.............................................................. >From the New Paradigms Project [Not Necessarily Endorsed] Note: We store 100's of related "conspiracy posts" at: http://www.msen.com/~lloyd/oldprojects/recentmail.html From: "Alex Constantine" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Cynthia" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "Lloyd" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Joe Lieberman's God Date: Thursday, August 10, 2000 10:49 PM \>HOLY SMOKE AND MIRRORS: THE RISE OF CENTRIST THEOCRATS > >By Norman Solomon / Creators Syndicate > > > It's always dangerous when politicians claim to be doing God's will. So, >as the novelty fades from Al Gore's selection of Joseph Lieberman, >journalists should ask some probing questions about the ticket's >conspicuous piety. > > Over the years, Republican policymakers have been fond of saying that they >rely on divine guidance. Cementing his alliance with fundamentalist >Christian groups, President Reagan loved to perform at high-profile prayer >breakfasts and the like. All too often, political leaders -- especially >conservative ones -- have tried to blur the separation between church and >state. > > Now, the Gore-Lieberman campaign has launched itself with a very public >display of devout posturing. For them, the Old Testament has become fine >grist for the centrist mill. The New Democrats are morphing into New >Theocrats. > > At Tuesday's formal announcement of his selection for the V.P. slot, >Lieberman declared that Gore "has never, never wavered in his >responsibilities as a father, as a husband and, yes, as a servant of God >Almighty." The vice president stood a few feet away, beaming. > > Evidently, in the current political milieu, private beliefs and personal >prayer aren't sufficient. To really do the trick, faith must be flaunted. >What good is religiosity if you don't wear it on your sleeve and get a lot >of good press? > > Colleagues laud Lieberman as someone of impeccable morality, a judgment >echoed by countless reporters and pundits. Yet a strong argument could be >made that he promotes extremely immoral policies -- if we look beyond such >matters as sexual behavior and public profanity. > > By all accounts, Lieberman is personally nice. But he is politically >cruel. For instance, his scrupulous morals do not extend to Iraq, where >several hundred thousand children have died in recent years due to the >U.S.-led sanctions that he enthusiastically supports. > > Connecticut's junior senator urges quick deployment of the perilous >"missile defense" boondoggle. And this Bible-quoting moralist has continued >to push a wide range of new multibillion-dollar weapons systems, which just >happen to mean huge revenues for the arms manufacturers that have fattened >his campaign coffers. For military contractors, Lieberman is a visionary >prophet for profits. > > Whether Al Gore is truly "a servant of God Almighty" can only be a >subjective matter. But the guy he chose for his running mate is certainly a >devoted servant of Dollar Almighty. Few Democratic members of Congress are >more eager to undermine the public sector. Lieberman wants taxpayers to >subsidize vouchers for private schools. He has been outspoken in support of >partially privatizing Social Security. > > In contrast to his media reputation as a consumer advocate, Lieberman >joined with only three other Senate Democrats in 1995 to put a cap on >punitive damage awards in product liability cases. He's on record in favor >of slashing capital gains taxes. Like Gore, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, >he is a fervent backer of NAFTA, the World Trade Organization and other >devices for globalization on corporate terms. > > The world's poor people rank quite low in Joe Lieberman's universe of >values. As for Palestinians, his brow does not even furrow for them. A >down-the-line supporter of Israel, he has proved to be comfortable with the >systematic violations of human rights in occupied territories, underwritten >by billions of dollars from the U.S. government. > > "Lieberman may be a committed Orthodox Jew in his personal practice, but >in his role as a public spokesperson he has gone far away from the best >aspects of the Jewish tradition," Rabbi Michael Lerner points out. "He has >none of that prophetic voice that leads Jews to criticize our own Jewish >community and Israel in the name of Torah values. He has none of that >Jewish sensitivity to the oppressed that would place their needs above the >needs of the wealthy." > > Like most other senators, Lieberman has built his career by serving the >interests of the rich. Now that he looms very large on the national >political stage, Lieberman is well-positioned to further corporatize the >Democratic Party. Lerner is on target when he comments: "Lieberman is >likely to accelerate the process in which the two major parties seem to be >merging into one pro-business, pro-wealthy, elitist and morally tone-deaf >governing force." > > The men on the 2000 Democratic ticket represent a new theocratic style. >Eager to evoke Judeo-Christian unity, they make a show of rejoicing in >shared monotheism. But judging from policy priorities, the one god that >they most revere is Money. > > Corporate media outlets keep praising Joe Lieberman as a paragon of moral >virtue. But actions speak much louder than pious words. He is a disaster. > >_________________________________________________ > >Norman Solomon is a syndicated columnist. His latest book is "The Habits of >Highly Deceptive Media." > > > > " Forwarded for info and discussion from the New Paradigms Discussion List, not necessarily endorsed by: *********************************** Lloyd Miller, Research Director for A-albionic Research a ruling class/conspiracy research resource for the entire political-ideological spectrum. **FREE RARE BOOK SEARCH: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ** Explore Our Archive: <http://a-albionic.com/a-albionic.html> <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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