Simple Bush; for the simple minded

[cidliz2004]

Came to me while watching someone on the news shows talking about how Bush doesn't see the complexity of the international problems, that he sees too much in black and white.

I think the word "simple" can be really spun against Bush and knock him out!

[GreenArrow]

1. A simple man...

and his minions LOVE him for it.

"I ain't nothin' but a simple man
They call me a redneck I reckon that I am
But there's things going on
That make me mad down to the core.

I have to work like a dog to make ends meet
There's crooked politicians and crime in the street
And I'm madder'n hell and I ain't gonna take it no more.

We tell our kids to just say no
Then some panty waist judge lets a drug dealer go
Slaps him on the wrist and then he turns him back out on the town.

Now if I had my way with people sellin' dope
I'd take a big tall tree and a short piece of rope
I'd hang 'em up high and let 'em swing 'til the sun goes down

Well, you know what's wrong with the world today
People done gone and put their Bible's away
They're living by the law of the jungle not the law of the land
The good book says it so I know it's the truth
An eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth
You better watch where you go and remember where you been
That's the way I see it I'm a Simple Man.

Now I'm the kinda man that'd not harm a mouse
But if I catch somebody breakin in my house
I've got twelve guage shotgun waiting on the other side

So don't go pushing me against my will
I don't want to have to fight you but I dern sure will
So if you don't want trouble then you'd better just pass me on by

As far as I'm concerned there ain't no excuse
For the raping and the killing and the child abuse
And I've got a way to put an end to all that mess

Just take them rascals out in the swamp
Put 'em on their knees and tie 'em to a stump
Let the rattlers and the bugs and the alligators do the rest

You know what's wrong with the world today
People done gone and put their Bible's away
They're living by the law of the jungle not the law of the land
The Good Book says it so I know it's the truth
An eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth
You better watch where you go and remember where you been
That's the way I see it I'm a Simple Man"


"Simple Man" by Charlie Daniels

[EVDebs]

2. Maybe a bit too simple....

""The Greatest Commandment

Matthew 22:36-40

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love he Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.""

from
http://www.gideons.org/biblehelpsnew/readings/greatestcommandment.html

This doesn't square with 'an eye for an eye', does it ? All of that 'love' talk don't go over too big in the Red States, now does it ? People can see through hypocrisy fastern' a speeding bullet. Judge not lest ye be judged. The state gets into the religion business at its own peril. We should be thankful for our Freemasonic forefathers with their tradition of tolerance and brotherly love (liberty, equality, fraternity...sound familiar ?).

TGAOTU does the sorting out, not those on this earth.

[GreenArrow]

7. I see that and you see that

but the average Bush voter does not see that. People can see through hypocrisy, but they choose to do so selectively. Note that in the song I posted, 'ol Charlie only refers to the "eye for an eye" morality of the Old Testament, not the turn the other cheek of the NT. No sir, he has a 12 guage shotgun a waitin for ya on the other side of the door.

People who vote for Bush like Bush because he is the candidate that seems to them most like themselves, who most most reminds them of what they wish to be. It's the same reason people like Dirty Harry, or Rambo, or John Wayne or any of those other two dimensional Hollywood tough guy sociopaths. They want to be the avenging angel, they want the power of life and death, they want the power to judge, and the power to enforce judgement, they want to pick up stones and cast them upon evil doers, which is to say, all those who frighten or threaten them. And they are frightened and threatened by much. The talk of love and compassion is too often window dressing, guazy and ephemeral, barely covering a corrosive and festering panoply of fears and rage. The way Jesus offers is hard, the way Bush offers is easy, for it is not necessary to pluck the beam from one's own eye.

As a side note, I have had exactly one person ever, who called themselves a Christian, answer me when I asked them about the two Commandments Jesus offered. Most have no idea what I'm talking about.

[EVDebs]

9. As I get older and more humble each day I learn to thank my dad

who was a Freemason. What's weird about the Bible is that Moses and David each murdered someone and God still used them despite that. Try and inject that into a discussion on capital punishment sometime and see what happens. Also, a book called The Harlot By The Side of the Road is a very good read (written by a rabbi I think) since it shows that people who wrestle with God--Zipporah for example, when God wants to kill Moses--seem to be the people He wants us to become. Complicated people not prone to 'shoot first, ask questions later'.

[cidliz2004]

15. Sorry, I just reread your post about the Greatest Commandments

It went right over my head, until I went back and reread them. Those 2 are the greatest commandments that I thought. I just didn't know book and verse and exact words. Thank you for sharing!

[Debs]

24. And Ezekial

Who argued with God that he should not be made to eat unclean food, and God told him basically, well OK

[cidliz2004]

12. O.K., I'll bite

The only ones that kind of come to mind:

Honoring God

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

I call myself a Christian, how did I do?

