Sen. Elizabeth Warren says banking should be boring!
By Thom Hartmann A...
Senator Elizabeth Warren wants to make banking boring again. Yesterday, the freshman senator introduced the 21st Century Glass Steagall Act, which would break up the big banks, and rebuild the wall between traditional banking and Wall Street gambling. In a statement, Senator Warren said, “Despite the progress we've made since 2008, the biggest banks continue to threaten the economy.”
Senators John McCain and Maria Cantwell, the pair who attempted a similar bill back in 2009, joined Senator Warren as she introduced her new legislation. Of course, taking on the “too-big-to-fail” banks won't be an easy challenge. Previous attempts to reign in bank size and power were met with huge resistance from the banksters, who railed against proposals to break up the banks.
Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America, said the so-called “universal banking system” is the “most important” model there is. He argued that banks “can't be competitive if [they] can't provide all those services to [their] customers.” And, JPMorgan's CEO Jamie Dimon has even tried to make the case that “too-big-to-fail” banks are a good thing. Last year, he told the New Yorker magazine, “There are huge benefits to size” and “that's what capitalism is.” But, Senator Elizabeth Warren isn't buying any of their talking points.
Since the day she was elected, Senator Warren has worked hard to hold banksters accountable for wrecking our economy, and proposed rules to prevent it from happening again. When she introduced the 21st Century Glass Steagall Act yesterday, she said, “The four biggest banks are now 30% larger than they were just five years ago, and they have continued to engage in dangerous, high-risk practices that could once again put our economy at risk.” We know the banksters won't give up their power easily, but Senator Elizabeth Warren isn't backing down without a fight.
Comments
#2
How many times do you have to have Bernie Sanders say it? We need a PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT . We need a congress that is not dependent on donations from corportions! We need a people committed to a philosophy of inclusion and respect for the earth and mankind. THAT IS THE GREEN PARTY. It was made by US citizens who said this crap is unwinable we need to go at it another way. WITHOUT CORPORATE MONEY! Your party is dying BECAUSE OF YOU WE NEED YOU TO HOLD US UP. IF you go without corporate money GUESS WHAT??!!!! you need PEOPLE POWER!!! DON'T BE AFRAID. IT'S like getting arrested. It only works if we all do it. HURRY The corporations OWN EVERYTHING!!!!! http://gp.org
#3
dear thom: for more legal analysis (currently on Trayvon/Zimmerman)get a podcast from Norman Goldman he comes on after your show and he already explained affirmative defense to us in fact I'd love you to go on his show and discuss your judicial monarchy feelings while he agrees with your sentiment he disagrees with your Marbury root of the problem many of your listeners have tries to wxplain it to him but we haven't done you justice enail him at Norm@normangoldman.com he answers all email
#4
You go, girl!
#5
Can we keep the topic to Elizabeth Warren, please? She's good enough that she should get ALL the kudos here. What's with the advertising and these other suggestions?
#6
If something,anything is ""too big to fail"" commen sense says ""its wrong"" and needs to be changed or it has an unnatural effect of the economy for its own interest ""without consequences"".
absolute power corrupts absolutly.
Senator Warren and any other elected public servant like her gets my vote,
The rest of the bums need a different job, so they can milk someone else.
