Charles Krauthammer is an Idiot

[maxsolomon]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2002124768_krauthammer20.html

snippet:<The attempts to de-Christianize Christmas are as absurd as they are relentless. The United States today is the most tolerant and diverse society in history. It celebrates all faiths with an open heart and open-mindedness that, compared to even the most advanced countries in Europe, are unique.

Yet, more than 80 percent of Americans are Christian and probably 95 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas. Christmas Day is an official federal holiday, the only day of the entire year when, for example, the Smithsonian museums are closed. Are we to pretend that Christmas is nothing but an orgy of commerce in celebration of ... what? The winter solstice?>

Hey Chuck, i know its hard to do research while your busily pimping the "Liberals want Christ out of Christmas" BS meme, but Christmas was put on the 25th because that's when you first notice the days getting longer. The solstice preceeds Jesus of Nazareth by like 2 billion fucking years. The feasting was part of Roman & Celtic traditions (surely a man of your intellectual genius has heard of "Yuletide"?), and Constantine just replaced Saturnalia with Christmas. The "orgy of Commerce" is what is was about before that, along with mistletoe, lights, tannenbaums, eating, drinking, presents, etc. etc.

Maybe you should use the internets for some reality-based research you stupid ignorant washed up PNAC hack fuck nut.

[Warpy]

1. Fine, let them call it completely religious

and then we'll get rid of it as a state holiday.

You can't have it both ways, Chuckles.

[andyhappy]

2. is santa claus in the bible?

[0007]

20. Good point!

[JHB]

21. No, but the "definitive" picture of him...

...with the white trim on his red suit, was from an old Coke ad.

Suddenly big businesses selling stuff are absolved of their traditional role of "distracting us from the True Meaning of Christmas" and now it's "All The Liberals' Fault"/"The Liberal Assault on Christmas".

[Maddy McCall]

3. December 25 is the birthday of Dionysus, also.

[maxsolomon]

4. i did not know that.

that explains the debauchery of Saturnalia a bit.

i think "Saint Klaus" may be a christianized version of something pagan, but someone more conversant in paganism would have to weigh in.

did i mention that Charles Krauthammer is a Dumbfuck?

[Chicago Democrat]

29. Actually Dionysos has many birthdays depending on which culture

Its clear that the Roman Saturnalia was celebrated at this time which goes right along with Dionysos or Bacchus in Latin.

[TexasLawyer]

5. Frank Rich in Yesterday's NYT

Frank Rich gave the perfect response in yesterday's NYT to this ridiculous argument. A very good read, as usual with Frank Rich's commentary. An excerpt:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/19/arts/19rich.html?pagewanted=print&position=


<snip> You'd think peace might reign in a nation where there is so much unanimity of faith. In Newsweek's "Birth of Jesus" holiday cover article — not to be confused with Time's competing "Secrets of the Nativity" cover — a poll found that 84 percent of American adults call themselves Christian, 82 percent see Jesus as the son of God, and 79 percent believe in the Virgin Birth. Though by a far slimmer margin, the presidential election reinstalled a chief executive who ostentatiously invokes a Christian Almighty. As for "The Passion of the Christ," it achieved the monetary landslide of a $370 million domestic gross (second only to the cartoon saviors Shrek and Spider-Man).

Yet if you watch the news and listen to certain politicians, especially since Election Day, you'll hear an ever-growing drumbeat that Christianity is under siege in America. Like Mr. Gibson, the international movie star who portrayed himself as a powerless martyr to a shadowy anti- Christian conspiracy in the run-up to the release of "The Passion," his fellow travelers on the right detect a sinister plot — of secularists, "secular Jews" and "elites" — out to destroy the religion followed by more than four out of every five Americans.

In the latest and most bizarre twist on this theme, even Christmas is now said to be a target of the anti-Christian mob. "Are we going to abolish the word Christmas?" asked Newt Gingrich, warning that "it absolutely can happen here." Among those courageously leading the fight to save the holiday from its enemies is Bill O'Reilly, who has taken to calling the Anti-Defamation League "an extremist group" and put the threat this way: "Remember, more than 90 percent of American homes celebrate Christmas. But the small minority that is trying to impose its will on the majority is so vicious, so dishonest — and has to be dealt with." <snip>

[TexasLawyer]

8. Oh, and I meant to add...

Charles Krauthammer IS Indeed an Idiot!

[derbstyron]

17. O'Reilly wants to have them "dealt with" how?

whats he going to do - call them on the phone?

[TexasLawyer]

18. Well, hmmm..., What's the "J" in "JDL" ?

and how have the "J"s been "dealt with" through the ages? Usually it's been treatment that is a tad harsher than a tongue lashing over the phone. Pogroms and genocide spring to mind.

These sorts of veiled threats are yet another reason to dislike O'Reilly.

[slor]

27. He will attack with...

a Falafel and a vibrator!

[maxsolomon]

6. Sol Invictus

I found this relating to December 25th:

http://www.toolong.com/sol.htm

The birthday of the Sun God associated with the Roman Emporer. A cult followed by the Roman Legions.

[RoBear]

10. Christmas Tree was changed to Community Tree in our town.

You can't imagine the flap!!! I mentioned it to my friend, a nun, and her immediate remark was that the "Christmas Tree" predates Christianity, so it's yet another pagan observance the Christians co-opted to get more members (read MONEY). Oh, and I think I've mentioned this before but when I see Krauthammer I think of the picture of Dorian Gray. He looks totally desolute, like his sins are showing in his face! (Thanks, Oscar!)

[maxsolomon]

11. should just calll it a Tannenbaum

it means "fir tree".

[VioletLake]

7. He's not an idiot; he's the Duke of Deceitfulness.

He is despicable though.

[KT2000]

9. What a stupid issue

but at least it will expire after the 25th.

I love the way conservatives abandon values such as courtesy, respect for others and the notion that there is a time and place for everything - gee doesn't the bible even mention that? Oh yeah - the fundies are in the process of writing their own political bible.

[JHB]

22. Don't bet on it expiring.

This is a 2-minute-hate, a character assasination writ large, so don't bet on it going away. It'll be repackaged as needed through the year, but they'll keep at it.

And smackdown this particular version as best you can, or it'll be back next year pushed even harder.

[rooboy]

12. Why is it that the kids sit on the knee of a guy in a Santa suit...

shouldn't we be dressing up thousands of guys as Jesus and make them wander the malls of the world?

[Undercover Owl]

15. is it a sin to impersonate Jesus? n/t

[Lefty48197]

13. Plus, he's a hideously disfigured monster.

.

[Undercover Owl]

14. ugly dude

he needs plastic surgery ASAP if he insists on showing his face in public

[Lefty48197]

16. Actually, I think he's been going to Michael Jackson's plastic surgeon

already. Or else his butcher.

[rodeodance]

19. a BIG Rich idoit!!

[EmpireWeAre]

23. A fascist propagandist with a national megaphone.

The sad and tragic thing is that Krauthammer and the hoard of pundits like him, fail to see their own resemblance to fascists past and present.

[newyawker99]

25. Hi EmpireWeAre!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[EmpireWeAre]

26. Thanks

:toast:

[jonnyblitz]

24. the wingnut pundits sure know how to stay on message in unison

and its usually some esoteric topic that has NOTHING to do with anything IMPORTANT !! I guess they want to keep the masses distracted from the REAL issues.

[Chicago Democrat]

28. Krauthammer is a War Loving American Fascist...

Grr...