If I am wrong, what are they?

[GreenArrow]

14. Mr. Debs quoted them above in post

# 2.

If you keep those two commandments, you keep all the others. The OT Commandments are "Thou Shalt Not's," spoken as if to an infant or vassal incapable of discernment or independent direction. Jesus's two are "Thou Shalt," spoken as to adults.

[cidliz2004]

13. I like the way that you use the Bible

and Christianity to explain some of these things. I never thought about the "eye for an eye" OT now being "turn the other cheek" NT.

Your observations were very enjoyable and enlightening to read, thank you.

[GreenArrow]

17. thanks

:)

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you, don't resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and don't turn away him who desires to borrow from you.

Matthew 5:38-42

Gandhi had an interesting comment on eye for an eye as well:

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

[cidliz2004]

18. That is awesome!

So many times it is great hearing others put the words from the Bible in thier conversation. I get so much from it. Your perspective is enlightening.

[cidliz2004]

19. Jesus's message was simple

the implementation of that message into our everyday life IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT!

[GreenArrow]

22. yes, it surely is

.

[Debs]

25. If anyone

Ever told you that simple meant easy... they lied to you

[Clark2008]

16. Love God and the Golden Rule

Those are the two.

[cidliz2004]

20. It would take a Clarkie

to know that, coming from a fellow Clarkie - I am not at all prejudiced.

[cidliz2004]

3. Great Song,

But it could be a 1,2 punch by implying that the "simple" man attracts mainly "simple minded" people.

I could really see this growing into a condescending approach to the Bush supporters by taking the "simple" statements and adding the "simple" disastrous results so far and being more parental like in the way that Bush and his followers are addressed.

By everybody having to bow down and "act" like this guy is speaking for us is giving him power. Without being totally disrespectful, we can talk "down" in "simple" terms to Bush supporters about the simple failures of his simple named policies.

I don't know. I could see it working if done right and by the right people.

[Vickers]

4. He's not simple...he's a simpleton

Big difference.

:P

[cidliz2004]

5. I was talking about a "message" "slogan"

Bush isn't so simple, I agree, but he presents himself as so. I say use it against him.

[EVDebs]

6. Obviously the Charlie Daniels song skips over the fair trials

that the lynchings imply...correct ? Or maybe Charlie didn't see "The Oxbow Incident". Not to mention the Republican Illinois governor who discontinued executions because too many INNOCENT people were being sent to the hereafter. Oooopie.

In any event, us bumpkins aren't totally stupid. Simple is as simple does. The 'justice' system implies fairness and accountability. Nowadays with a jazzed-up Patriot Act and sanctioned torture, the ideals of the US justice system have been weakened rather than strengthened it seems to me.

[GreenArrow]

8. nice idea,

but it will only draw his supporters closer to him. They like that in him. They see themselves as simple folk, and think he's one of them. Their percieved "simplicity" is a virtue. They identify with him to the degree that if you attack him, you attack them.

[sendero]

10. I agree with that..

... and the "simple" are well on their way to finding out what happens when you let a "simple" man do a complex and important job.

To bad we're all gonna suffer.

[cidliz2004]

11. Yes, right now they see that "simple" is a good thing

but as Bush becomes more and more "exposed" with his real agenda, then maybe "simple" is just another way of not explaining.

Maybe "simple" can take the "blame" for the people looking for a reason to back away from Bush. (I believe that there will be more of them)

By emphasizing that Bush "doesn't" explain things, didn't understand the complexities of the results of his "inadequate" decisions and policies, we are now up shit creek w/o a paddle.

[GreenArrow]

21. but do people want explanations?

Or do they want "action"? Rightly or wrongly, Bush has painted himself of a man of action.

If (when) people start suffering because of Bush's actions, then they will turn on him. Maybe...

I don't know; I didn't expect him to get back in office to begin with. If people's spouses, children, friends, bosses and employees lied to them the way Bush has, they would not stand for it. But he is the "leader," so he gets a pass, I guess.

[cidliz2004]

23. Thats the key

we cannot waste time on lengthy "explanations", but simple "retorts" to the "simple" Bush mantras AND then succinct 2 - 3 sentence explanations of why this or that was misleading or disasterous and hurting YOU (meaning me, you everybody)

My brain isn't too in gear for this but:

"mission accomplished" could be "Bush proclaimed mission accomplished before 1020 soldier were killed after victory"....question is, when is it REALLY accomplished.


Social Security Privatization to save Social Security depends on the Stock market - just hope we don't have too many black Mondays

Healthy Forests initiative, may have to prepare for mud slides in rainy weather in California...