Speaking of the Republican understanding of the rule of law, this on:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/5/14/145223/201

This is from a CNN transcript of the "news" program I heard yesterday afternoon, a conversation between Rick Sanchez, a CNN anchor, and CNN Iraq Correspondent Michael Holmes. (Though they call it a "rush" transcript it is correct. I won't forget it.) Sanchez's 100% solution, so to speak.

HOLMES: There are some good things happening here. There's - you know, Petraeus is -- General Petraeus is a smart guy. He's a scholar of counterinsurgency. Written books about it. And he's doing some very good things, but I wonder whether they're a couple years too late.

SANCHEZ: I'm just thinking that is there a way to win? And what is the definition of winning? Mine would be -- I'll share mine with you. Mine would be, A, stop killing them, thereby they'll stop hating you and wanting to kill you, or B, kill them all.

Dear World:

The majority of American people are trying to get all of these psychos out of office as quickly as possible, but a lot of members of our congress are "scared" they won't get re-elected if they stand up for anything.

P.S. Don't feel like you're being singled out. For "them" please feel free to substitute the words "gay", "Democrat" or "Mexican."

I thought you were talking about the comments and I thought, "No more than usual."

This place is as close as I've ever come to participating in a sustained rational dialogue among peers, especially where the Internet is concerned.

American Christianity is probably the worst thing that has ever happened to American Christianity. I never got why it turned into what it has become. I don't get it now.

This is what I was taught:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

And this:

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, pray for them that persecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven, for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the tax-gatherers the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Gentiles so? And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what gain have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Most High: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

and this:

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

Fundamentalist Christianity is antithetical to this. Whatever else it may be, it is not Christianity. It has no business in politics. None. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Nichts.

I posted what I posted as a general pointer in the direction of traditional Christianity. Most of the world religions, East and West, begin with mysticism and end with institutions in search of power. With regard to the real benefits of religion, William Timberman pretty much said it all earlier in the thread.

I never argue with hard-core Fundamental Baptists. In my 20s, I attended several political Fundamental Baptist churches. I heard more than one minister say, at the height of his sermon, that we would know we were chosen when America became a Theocracy, with one god and one man anointed by god, to lead the country and the world.

I think that's still pretty much the goal.

It sounds very similar to the restoration of the caliphate, al-Quaida stuff I hear on the news and attributed to the terrorists.

I know that it's a broken record to argue with hard-core Fundamentalists, so I'm going to give it a rest.

There is no end to it.

Taken as a whole, what you are describing, and what the American public must certainly be aware of by this point, is the singular intent and unrelenting effort at the highest levels of government to politicize the entire U.S. government down to the last decision maker and to subvert any attempt on the part of anyone in government or the media to find and expose the truth of the matter.