#7
...Just how much of yours and my money did Mr. Kellehar of BetterMarkets.com say we "lent' the banks to bail them out? To help make 'em get bigger and richer? Hmm? Cheating however abounds everywhere like a cancerous plague! From the raping rental owner cheating on Schedula E, the sole proprietor cheating on the C, to good ol gramas across the land padding $ donations on Schedule A! If thats not bad enough? As a working class stiff paying for it all i think what really chaps my ass as much as the great heist is the welfare system! Yup! True dat, as the pudgy kid, one of four hollars across my fav 7-11, filling his giant slurpee, lays potatoe chips squeezed in hand, to his equally if not pudgier mom and asks, "HEY MOM CAN WE PAY FOR THIS WITH E.B.T.?" And we wonder why kids are so pudgy this day and age? i almost wanted to scream at the lady, "YOU SHOULD THANK EVRYONE OF US CASH PAYING HARD WORKIN S.O.B.s IN HERE FOR HELPING YOU SCAM THE SYSTEM!" Worst though? The cat the other day who got mad because his E.B.T. card was out of CASH!!! Hu, wha? They get cash too? So he gets pissed at the attendent and has to go out to his infiniti and bum some money off the girl he's riding with. Three days straight i've studied my fav 7-11. People buying garbage on "yours and my" dime! MEanwhile? The pigs of government stick another shaft to the working stiff, jacked up student loan rates, more tuition hikes and have yet to offer folks like maybe you and i one effin iotta of a break!!! you don't actually think all these kids in college pay thier own way do you? FYI? I'm sure now a days moms and pops like me help 'em, borrowing from retirement accounts or just plain old drawing from them and taking the tax shaft. What should i do? Pay the tax on an education distribution and take a shaft? Or take out student loans and take a shaft. We are so screwed! you and me, you know that ilk of folks payinig for it all. yes admittedly i am now just another pissed off angry, quickly becoming uncompassionate american. That my friend was never really my TAO!! by the way? the pudge clan? rolled out of 7-11, slurpees, chips, cookies and as usual climbed into a car a lot nicer then mine??
#8
With the house that we have getting anything remotely such as this passed into law is almost nil. However, I believe that Elizabeth Warren is correct and this is exactly what should be done. This was the beginning of all of our problems. Banks should be banks and that is ALL. I worked in the banking industry for 10 years and when I first started it was a community bank which I loved. With each change and merger leading to interstate banking it became bigger and totally impersonal. No longer did I like coming to work and I left to go to work elsewhere. Banking has been on a downhill slide since then. Nothing but a huge money grubbing corporation where people do not matter anymore and it is all about the bottom line and nothing else.
I left the banks and now do all of my business with a federal credit union.
#9
Quote Suze O:Can we keep the topic to Elizabeth Warren, please? She's good enough that she should get ALL the kudos here. What's with the advertising and these other suggestions?
Suze O ~ I'm sorry, no I can't. Not that Elizabeth Warren doesn't rock; but, "I just can't help myself!"
You see, I've been trying to get Palindromedary's response to this post all week and I must repost it again hoping he will see it sometime this weekend. Besides, it really is an important topic to the good fight and to all these blogs. By the way, I caught your post yesterday on the anti-Abortion movement and I must say it was well said and spot on. Very refreshing! Thank you!!
Quote Palindromedary:"Synagogue of Satan"? How about "Church of Satan" or "Mosque of Satan" or "Temple of Satan"? Or how about the "Bank of Satan"?
Palindromedary ~ Good point and an excellent question! Let me first assure everyone that I am not making an anti-Semitic remark. I have nothing but respect for the Jewish people. The term "Synagogue of Satan" is from the Judeo Christian Bible's Book of Revelations and is a direct quote from Jesus Christ himself addressing the modern day nation of Israel from antiquity.
Quote The Bible, Book of Revelations:Revelation 2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Palindromedary ~ You are absolutely right in asking why not "Church of Satan" or "Mosque of Satan" or "Temple of Satan" or "Bank of Satan." All of these apply. To break down "Satan" worship so that anyone can understand, let "Satan" simply refer to a philosophy of placing self-importance above anything. When such an Ayn Rand type philosophy takes on a popular religious title, or any title of righteousness, and places love of money and self indulgence above love of God and serving humanity that philosophy becomes the epitome of hypocrisy. This holier than thou entity is an impostor of a true religious philosophy and embodies the ideals of the entity traditional religious doctrine associate with the evil character, Satan. The Ayn Rand philosophy is a candy coated name given to the philosophy of Satan. To simplify this association without offending any one group of innocent good people, I suggest that we refer to this phenomenon of group philosophy loosely as "CLUB SATAN" For as President Kennedy so eloquently stated,
Satanic Secret Societies Revealed By A United States PresidentQuote President Kennedy:For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence.For full speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhZk8ronces
One may also check out the expose done by Alex Jones on the "Skull and Bones" society to see that "CLUB SATAN" is not only an accurate description of the philosophy of these people; but, a literal definition of them as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpKdSvwYsrE
All members of the Bush family, many members of Congress and advisers to all recent Presidents all belong to this Satan Worshipping Secret Society and the posted video above proves that association.
