Everybody Poops

I do not know what to make of this, but it is too strange not to share.

Claudius, the God

I did not remember that Captain Picard was in I, Claudius. I have been writing this week about excerpts from Robert Graves’ historical novels which were the basis for the PBS series I, Claudius. Note that these quotes are from the books, not the series, and not the historical figures. I have been reading Mark Krikorian at National Review and he must be reading the books. Here is one quote he shared:

“Caesar, my advice is, be rough with them! Stamp on the worms and watch them wriggle.”

I said, stiffly, “My friend King Herod, you seem to forget that I am Roman and that the powers even of an Emperor depend constitutionally on the will of the Senate. If the Senate sends me a message which I am able to answer politely and submissively, I shall not fail to do so.”

“Have it your own way,” Herod answered with a shrug, “but they won’t treat you any better for it. Constitutionally, eh? I must bow of course to your superior authority as an antiquarian, but has the word ‘constitution’ any practical meaning today?” 

It seems that, to a degree, Obama is following the advice of Herod—his executive order creating amnesty illegal immigrants, for example. (Note that I am not saying that a program like his is not inevitable, or even desirable, I am saying it is illegal.) I doubt that the founding fathers had executive kill lists in mind either. I am sure I could do a credible rant on all the illegal acts of Obama. And yes, most of them were just continuations of previous presidential policies. 

But the question I have for today is, “Have we reached a tipping point?” Or to paraphrase Claire Wolfe, “Is it time to shoot the bastards?” Here is how she described our modern situation: 

America is at that awkward stage. It’s too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards.

Wolfe may be right, it may be too late to work within the system—all that will accomplish is to corrupt the participant. I am not convinced that a proper Christian response to tyranny is revolution. If I have been alive in the Revolutionary period, I might have been a Tory. I think that everyone would agree that such a time could come, and the risk is real that we might end up lining up for the trains to take us to the concentration camps like the Jews in Poland, for the most part, did. 

I think we are a lot closer to such a tippling point than is commonly understood. I am referring to both the tipping point for tyranny and the tipping point for revolution. 

I watched Alex Jones on Max Keiser this week. 

I think Jones is a kook who only cares about Alex Jones. His performance on constitution-hating Piers Morgan’s show on CNN was a disgrace. He set back second amendment rights, but promoted Alex Jones. I could not stomach the whole Max Keiser program, but Jones said little in the part I watched that I did not agree with. If Alex Jones sounds reasonable to me, that might mean my own personal tipping point is near. 

The government is not God, even though it thinks it is. Claudius knew he wasn’t God, but everyone treated him as one, as the human personification of the genius of the state. I think modern Christians have a real problem with idolatry and the state. At least Obama is showing many of them the futility of that, unlike Bush who, because he was of the right party and made noises about abortion… was without sin. 

What will you do when your own personal tipping point is reached? Has Voldemort already taken over the Ministry of Magic? 

(I do not really approve of either Jones or Keiser, but if you want to watch it, click here.)

Interest Rate Explosion

This looks like fun, but it won't be. I have been warning for some time that the US was facing a crisis because of debt service. The "buzz" on this is starting to reach the mainstream. I read an article on interest paid by the US government on Investor's Business Daily recommended by a Texas congressman. Right now the percentage of the budget spent on interest is under the danger point—18 %. The non-partisan (as you are always supposed to say) Congressional Budget Office, has estimated that it will be 20% in 2020. This assumes the US will have revenue growth due to economic growth, and that interest rates will remain low for the foreseeable future.

I have already predicted low interest rates and modest growth for a few years, a little breathing space. This is why I am guardedly pessimistic. We still have time to get our house in order. But based on the latest rhetoric from Obama this is almost a forlorn hope. The unwillingness of Republicans to cut their own sacred cows is part of the problem as well. 

Interest rates are not just low; interest rates are not just as low as they have been in recent memory; interest rates are as low as they have ever been in recorded history. Look at this list of interest rates to see what I mean. 

I am not out on a limb when I say that these rates cannot last. They were over ten times higher in the 80's. That would mean that interest rates would consume 200% of the budget in a few years if rates get that high. 

Let’s say interest rates are double the projections, not at all out of the question. This would mean that interest on the US debt would consume 40% of the budget in 2020. Based on the fact the budget borrows 40% of every dollar it spends, this would mean that paying interest on the debt would consume 2/3 of all tax revenues. 

Do I have to point out that this cannot happen? 

So look for more of the same from the educated idiots in power. Things will continue on as they are. It will look fine on the surface, until the dry rot causes the structure to collapse. I do not expect the whole building to fall over, but the US will have to live with a rotten floor for some time. But the floor can be repaired. 

Are you ready for the great stagflation of the next decade? If not, get ready. You have some time as the sucker's rally takes place over the next few years. 

The BBC Exposed

Since this is across the pond, this scandal may not have reached your personal radar. While I am not a conspiracy theorist, it is easily supported that there are various groups of pedophiles that help each other—even in church hierarchies like the Catholic Church and the Jehovah Witnesses.

The power of group identity is strong; the desire to protect the group leads otherwise moral people to do evil. That "group" might be your nation, your church, or even your employer.

Media is one way this is done, and the sex scandal is used as a template by this podcaster to talk about propaganda. I do not agree with every point made here, but the general thrust of the video is correct.

Opinion Polls and Manipulation

The average voter is pretty easy to manipulate. All major news outlets are masters at it. One reason Obama won was that he and his team was better at it than Romney and his team. 

I remember a public opinion poll I read years ago. They asked two questions that you would think would have the same answer. The first question was, "Is Abortion murder?" The second question was, "Should a woman have the right to have an abortion?" In this survey both answers got a high percentage of the "vote." In fact 17% of those surveyed thought that abortion was murder and should be allowed. Note that they were not asked that question, it is the result of comparing the two answers and subtracting. 

While this is somewhat incoherent, I find myself in that percentage. The reason is the fictional quote I blogged about yesterday. Livia, the wife of Roman Emperor Augustus and mother and grandmother of emperors: 

And it’s no use arguing with you republicans. You refuse to see that one can no more reintroduce republican government at this stage than one can reimpose primitive feelings of chastity on modern wives and husbands. It’s like trying to turn the shadow back on the sundial: it can’t be done.

Instead of preaching that abortion foes get together and vote, instead I suggest that the preachers try to actually convince the hearts and minds of the people. This is a lot harder. It would require a whole generation of preachers to approach the subject differently. I have blogged about this before. 

But while I do not plan to hold my breath as I wait for preachers to abandon salvation by politics for salvation by Jesus, if I did I would die, I hope to do my part by continuing to talk about how "the powers that be" work. 

One way they control the people is through fake opinion polls. How this works is described, far better than I could do, in the British Sitcom, Yes, Minister.