You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Politics’ category.
“We [Muslims] smile in the face of some people even though our hearts curse them.” – Abu Darda (companion of Muhammad)
Like me, are you often made uncomfortable by that Riddler-like sneer that president Obama too readily flashes? In the context of a current poll showing that a surprising and growing number of Americans (42% !!) believe that Obama is a Muslim, can anyone dispute the correlation between Obama’s creepy, almost diabolical, grin and the fact that the Koran instructs its followers to present a disarming demeanor toward non-Muslims through the artful use of lies and overtures of warm friendship (even marriage!) to attain Jihad, the total elimination of all infidels (non-Muslims). Islam even has a centuries-old term for this false front – Taqiyya
“…believers [Muslims] are allowed to show friendship outwardly, but never inwardly.” – Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Islam sanctioned commentary of the Koran)
The word “Taqiyya” (pronounced ‘tock-ee-yah”) literally means: “Concealing, precaution, guarding.” It is employed in disguising one’s beliefs, intentions, convictions, ideas, feelings, opinions or strategies. In practical terms it is manifested as dissimulation, lying, deceiving, vexing and confounding with the intention of deflecting attention, foiling or pre-emptive blocking. It is currently employed in fending off and neutralising any criticism of Islam or Muslims.
Falsehoods told to prevent the denigration of Islam, to protect oneself, or to promote the cause of Islam are sanctioned in the Qur’an and Sunna, including lying under oath in testimony before a court, deceiving by making distorted statements to the media such as the claim that Islam is a “religion of peace”. A Muslim is even permitted to deny or denounce his faith if, in so doing, he protects or furthers the interests of Islam, so long as he remains faithful to Islam in his heart.
Like many Islamic practices, Taqiyya was formed within the context of the culture of Arab tribalism, expansionary warfare, Bedouin raiding and inter-tribal conflict. Taqiyya has been used by Muslims since the 7th century to confuse, confound and divide ‘the enemy’.
The higher one is placed in the social order (or rather, on how important the individual perceives himself to be), the more imperative it becomes to strenuously avoid “loss of face”. The male’s perceived loss of honour and status, must be redressed and his face “whitened”, i.e. his honour regained and restored, at any cost; even to the extent of (as in the honour killing of daughters) murdering the person “responsible” for causing the initial humiliation. When Taqiyya is used to avoid making an admission or concession it is simply an essential means of ensuring that ones honour and standing remain intact and untarnished.
Islamic spokesmen commonly use Taqiyya as a form of ‘outwitting’. The skilled Taqiyya-tactician doesn’t want the matter at hand to be debated or discussed; so his opponent must be outwitted or preemptively outflanked by the use of Taqiyya. The objective is to divert attention away from the subject through duplicity and obfuscation.
When placed under scrutiny or criminal investigation, (even when there is overwhelming, irrefutable evidence of guilt or complicity), the Taqiyya-tactician will quickly attempt to counter the allegation by resorting to the claim that it is, in fact, the accused who are the ‘the victims’. Victims of Islamophobia, racism, religious discrimination and intolerance. Currently, this is the most commonly encountered form of distraction and ‘outwitting’….. Defence by offence. Warner McKenzie ~ Understanding Taqiyya ― Islamic Principle of Lying for the Sake of Allah
“By Allah, and Allah willing, if I take an oath and later find something else better than that, then I do what is better and expiate my oath.’ ” – Prophet Muhammad, the Koran, Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 67, Number 427
Taqiyya and Kitman, or ‘holy hypocrisy’, has been diffused throughout Arabic culture for over fourteen hundred years since it was developed by Shiites as a means of defense and concealment of beliefs against Sunni unbelievers. As the Prophet said: ‘he who keeps secrets shall soon attain his objectives.’
The skillful use of Taqiyya and Kitman [Kitman, a more subtle version of Taqiyya, whereby the Koran teaches a believer to tell infidels only a part of the truth, with “mental reservation”, justifying the omission of the rest of the truth] was often a matter of life and death against enemies; it is also a matter of life and death to many contemporary Islamic terrorists. As so often in the history of Islam, a theological doctrine became operational.