As President Kennedy warned us this association is world wide. The first thing we have to do to remedy the situation is identify the problem. President Kennedy gave his life to do just that. Let us educate one another about the existence, agenda, and identity of the members of "CLUB SATAN". Just like comic book superheroes, revealing their identity destroys their power.
My friends this powerful group--"CLUB SATAN"--really exists. Whether or not their supernatural benefactor exists is up to your belief system. Nevertheless, what we have to deal with is a group mind that has power; and, enough influence and resources to maintain its power. It's only advantage is organization and invisibility. They are hopelessly outnumbered. We need to organize my friends. Organizing and educating ourselves is our only hope.
To anyone who believes, We the People will prevail. In many ways the victory has already been won. Our victory is already written in prophecy and cannot be changed. The only factor is how long it will take.
#10
I agree with Senator Warren, banking should be boring, in fact I miss my boring FDIC insured CD's, back when I could get 5-6%. That all went out the window with deregulation and the unholy union between the banksters, Bernanke, and the Wall Street fraudsters.
Wouldn't it be nice, like countries already practicing aspects of democratic socialism, we all could count on a cost of living govt. pension/retirement, making the worry of investing for retirement a non-issue. It used to be that way back when labor unions had a say, and the word pension was common. Now all that money ends up in offshore bank accounts reserved for a handful of families with names like Romney, Walton, DeVos, etc. We earn it and they piggishly take it and hoard it. We need labor unions, labor unions are people too, my friends.
#11
Thom:
I just wanted to let you know that you inspired and informed a Comic Book. I Wrote a set-up Issue for a series (hopefully) of Tarzan stories that have an Environmental and (somewhat) Political bent. It's called "The Once and Future Tarzan." There are a few quotes that I learned from listening to your show, that I researched and included in the storyline. In my story Tarzan is a bit of a "reader" having lived for so long... and he has an internal dialogue that reflects on Lao Tsu and Yeates, among other "philosophers."
The Artwork is by Thomas Yeates (no relation to W. B.), Story by moi. If you're interested, I can get you an "analog" hard copy or a digital copy (as long as you don't let it get around).
Let me know if you are interested.
http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/21-707/Tarzan-The-Once-and-Future-Tarzan...
~albabe (The Writer/Artist Formally Known As Al Gordon) http://www.facebook.com/albabe.Al.Gordon http://www.flickr.com/photos/albabe-algordon/ http://www.comicon.com/gordon/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Gordon (SueN told me to post here... apoligies for the unrelated content)...
#12
Only one thing to say...........
WARREN 2016 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#13
Quote trueblue313:Only one thing to say...........WARREN 2016 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
trueblue313 ~ Oh wouldn't that be so wonderful if she ran. That would so simplify the voting process.
#14
A Revolution Is Better Than Reform!!!
Where is everyone??
I would think the topic of "Too Big to Fail" Banks and those that appose them would spark a landslide of discussions; one that at the very least trumps the "special intrest" D.O.M.A. distraction discussions.
I hope this site hasn't been compromised again. I have noticed that often I don't always receive an email for the latest newsletter, or like Wed. when I clicked on "comment" and the page could not be found. Then again that day's topic was about Snowden...So that made sense...ha-ha-ha-ha!!!
I certainly do support Elizabeth Warren in her plight to lasso & shackel the banking system and bring back stricked regulations AND hold those accountable for corrupt & crimminal activity.
In my opinion the issue of an unregulated Banking System goes hand in hand with Corporate Personhood, which is the very core of our countries problems in that it has allowed Banks to be treated like a "person with a voice and in need of rescue". In a regulated Capitalist System mismanaged corporations die and those that a well managed thrive. All those trillions of dollars should have gone into bettering the lives of average Americans that were in financial dire straights...People before Profit!!!Keeping them in their homes, improving & lowering the cost of education, providing better social programs, improving community outreach programs, stimmulating small buisnesses, and indighting those on Wall Street and in Washington who are responsable for causing a global economic collapse; which inturn caused loss of jobs, and the cost of living to skyrocket.
