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And, of course, if you call Maher on one of his rants, he falls back to the old shtick, "it's a comedy bit".

They all do this. From what I've seen at the graduate school level, there are many folks who have grown up in a liberal mindset without ever questioning it, assuming that their view of the world exists in a one to one correspondence with it. When they have it drawn to their attention that this is not the case, they get very huffy. Here's an example from the '94 election. Just after that someone posted on our student network a poem called, "How the Gingrinch Stole the Election." I responded with the following:

So, let me see if I've got this straight. If the Whoville population votes for liberal, Democrat, programs and politics (though, remember who said, back in the awful '80's, that the key to the Democrat election strategy then was to "find the fear button and lean on it as hard as [they]" could--Tony Coelho, gee, a Democrat), they are enlightened and rational, but if they vote for non-liberal (i.e., non-socialist) Republicans they are being misled and ripped off? Such a society-wide characterization in terms that are so easily refuted by facts says far more about the individual psychology and ideology of its "creators" than it does about the Whoville population.

It's so much easier to mourn their gullibility, their stupidity, their guileless noble victimhood than it is to entertain the possibility that their decision was informed and rational. It's so much easier to deny the pain of being rejected if you believe the one rejecting you didn't know the real you, didn't appreciate the sacrifice of time, intellect, and resources (in the form of Whoville lifeblood sucked out of him as taxes) you've been spending on his behalf--if he doesn't realize this, he's misled (not able to acknowledge what you know to be in his best interest) or incompetent, and so to be pitied and cared for; if he does realize this, then he must be evil (actively opposing the good you so ardently desire to do for him), and so must be characterized as the ravening wolf who lusts to devour your flock of lambs.

To believe that someone who thinks differently than you is, by doing so, opposing you or the good you hope to do is to be delusional, or at best childish (Mommy, the moon's following me!). It may be simply that he has his own ideas, beliefs, and understandings of life to which he is just as entitled as you. He may be more successful at promoting his ideas than you are. Of course, that doesn't mean they are necessarily correct; but to characterize, then, those who believe him rather than you as gullible, or stupid, or weak is to climb up on a pedestal from which you may all too easily fall. On November 8 we heard the crash.

Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, engage in some self-examination, stop sentimentalizing life, and get real. Remember, those little lambs can grow up to be big rams that won't be so easily led.

To which I received this reply from the original poster:

-WARNING-WARNING-WARNING-WARNING-WARNING-WARNING-
The following product contains passages that are potentially humorous. The humor impaired are thus advised to laugh at various points throughout this passage so as not to attract attention to themselves. Furthermore, this passage may or may not contain satirical content. Additionally, the nature of this satire (given it's presence) has not been determined. Experts are currently working long hours deconstructing this passage to determine both the presence and nature of the supposed satire. This passage may have been written by a Democrat, in which case few people may care. However, it might have been written by a Republican and it has been scientifically shown that Republicans are devoid of a sense of humor (This was shown in the famous study that showed that Republicans do not have sex). A little known Zen aphorism addresses this case- Is a joke told by a person with no sense of humor funny? The most perplexing possibilities is that this piece was written by a very large democrat pretending to be a republican pretending to be a democrat in a convenience store. In that case this would be the first known example of mega-man-mini-mart-meta-meta-meta satire.

If and when this analysis is complete the information will be distributed to concerned parties. However, be forewarned that even within a well defined system of axioms, satirical content may not be able to be determined. Also, the exact location of satire and the speed at which this satire is travelling cannot be simultaneously determined.

Today's sermon will be from the The Gospel According to Luke, chapter 6, verses 27-36 King Rush version*.

I say unto you, Love your self,
do good to them which give you money.
Bless them that elect you,
and pray (in school) for the eternal damnation of them which are different from yourself.
And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek,
increase defense spending so thy make smite him back harder!
Him that taketh thy cloak offer a 5'x5' cell.
Give to every needed corporation that asketh of thee;
and of him that taketh away thy goods demand that they get a job within 2 years.
And as ye would suspect that man should do to you,
do ye also to them first.
For if ye love them which love the same kind, what thank have ye?
for liberals also love those that love those of the same.
And if ye do good to them which do no work, what thank have ye?
for liberals also do even the same.
And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye?
Very much-hopefully 20% or more.
But smite ye your enemies,
and do good for the vast oil industry,
and lend to struggling cattle ranchers,
subsidize the overproduction of weapons,
hoping for nothing in return;
and you reward shall be a great tax reduction and reduction of the deficit,
(You do believe in miracles, don't you?)
and ye shall be the electorate of the highest executive:
for he is kind unto the people who are like him.
Be ye therefore exclusionary,
as your Leader also is exclusionary.

*Sworn testimonials concerning the new King Rush's version of the bible. -I love the new King Rush's version! Before it was so tough to actually follow the teachings of Christ and be right wing, but now it's a snap!

-I always knew that Christianity wasn't all that mushy love-your-brother crap.