At the risk of sounding like Outside the Beltway is my primary link with the world (which is actually true, but sounds awful, so baldly stated), I'm going to link James in two posts in a row.

Because he found this gem in Slate: the PowerPoint version of Bill Clinton's new book.

Think of all the time I'm saving you. Nine-hundred fifty-seven pages worth.

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And now, the Lefterator will help you clarify your thoughts. Or muddy them.

Let us never forget that the Pax Americana of the future brings forth this calamity brought to us by a horrific onslaught, known as Shock and Awe. So far, the American state, with its unelected president, venal Supreme Court, silent Congress, gutted Bill of Rights and compliant media belies justifications given by the world's leading apologists for the final subjugation of the Middle East, beginning with the $90bn invasion of Iraq. For one thing, the 15-minute speech delivered Monday night by President Bush leads our attention to the essential Western imperial interests. As Norman Mailer pointed out, the pro-Sharon neoconservative cabal brings about the theocrat Ashcroft's suspension of our civil rights.

It'll give you as much of that as you can stand.

Via Michele.

Posted by: Attila at 01:34 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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On Ted Rall's cartoons.

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Via James, Tim Cavanaugh discusses his feeling that Bush will be a lock this fall. I've been saying much the same thing myself—that it won't even be that close.

Whether people vote security or the economy, Bush is the guy. This should become clearer and clearer as time goes on.

One interesting phenomenon in the Reason blog is former Gore voters documenting, in the comments section, their "road to Damascus" moments, and explaining why they are now voting for Bush.

Hint: Damascus must be somewhere in New York City.

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I vote for the $20 bill. Why fuck around?

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When SondraK was guest-blogging over at Dean's World, she drew our attention to the fact that there are Pagan Conservatives. Matter of fact, there are a few Yahoo Groups that deal with Pagan issues from a conservative perspective, and vice versa.

Steven Malcolm Anderson, the most colorful (and among the most lucid) of Dean's commenters, had this to say on the subject:

"Pagan" and "Conservative" are practically synonymous. "Pagan" or "Heathen" comes from "country-dweller", a "rustic" , or (today) "redneck". They were those in the late Roman Empire who lived out in the country and held to their old Gods and Goddesses while the city-slickers were taking up exotic eastern cults like Mithraism or -- what's the name of that new one they've got? Christos? Christo? Christianity? Never heard of it! What's with young people today? Aren't the Deities of their grandfathers good enough for them?

In ancient Egypt, these Conservatives opposed Akhenaton and his monotheistic revolution. I would have been one of those reactionary polytheists. I have often said that Akhenaton was the first Communist.

Today in America and the West, the Conservatives, the "Pagans", are usually traditional Christians. Yes, the Jack T. Chick Protestants and the Latin Mass Catholics are the most "Pagan" of the "Pagans" of today, sticking to the old ways. The deepest Christians today are precisely those who would have most fiercely resisted Christianity a thousand years ago.

Polytheist Pagans and traditional Christians ought to be allies against the secularizing, levelling, homogenizing forces of the modern world.

Thomas Molnar, a Conservative Catholic who used to write in the "National Review", once co-authored a book with Alain de Benoist, a polytheist who leads Europe's New Right (Nouvelle Droite), "Eclipse du Sacre" ("Eclipse of the Sacred").

"New Right"? Old Right. Ancient Right! Eternal Right!

Posted by Steven Malcolm Anderson, the Lesbian-worshipping gun-loving selfish aesthete, on June 07, 2004 at 9:53 PM

A friend of mine who is interested in a lot of different approaches to spirituality—yet has a head on his shoulders, and politics a bit right of center on some issues—has this take:

Yes, I've heard of these folks, and am glad they're around to provide some of that DIVERSITY that the lefty-pagans are always whining about.

As a self-confessed "Apollonian Pagan," I've always been ill at ease with the lockstep leftism and knee-jerk counterculturalism that infests the "earth religion" scene. If anyone's to blame for it, I'd name Miriam (Starhawk) Simos as a prime suspect; she's spent the last 30-odd years trying to turn Paganism/Wicca into a spiritual front for ultra-left activism, and has been fairly successful, especially in the Bay Area.

My friend wants me to turn you, my loyal readers, on to this site which could be the biggest clearinghouse for Conservative Pagan thought.

I am a Christian, but I love the fact that these people exist, and I'm glad they are blowing the minds of their fellow pagans. Tear those stereotypes down! The people who learn T'ai Chi with my husband and me are gradually learning that their Bush jokes may get a chilly reception from us. It's a bigger world than they might think.

In fact, that's one of the biggest attractions about driving a Prius: if I get one I can put a nice GOP bumpersticker on it. No one will be expecting that.

Posted by: Attila at 02:51 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 SHHHH... I BELONG to Pagan Conservatives and Phoenix is a personal pal Thanks for gleaning the veiled trail I had wished to draw folks down..... And honey....I am tearing down those walls and leaving people scratching their heads as a mission. One of the most common introduction e-mails to or group is one that exclaims relief and camaraderie that "I am not alone". And we're quite an iconoclastic bunch even within ourselves!

Posted by: SondraK at June 11, 2004 08:39 PM (+9BwC)

2 Oh, girl. Thanks for stopping by, You are the woman, and now on my regular stomping grounds.

Posted by: Attila Girl at June 12, 2004 02:54 AM (LcVoH)

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Who would have thought that this man we looked down upon, thought of as a buffoon, and denigrated at every opportunity would end up saving millions of lives and bringing freedom to so many in the world—Eastern Europe in particular?

When James was talking a few days ago about George H.W. Bush and the great example he set for other former Presidents, in terms of the happy, active and fulfilling life he lives now, I couldn't help but think about Reagan. And it broke my heart that he was going this way, enduring ten years of suffering. Incurring huge suffering for his family—especially Nancy.

And I hoped this day would come soon, so we could mourn for him honestly, and regard him as being really dead—rather than existing in a sort of twilight wherein we couldn't reach him, or see him, or really discuss him in the past tense, either.

It was time. I do not know God's reasoning for anything any of us goes through, but I'm glad Nancy's ordeal is over. I'm glad Ronald Reagan is at peace.

The world owes him a huge debt.

James has some good roundups, as does Dean. Since each has multiple entries on Reagan, I suggest you go there and scroll.

Light a candle. Fly the flag. Pray we have more like him.

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