THIS MODERN WORLD

This is US weapons inspector David Kay in 2004, describing Iraq under the rule of Saddam Hussein:

KAY: [Iraq] was really spinning into a vortex of corruption from the very top in which people were lying to Saddam, lying to each other for money; the graft and how much you could get out of the system rather than how much you could produce was a dominant issue.

This is a description of America under the rule of George W. Bush:

On Wall Street, his name is legendary. With money he had made as a lifeguard on the beaches of Long Island, he built a trading powerhouse that had prospered for more than four decades. At age 70, he had become an influential spokesman for the traders who are the hidden gears of the marketplace.

But on Thursday morning, this consummate trader, Bernard L. Madoff, was arrested at his Manhattan home by federal agents who accused him of running a multibillion-dollar fraud scheme — perhaps the largest in Wall Street’s history.

Regulators have not yet verified the scale of the fraud. But the criminal complaint filed against Mr. Madoff on Thursday in federal court in Manhattan reports that he estimated the losses at $50 billion.

Speaking of Madoff, here’s a repetition of my rule of thumb for US politics, since it clearly also applies to US society generally:

There’s a rule of thumb for American politics that will never steer you wrong: if the Washington press corps worships a political figure and squeaks for decades on end about how he’s a Brave Man of Honor and Wisdom, that political figure is one of the most dangerous lying scumbags on earth.

Hard to say what’s more annoying, a blog that’s never updated, or a blog whose only update consists of lame excuses about holiday deadlines. Or maybe there’s one more category, the blogger who tries to pretend that’s not what he’s doing at all.

At any rate, there’s one thing of which we can always be certain: Compilations of This Modern World cartoons make fine holiday presents indeed. As do Tom Tomorrow t-shirts and coffee mugs.

It probably won’t be there by the time you read this, but according to my Wikipedia entry, I graduated with honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

I’m not even sure if I’ve ever been to Santa Barbara.

(In contrast, things that are true — my work with SNL and Michael Moore — are flagged as needing a citation … which I guess this post provides, in some circular fashion …)

I’m going to stop taking orders for signed prints after next Thursday, just to make sure I’ve got time to get orders out before the holidays. After that, they won’t be available again until January sometime.

It’s not that unusual for evangelical leaders to play fast and loose with “thou shalt not kill”, but I am a little surprised to see the touchy-feely Rick Warren join in the act :

HANNITY: Can you talk to rogue dictators? Ahmadinejad denies the Holocaust, wants to wipe Israel off the map, is seeking nuclear weapons.

WARREN: Yes.

HANNITY: I think we need to take him out.

WARREN: Yes.

HANNITY: Am I advocating something dark, evil or something righteous?

WARREN: Well, actually, the Bible says that evil cannot be negotiated with. It has to just be stopped. And I believe…

HANNITY: By force?

WARREN: Well, if necessary. In fact, that is the legitimate role of government. The Bible says that God puts government on earth to punish evildoers.

Like I said, this is hardly remarkable. Televangelists like Pat Robertson have been openly praying the deaths of Supreme Court Justices and foreign leaders for years now. What I find unique about this situation is that Warren, through a spokesperson, cited specific Bible verses for his Christ-tinted deathwish. From ThinkProgress :

Does Warren really consider it part of his ministry to sanctify the inch-deep theologizing-cum-warmongering of thugs like Sean Hannity? If so, who else does Warren think Jesus would bomb?
I contacted Pastor Warren’s office for clarification, specifically to find out where, exactly, the Bible says that “God puts government on earth to punish evildoers” like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
. . .
Pastor Warren’s office called back to confirm that Warren was indeed referring to Romans 13. I responded, as I wrote in my post, that Romans 13 addresses the power of civil government to punish criminals, and has nothing to do with killing foreign leaders. Warren’s representative said she’d check on that and get back to me again.

So…Rick Warren, one of the most powerful and influential evangelical voices in the country thinks that our relationship to our government should follow what’s written in Romans 13?? This Romans 13?

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Wow. It’s gonna be a quiet eight years, huh?

(For a Prop. 8 bonus, check our Romans 13:9-10. It would be nice for once if the religious phonies who use the Bible to justify their prejudices actually read the book they’re quoting.)