Such greed and social division is why Thomas Jefferson sternly spoke out against - and thwarted- a Centralized Banking System, but people who live by the ideology of "more is better" are not rational, nor honest people...They are deaf and dumb towards conservation...They just want to "get theirs", which is never enough and without any concern for the distructive wake it leaves behind and those that it gravely affects. Which is why these people live in gated security controlled country club communities that are walled off from the rest of the world.
In my lifetime - I am 41 years old - the American Dream has been reduced to a pile of tawdry commercial garbage through by a system that hypes and sensationalizes "ownership of things", none of which has a tap root to who we are as a culture of people. The high standards for equality of life have been diminished, causing a vast divide amongst classes and a government run by the few and for the few...Much like that from which our Fore Fathers and Pilgrams came from.
SMOKE THE BONE
by No Fraud
Whenever I'm feeling down
I've lost my place, lost in space just fall'en down
I take a ride to look inside the biggest store in town
I walk around and look at the faces so empty
Consumer crap won't fill that gap!
Did TV do this to me!?
Who's behind those commercials?
Will I ever get the money
To buy all the things they make me want!?!?
I'm out on loan, I'm out on loan
And when the bills come I'm all alone
Alone out on loan, All alone out on loan
Fasinated by the stereotype
You buy you try to live up to the hype
That plastic will destroy everything that is you
That is if you believe in materialism too
Consumer crap ain't where it's at!
So you ask what's the answer
I say there isn't one
Except maybe some laughter and a whole lot of fun
The sex is great so lets have some.A
#15
Quote MMmmNACHOS:I hope this site hasn't been compromised again. I have noticed that often I don't always receive an email for the latest newsletter, or like Wed. when I clicked on "comment" and the page could not be found. Then again that day's topic was about Snowden...So that made sense...ha-ha-ha-ha!!!
You too, huh? Something was definitely wrong last Wednesday. Spooky, if you ask me. It was the link that was broken, not the blog. I found that if I accessed any other blog through past newsletter links, I could access the blog archives at the top of the page. I accessed the list for July and clicked on the link provided for that day's topic. Sure enough, it was there. It would appear that only 2950-10K and myself made it. The effort was worth the trouble. I had something to say.
By the way, I just went back there just now to see others found it as well. You can check it out using this link, I think it will work:
http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2013/07/edward-snowden-helps-clear-legal-hurdles-eff
#16
From Wednesday, July 11th blog:Quote Palindromedary:DAnneMarc: Why even use the term "Satan"? It is a term used by superstitious people...originally by ancient people who believed in 7 headed fire-breathing monsters, a flat earth, and demons. It connotes "magic" and "hocus pocus". Ignorance and superstition propagandized upon the masses are what allows a few manipulators of those superstitions to control the gullible masses.
Palindromedary ~ Thanks for the prompt response my friend. I'm sorry I missed it, till now; but, as they say, better late than never. Besides that is a very good question. "Satan" from "CLUB SATAN" is the perfect word to describe this group set. As 2950-10K speculated in that same blog this is a generic term that is generically applied to many different groups around the world that subscribe to the same philosophy. It is an evil philosophy that is both spawn from and hides in religious societies. It is a philosophy that has existed since the dawn of time. If you want to give an eternal entity or ageless philosophy of evil a name that people are familiar with "Satan" is the word you use. It just simplifies the defining process and simplification along with identification are essential in dealing with this problem.
Anonymity and secrecy are the power of these groups. Take the KKK for instance. They are a subculture in "CLUB SATAN." You might have quite a task at hand if you were to oppose the Grand Wizard because he hides behind a mob of unknown people in hoods. Take the hoods off and the Grand Wizard becomes Bob. You can deal with Bob.
Odd that you've mentioned Santa Claus. I see you are aware that Santa is an anagram for Satan? Just put the 't' in the middle and move the 'n' to the end and Santa Claus becomes Satan Claus. In the verse you quoted it is true that Santa is claiming the same powers of God. Spooky don't you think that our culture would blaspheme the creator with a children's song honoring the birth of Christ? Now the NSA is claiming the same powers and rights. What better name to associate these Cabals with other than "Satan"? After all, aren't' they doing exactly what prophecy says Satan will do in the end times? If it quacks like a duck, call it a duck.