During the Spanish inquisition, Sunni Moriscos attended mass and returned home to wash their hands of the ‘holy water’. In operational terms, Taqiyya and Kitman allowed the ‘mujahadeen ‘ to assume whatever identity was necessary to fulfill their mission; they had doctrinal and theological and later jurisprudential sanction to pretend to be Jews or Christians to gain access to Christian and Jewish targets: ‘the mujahadeen can take the shape of the enemy’. According to Christian ethics lying is a sin; In Islamic jurisprudence and theology, the use of Taqiyya against the unbelievers is regarded as a virtue and a religious duty.
Like many Islamic concepts Taqiyya and Kitman were formed within the context of the Arab-Islamic matrix of tribalism, expansionary warfare and conflict. Taqiyya has been used by Muslims since the 7th century to confuse and split ‘the enemy’. A favored tactic was ‘deceptive triangulation’; to persuade the enemy that jihad was not aimed at them but at another enemy. Another tactic was to deny that there was jihad at all. The fate for such faulty assessments by the target was death. Donald Hudson ~ danielpipes.org
Muslims are harsh against the unbelievers, merciful only to one another. – Koran 48:25
“They [the Jews] are the heirs of Hell…. They will spare no pains to corrupt you. They desire nothing but your ruin. Their hatred is clear from what they say … When evil befalls you they rejoice.” Ibid. – Koran: Surah 111, v. 117-120
In truth the disbelievers [non-Muslims] are an open enemy to you. – Koran: Surah IV, v. 101
Lying and cheating in the Arab world is not really a moral matter but a method of safeguarding honor and status, avoiding shame, and at all times exploiting possibilities, for those with the wits for it, deftly and expeditiously to convert shame into honor on their own account and vice versa for their opponents. If honor so demands, lies and cheating may become absolute imperatives.” David Pryce-Jones, “The Closed Circle” An interpretation of the Arabs, p4
Muhammad is Allah’s apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another. Through them, Allah seeks to enrage the unbelievers*. – Koran 48:29
He who keeps secrets shall soon attain his objectives. – Koran 20:8
Think about it. We really know so little about the real Barrack Obama and his intentions. Would those secrets be hiding behind all those smiles?
conserVegan seems a bit of an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Actually, it is my hope to show how conservatism and veganism share essential core principles and values. In fact, as a Christian conservative it was not until I embraced veganism that my life was fundamentally transformed both spiritually and outwardly.
Christian …
Before anything I am Roman Catholic. Not a Newchurch Catholic, but a pre-Vatican II Traditional Catholic who attends Tridentine Latin Mass every Sunday. Well, nearly every Sunday. Nobody’s perfect. 😉 From my faith flows all that I hold sacred: Faith in God’s Presence and Love; the Word and the Will of God; His restoring grace and redeeming love; right and wrong; charity; free will; family; God’s living creations; and living in The Imitation of Christ. Bound by this system of interwoven beliefs and values, my faith, conservatism and veganism integrate seamlessly into my daily life.
Conservative …
As a Reagan conservative I believe in upholding all the laws of our Constitution, limited government, a free market economy, limiting taxes, a sovereign nation with a strong national defense, and freedom of religion and expression. I support the second amendment, and as a responsible gun owner I am prepared to protect my life, my loved ones, my home and country with my S&W 686+ .357 Magnum, for which I am NRA certified in Basic Pistol/Revolver Shooting, and Home Firearm Safety. I am against hunting for sport but I will defend your right to do so with the hope that you will someday see the light.
Vegan …
Basically, there are health vegans and ethical vegans. Many vegans are both, which would be me. Health-wise, I believe that a diet high in animal fat and casein from dairy products is a trigger for many of our Western diseases, specifically heart disease and cancer. And from an ethical standpoint, I believe that God’s instruction for mankind to behave as benevolent stewards of His kingdom on earth has been basically ignored through mankind’s selfish choices. Mankind must cease to be motivated by the desire for oppressive power, and instead work to eliminate the shameful, gruesome and inhumane practices of factory farming for food and fur, indiscriminate hunting, poaching and other animal cruelties that threaten the very definition of humanity.
