brilliant in so many ways.

It is natural for precocious adolescents to find their way to the writings of Nietzsche, and may it always be so! Just as it is natural for teenagers to gravitate toward Metal music or any other artform that holds out the irresistible promise of rebellion and freedom. But then what? That is the question. The best of Extreme Pagan Metal now offers to lead young people to take the next step. This is good news.

Nergal destroying a Bible:



And below is an interview with Nergal from Polish TV, but with English subtitles: "What we do: we don't give any answers . . . . Imagine two rooms, but circumstances which we live in only allow you to open one of them. We want to be the key that tells you: 'Hey, enter the second room -- maybe there is something cool.'"

Christian By Default

"White is the default skin color, Christianity is the default religion, male is the default sex, brown is the default eye color, English is the default language.

"I am the Default American."

Etienne Colbert, June 17, 2010

Is the American Right Falling Out Of Love With Geert Wilders?

The high water mark of Geert Wilders' acceptance by the American Right may have come with a blog post by Adam Brickley (who while still a college sophomore was probably more responsible than any other human being for Sarah Palin's selection as John McCain's would-be VP) in the February 24, 2010 issue of the Weekly Standard (edited by William Kristol and Fred Barnes): Geert Wilders Gets His Chance.

Brickley's blog post came just ahead of Wilders' impressive showing in the local elections that took place on March 3rd in the Netherlands. Those local elections, in which Wilders' Party For Freedom made significant gains, could well be a harbinger of what is to come in June, when national elections could result in Wilders becoming the next Dutch Prime Minister.

It is significant that Brickley was eager to label Geert Wilders as "far right", but could only do so while simultaneously explaining that, well, in fact, he is not "far right":

But Wilders is totally unlike 'far-right' leaders in the rest of Europe. He is a harsh critic of racism and anti-Semitism, and he is no friend of "far-right neo-fascist" leaders such as the French National Front's Jean-Marie Le Pen or the British National Party's Nick Griffin. In fact, while those leaders are broadly anti-Semitic and isolationist, Wilders was actually shaped by years spent in Israel as a young man. Hence, he is one of the Jewish state's strongest European defenders, an advocate of the war on terror, and a firm critic of Jihad--stances which have won him fans among national security hawks in the U.S. Furthermore, his economic agenda is radically libertarian compared to most Europeans and could be a vanguard for European reform.

That was then. Once the local election results of March 3rd confirmed that Wilders' and the PVV really are on the roll that everyone already suspected they are on, people had to stop treating the man who might soon be the head of state of a major European power as merely an oddity. In fact, Brickley had opened his post with the declaration that "Geert Wilders of the Netherlands is one of the oddest men on the world stage." That was then.

By the second week of March the time had come and gone to simply marvel at Wilders' sudden popularity, his audacity, his hair, etc. And so quite suddenly Glenn Beck, Charles Krauthammer and William Kristol (the last being Brickley's editor at the Weekly Standard) all simultaneously denounced Wilders. Beck called him a "fascist." Krauthammer called him "extreme, radical and wrong." Kristol characterized Wilders' critique of Islam as "Orwellian" and called him a "demagogue." Added to this sudden deluge of scorn was a Fox News "Special Report" by Senior White House Correspondent Bret Baier, which was vaguely negative and mostly substance free.

For a while some of Wilders' fans in the right-wing blogosphere expressed outrage and indignation with Fox News, and there was some speculation about the very likely influence of Saudi Prince whathisname, who does happen to be the largest voting shareholder in NewsCorp whose last name isn't Murdoch, and who did just meet with Uncle Rupert in NYC in late February.

But for most of the last week there has been silence. No more voices have been raised against Wilders, nor has any major right-wing spokesmodel come to his defense. Obviously Wilders cannot be ignored. But don't be surprised if from now on the "mainstream" right in the US seeks to marginalize Wilders and tries to contain and rollback any influence his ideas have managed to gain among American "conservatives."

Early March, 2010 Blasphemy World Roundup!!

In Like a Blasphemous Lion???

March 1st
Two people die during riots by Muslims in Shimoga and other towns in the Indian state of Karnataka, after an unauthorized and innacurate translation of an article by Bangladeshi feminist Taslima Nasreen was published. The original article was a critique of the burqa and other forms of "Islamic dress" for women that Taslima criticizes as inherently oppressive and sexist.

March 3rd
Geert Wilders and his Party For Freedom make significant electoral gains in local Dutch elections despite (or possibly because of) Wilders' ongoing trial for "insulting" Islam, which for some reason is considered a crime in the Netherlands.

March 5th
Wilders shows his film Fitna in London, despite previously being banned from entering the UK due to his criticism of Islam.

March 8th
Adam Darski, more widely known by his stage name "Nergal", formally charged in Poland for violation of article 196 of the Polish Criminal Code, which makes it a crime to "insult religious feelings".

March 12th
Pagans, Atheists, Liberals, Libertarians, Scientists, Historians, Secularists, Virginians, UU's, etc, respond apoplectically to the Texas Board of Education's decision to drop Thomas Jefferson from the history curriculum and replace him with Thomas Aquinas and John Calvin.

March 13th
Taslima Nasreen addresses the Global Atheism Conference in Sidney, Australia on the topic of "My Struggle for Secularism, Human Rights, Freedom of Expression and For Women's Freedom."

March 14th
The Justice Minister of the Irish Republic announces that a referendum will be held on whether or not to overturn Ireland's newly enacted law making blasphemy a crime punishable by a fine of up to $37,400.