Anyway, I apologize for thinking you were ignoring me and assuming you couldn't find the backdoor way of accessing the blog. I hope my use of a superstitious iconic word hasn't offended you. I suppose, you could just as easily call these groups "A Bunch of Nosy, Power-hungry, Greedy Jerks". After all, that's all they really are anyway. Yet somehow it just doesn't have the same ring to it. Also, by their own actions they certainly seem to be invoking a lot more than just philosophy into their lives. Therefore, I prefer a more catchier name that people can remember and is more specific. If you have another one in mind, please share.
Thanks again for the response!
#17
Palindromedary ~ While we are at it, that seven-headed monster you speak of didn't breath fire or actually exist. It was a metaphor; and, also had ten horns. It is common knowledge amongst serious theologians that this symbol represent the countries of NATO in modern times. One of the seven heads was "wounded as to death" (ie the Kennedy assassination) and given life. (ie subsequent Presidents.)
Your lack of faith imposes upon you a lack of understanding as to the big picture of what is really going on. I might suggest that you adopt a more scholarly, unbiased, and neutral approach to research. After all, is that not the fundamental overriding principle of the scientific method, anyway?
Don't allow your personal prejudices and preferences to blind you to the BIG PICTURE. If you do, you might not even see that truck coming that eventually runs you over.
#18
DAnneMarc: Oh, I get it! Metaphors! Of course, so you mean that Satan...demons....God...Heaven and Hell...they are all just metaphors? They don't actually exist...they are just metaphors? Of course, many religious people evidently don't get that because they believe that these things actually exist....that they are not "just metaphors". People who believe in 7 headed monsters, ghosts, devils, demons, Satan, and God usually believe that they are ALL real...they even talk to one of them...God...as if it really matters. But then believers, especially when trying to look not entirely obtuse, try to pick and choose which superstitious ideas are real and which are merely just metaphors. They attest that God and Satan are real but some of those other attestations, as written in the Holy Book (the supposed "inerrant word of God"), are merely metaphors. Interesting how people can rape their own minds like that.
#19
Palindromedary ~ It is interesting indeed! But what you must realize about Religions and "Religious" People is that as the old saying goes--It takes all kinds. For instance I believe in God. My God isn't a person per se; but rather an immense energy field with a conscious. I don't particularly believe in any Devil other than the one people conjure up in their own mind to blame their own misdeeds on. Angels and Demons are such cloudy topics to me I have to say I don't know and need proof. It's just too easy to imagine those things into existence. The human mind is a powerful thing; and, God can assume any form it desires. Therefore, I don't take any accounts of encounters too seriously. I try to keep an open mind while maintaining a health skepticism. Nevertheless you can never discount the potential of the imagination of the human mind.
That said about the human mind, I guess that must be what it really comes down to, isn't it? Whatever the human mind can believe it can somehow conjure into existence. A serious Theologian differs from a serious Believer in that they rely more on concrete evidence than speculation and myth. Although they both tend to take prophecy and doctrine seriously the Theologian tends to look at it more practically than believers. After all, if you believe in a red man with horns and a pitchfork living underground in an inferno somewhere, where is the big leap of faith to believe in 7 headed fire breathing dragons; or, for that matter, Santa Claus, Elves, Frosty the Snow Man, Big Foot, Unicorns, The Sand Man, The Tooth Fairy, The Boogie Man, Leprechauns, and the Easter Bunny.
The big difference in Faith from Believers is that the Theologian asks questions. Good questions! And seeks answers, knowledge, and understanding. For instance, the story about King Nebuchadnezzar and the prophet Daniel. When Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about the giant gold statue he knew right away two things. First that God was giving him a message; and two, he didn't have a clue as to what that message was. Not for a second did he think that his kingdom was going to be attacked by a solid gold giant. He knew that the message was a metaphor for something and learned what that was through the prophet Daniel; who, God endowed with the talent to understand such things. As a reward for explaining the dream Daniel received a cushy Government job in the King's palace. Nice the way things work out sometimes.
There is nothing wrong with asking questions. There is nothing wrong with seeking understanding. To anyone who studies scripture it clearly states:
The Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 7:Quote Jesus Christ:7 ¶Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Yet how many people line up to fill churches, temples, and synagogues on their knees do so asking no questions; seeking no answers, and are unable to even explain logically why they are there or what they are doing? God has no reason to want people to honor him without understanding--only man does. God wants understanding; for, only through understanding does faith have any real meaning.