Each of us is responsible for preserving this beautiful Earth that God created for us and all His creations. However, unless we protect our liberty and security our children will not have a healthy environment to enjoy. Therefore, we cannot preserve our environment at the risk of losing our security. To begin with, we must protect our borders while enforcing immigration laws, and must responsibly extract fossil fuels in our own country while we develop reasonable alternatives resources. As well, the man-made global warming hoax should be ended before there is any further consideration of instituting the financially disastrous Cap and Trade bill. These are just two of many politically charged issues propped up by the Progressive ideology of the Far Left that threaten to irrevocably harm the security of our country.
Most importantly, preserving our environment begins at home. If we all choose to live simply, eat healthfully, consume minimally, acquire in moderation, and treat others, animals and our surrounding environment with respect and kindness we would not be facing most of our impending financial, environmental and social calamities.
This also explains why I am Pro-Life, why I believe that human life is God-given and precious, that it begins at conception, that to willfully kill innocent life is murder. Conversely, I believe Capital Punishment is warranted in certain complicated cases. Even Christ believed in it.
…
I can assure you that I have not come by my views lightly. Youthful boneheaded decisions, misguided beliefs and abdicated values were followed by years of soul searching, Bible study, prayer and meditation, reading, examining relationships, thoughtful observation – and just plain ol’ thinking. From all of this I can attribute the present clarity of my humbled and resolute heart, mind and soul to the unbending strength of my faith in my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Blessings!
There is something not right about Obama’s lip service to the importance of job creation versus what he is actually (not) doing about it.
2009’s nearly one trillion dollar stimulus bill as good as ignored the swelling lists of the newly unemployed. As a back-burner issue there was a lame stab at job creation by concentrating on short term construction contracts that ignored floundering small businesses. Ironically, construction unemployment levels swelled to a record 19% by the end of 2009.
It turns out that the only area of notable job growth has turned out to be a cause for alarm for the average, free-thinking entrepreneurial American.
“The era of big government has returned with a vengeance, in the form of the largest federal work force in modern history.
The Obama administration says the government will grow to 2.15 million employees this year, topping 2 million for the first time since President Clinton declared that “the era of big government is over” and joined forces with a Republican-led Congress in the 1990s to pare back the federal work force.
Most of the increases are on the civilian side, which will grow by 153,000workers, to 1.43 million people, in fiscal 2010.”
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/02/burgeoning-federal-payroll-signals-return-of-big-g/.
When is anyone going to notice that a key component of the Obama Administration and its progressive members’ plan to scrape every citizen under it’s umbrella of power is to systematically focus on growing the government’s work force, thereby creating a new and dominant worker force, held captive and subject to it’s progressive master’s socialist ideology.
This orchestrated exodus of patiently shepherding the masses into the progressive camp is not new methodology. We see it at work with the corrupted unions, most recently with the check card issue. But nowhere has progressive ideology been flourishing more than in our education system. Millions of young formative minds pour into their cauldron each year, yearning to be filled with ideas and information – the ultimate captive audience for revisionist history and progressive ideology. Additionally, with their children spending out-of-school time in a succession of parent-less situations like childcare and extended school-day programs, weary and out-of-touch parents’ ability to temper the influence of the daily assault of the NEA’s progressive agenda has been severely impeded. Unless much more is done to examine and expose the deliberate and systematic crushing of the principles that this country was founded on we will continue to be led down the path to communism by the progressive movement.
To facilitate the mass migration of America’s workers from the private sector into government service the Obama Administration is adding further tax burdens to middle class individuals.
“NEW YORK (Reuters.com) –The Obama administration’s plan to cut more than $1 trillion from the deficit over the next decade relies heavily on so-called backdoor tax increases that will result in a bigger tax bill for middle-class families.In the 2010 budget tabled by President Barack Obama on Monday, the White House wants to let billions of dollars in tax breaks expire by the end of the year — effectively a tax hike by stealth.