My friend when you read the Book of Revelations and look at it as a metaphorical puzzle you see patterns that explain the world today. For instance one famous misunderstood metaphor is MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. She is pictured as being decked out in jewelry and holding a cup of wine that is full of abominations of the blood of saints and martyrs. She and all the kings of the world have been made drunk with her wine. (Rev 17. I won't bore you quoting the whole passage here. You know where it is if you want to see it.)
Of course this is no myth, it is a metaphor. You see the cup of filthiness is the petroleum industry. The blood of the saints in the cup is actually oil. The GREAT WHORE are the middle eastern oil producing nations. The "drunkenness" of the Kings of the world is the great wealth from oil. They are so enamoured with the easy money from petroleum that they aren't capable of doing their job and put money above even the ability of the environment to sustain human life. Meanwhile the Cabal that controls the Kingdoms murder anyone who attempts to defend the environment; thus explaining the blood of saints and martyrs. You don't have to be Daniel the Prophet to put this puzzle together, it's a piece of cake. However, you do have to think, ask questions, and above all, believe there is an important message recorded in the literary work. To do that, you need some faith, or at least some healthy atheistic curiosity. A little imagination goes a long way too.
Personally, I get a kick out of interpreting literature. The same as the kick I get from writing these posts. I hope to arouse, amuse, and inform as many people as I can. In my own way, this is my own Religion.
#20
DAnneMarc: Do you know how many people, for thousands of years, tried to make sense of the world in terms of myths and superstitious ideas? They were all absolutely convinced that the world was a battle between mystical forces of good and evil. Ahura Mazda and Ahriman, God and the Devil, angels and demons.
Yes, there are forces of "good" and "evil" in the world but it all depends on how people interpret what is "good" and what is "evil". Because they are largely abstract, interpretive, and subjective. It varies from culture to culture...from age to age. Our typically acceptable modern day beliefs and actions would be abhorrent to some more ancient cultures. Some more ancient cultures are abhorrent to some modern day cultures.
Oh, those Greeks, Spartans, and Romans...and I'm sure there were lots of others! We only have to look back about a century in the US and there were things that people did then ...that was perfectly acceptable then...but is now considered taboo. In Arabic cultures, it is an insult to wave or shake with your left hand (because that is the hand that is usually considered the proper one to wipe with--and they usually don't use toilet paper--it is actually better and more sanitary than toilet paper...if they use water...even better with soap--many countries the bidet is commonly used..much more sanitary than toilet paper) and it is an insult to point the sole of you feet (as in sitting with one leg upon the other) toward another person. In oriental cultures it is an insult to touch another person's head.
True believers, for several thousands of years, have sought refuge in caves because they were absolutely convinced that they were able to interpret various signs...dreams...biblical interpretations that foretold of the imminent destruction of the earth by God. It's really odd how so many people can be so certain of their faith in superstitious ideas as being real yet they have almost always been wrong. Yet, they slink back out of their caves when the world did not end, as they expected, and amazingly downshifted mentally into yet another fen of ridiculousness. Sheer folly!
I know that some modern believers like to think of themselves as not like all those other "believers" and try really hard to pretend they are different...more enlightened, perhaps. But, see, that is part of the reason why there are so many religions and sects to begin with. It is all fragmented. Shattered pieces of the big lie that so many people are afraid to admit...even to themselves.
They have been propagandized by their parents and the community in which they associate themselves. Even the government largely dared not challenge these superstitious ideas and used it to their advantage. Even Emperor Constantine realized that it is better to use and steer the superstitions of the masses to control them. And he was definitely not the first or last to do so. Once it is established that one is a believer in one superstitious idea, like a believe in God, it is pretty hard for others to believe that that person doesn't also tend to believe in a lot of other superstitious ideas..even the really funky ones...like Satan and 7 headed monsters.
We all really do owe it to all of those pious superstitious purveyors in our history, and present...The Church...all churches...even to those who swear they are not members of churches or to any particular religion but still believe in superstitious ideas...to fully challenge and question the legitimacy of the lies and the horrendous crimes against humanity that many, in our past, have committed in the name of their superstitious beliefs. We owe it to the victims that fell afoul of the pious bullies lest we again fall afoul of another Torquemada of any future Grand Inquisition.