While the administration is focusing its proposal on eliminating tax breaks for individuals who earn $250,000 a year or more, middle-class families will face a slew of these backdoor increases.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100201/bs_nm/us_budget_backdoortaxes
The goverment is also dragging it’s heels on any business growth measures for small businesses, as illustrated by President Obama’s anemic announcement during the State of the Union calling for Jobs Bill and tax credits for small business hires. It turns out the Jobs (Stimulus) Bill will cost a head-scratching $33 billion dollars and there is no precedent that it will work. What will work is what has always worked in the past – make the temporary tax cuts of 2001 and 2003–now set to expire in 2011–permanent. Then small business owners can make plans and decisions can be made with an eye toward the future. The cut will reduce income tax rates across the board compared to current law. It would give the private sector maximum predictability as it decides how to best spend its recovered income.
“Just as we cut taxes for families and small businesses, we need to cut them for corporations as well, from 35 percent to 25 percent. And we shouldn’t be afraid to say so. Our corporate tax rate is one of the highest in the world, driving investment and jobs overseas. Lowering this key rate will unlock trillions of dollars to be invested in America instead of abroad.
And rather than giving large companies loopholes and targeted tax benefits–which only encourage them to spend money on the lobbyists who secure such goodies–Congress should get out of the business of picking winners and losers in the market and simply cut everyone’s taxes and let the best company win. My plan will make businesses compete for consumers, not Congressmen.
To further simplify and improve the code, our plan would also:
- permanently repeal the alternative minimum tax once and for all;
- permanently maintain the capital gains and dividends taxes at 15 percent;
- permanently kill the Death Tax for estates under $5 million, and cut the tax rate to 15 percent for those above;
- permanently extend the $1,000-per-child tax credit;
- permanently repeal the marriage tax penalty;
- permanently limit itemized deductions to home mortgage interest and charitable contributions.
The Heritage Center for Data Analysis widely respected economic forecasting model projects this plan would create nearly 500,000 jobs this year, 1.3 million next year, 7.5 million by 2013, and a total of nearly 18 million jobs over the next decade.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Economy/hl1108.cfm
The Progressive Movement and the Transformation of American Politics
UPDATE: MAY 2010
Unemployment – 9.7% (95% are GOVERNMENT JOBS)
… of the 95% government jobs most are temporary jobs working for the US Census Bureau … there are many claims that those figures are inflated since workers are laid off at the end of a 5 hour shift, then rehired the next day which counts as a new job.”“What they do is hire you, they train you like a few weeks — 35, 40 hours of training and give you six hours of productive work and lay you off.” a former Census named “Maria” tells FOX News. “Maria” further explains they rehire you so it counts as a new job.”
UPDATE: April 1 2011
If you want to understand better why so many states—from New York to Wisconsin to California—are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, consider this depressing statistic: Today in America there are nearly twice as many people working for the government (22.5 million) than in all of manufacturing (11.5 million). This is an almost exact reversal of the situation in 1960, when there were 15 million workers in manufacturing and 8.7 million collecting a paycheck from the government.
It gets worse. More Americans work for the government than work in construction, farming, fishing, forestry, manufacturing, mining and utilities combined. We have moved decisively from a nation of makers to a nation of takers. Nearly half of the $2.2 trillion cost of state and local governments is the $1 trillion-a-year tab for pay and benefits of state and local employees. Is it any wonder that so many states and cities cannot pay their bills?
Every state in America today except for two—Indiana and Wisconsin—has more government workers on the payroll than people manufacturing industrial goods. Consider California, which has the highest budget deficit in the history of the states. The not-so Golden State now has an incredible 2.4 million government employees—twice as many as people at work in manufacturing. New Jersey has just under two-and-a-half as many government employees as manufacturers. Florida’s ratio is more than 3 to 1. So is New York’s.
Even Michigan, at one time the auto capital of the world, and Pennsylvania, once the steel capital, have more government bureaucrats than people making things. The leaders in government hiring are Wyoming and New Mexico, which have hired more than six government workers for every manufacturing worker.