People are so easily fooled by various gimmicks...take The Bible Code of about 16 years ago. How many people got taken in by that crap?
Quote June 2012 article:Barry Simon of the Caltech mathematics department has shown that any sufficiently large text will have similar letter patterns in it. Famously, the same algorithms used in the Bible Codes yielded similarly “prophetic” results when used on Hebrew translations of “War and Peace.”Indeed, when, in 1997, popular author Michael Drosnin (who wrote a book on the subject) challenged critics to find the same “prophecy” regarding the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in “Moby Dick” as Bible Codes folks had found in the Bible, Australian computer scientist Brendan McKay did just that, and for good measure he found letter arrangements predicting the assassinations of Trotsky, Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
In other words, the Bible Codes are bunk.
http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/bible-codes-are-a-...
#21
Palindromeday ~ I'll say this much for you, at least you're consistent! Admirable. Nevertheless, you still miss the point. Human behavior is natural; and, therefore predictable using the scientific method. Traits in human behavior can be studied, recorded, and analysed by scrutiny of history. Any true historian will tell you that history tends to repeat itself because human behavior tends to be consistent. Historians will also tell you that to not know your history is to be doomed to repeat it.
Prophecy, regardless of its origin, retains its integrity because it represents cycles of history. Legend, mythology, epic tails, and good literary fiction do the same. That is why great stories stand the test of time. Many serious Theologians believed that the prophecy of The Book Of Revelations already was fulfilled one thousand years ago. Others pick other times. Who's to say they are not all right, since, that story is probably representative of one of the great cycles of the human evolutionary process? If so, then who is to say that this cycle isn't currently repeating itself; and, will likely do so again in the distant future?
The fact remains, human behavior is natural and therefore predictable. History, tends to repeat itself, unless it is studied, analysed, and applied to the present. Much the way a tree grows in stages from seed, to bud, to youngling, to adult, to towering redwood. No two trees are the same; but, the stages of growth are always identical. Is it not that the evolution of human society can occur in stages as well, evolving over time the same way that a tree evolves over time during its life cycle? After all, both are alive, both obey natural laws, both react to the same environment, and both evolve over time. What is so hard to believe about the history of mankind being a universal constant that tends to repeat itself over and over and over again, varying minimally from growth cycle to cycle; while, always following the same series of stages? Whatever you feel about the supernatural, you cannot discount these simple observable natural facts.
That being said, I offer this in evidence to prove this to be true. I am painfully aware that we have had this conversation before. Being fully aware of that history I chose to end this topic now because I know where it is going to end up. With that, I thank you for taking the time to chat about God and prophecy. It has been fun. Now, on to more progressive topics that we both take seriously. Thanks again!!
#22
You're welcome, DAnneMarc.
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By webmaster
Hello All
Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.
Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.
Images of Thom
Thom & Louise at a "private audience" with His Holiness Pope John Paul II at his summer palace, Castle Gandolfo, Italy
Mueller's favorite place to pray (written about in "Prophet's Way"), and the roof of the room where the Last Supper is reputed to have happened.
From Screwed:
"Hartmann speaks with the straight talking clarity and brilliance of a modern day Tom Paine as he exposes the intentional and systematic destruction of America’s middle class by an alliance of political con artists and outlines a program to restore it. This is Hartmann at his best. Essential reading for those interested in restoring the institution that made America the envy of the world."
From Cracking the Code:
"In Cracking the Code, Thom Hartmann, America’s most popular, informed, and articulate progressive talk show host and political analyst, tells us what makes humans vulnerable to unscrupulous propagandists and what we can do about it. It is essential reading for all Americans who are fed up with right-wing extremists manipulating our minds and politics to promote agendas contrary to our core values and interests."
From Screwed:
"Once again, Thom Hartmann hits the bull’s eye with a much needed exposé of the so-called ‘free market.’ Anyone concerned about the future of our nation needs to read Screwed now."
Warren is a rare legislator who puts the general population first. Yeah!! Send her money.
Thom, please say 'state or tax supported' not 'free' education. The conservative response of 'no free lunch' short circuits the argument with the non thinkers.