O’Reilly and Ron Paul debate U.S. Middle East policy

This one is difficult to watch because O'Reilly is so utterly condescending and so unwilling to allow his guest (Ron Paul) to speak. The debate does capture the neocon perspective (O'Reilly) and Paul's view, to which I am sympathic. Ron Paul argues that our "troubles" in the Middle East are…

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Maher: Tell Bush what he wants to hear

The idea of Bill Maher's post is that we should just tell President Bush that his wildest fantasies are, indeed, coming true. Will Bush ever find out that we're lying to him?  Are you kidding?  He just told Australia's Prime Minister that we're "kicking ass" in Iraq.  That's the way it…

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Iraq doesn’t exist anymore

That is the opinion of Nir Rosen, independent journalist and the author of "In the Belly of the Green Bird: The Triumph of the Martyrs in Iraq."  In this interview with Amy Goodman of DemocracyNow.org Rosen comments that Iraq is still losing 50,000 people per month.  Where are these refugees…

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It’s time to bomb Iran, per FOX

If you somehow haven't yet figured out how the incessant lies of FOX led us to begin the senseless bloody occupation of Iraq, you can catch it all again. Except it's about Iran now. This video comparing the FOX campaigns against Iraq and Iran is almost unbelievable. Is there anyone…

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Larry Bates offers his prescription for End Times woes: buy and eat silver

Once in a while, I tune into KJSL, a St. Louis Christian talk radio station.  I do this as part of a conscious effort to make myself listen to people with views that are dramatically different from my own.  Perhaps I will understand those views better if I take the time to listen more.

While I was driving last week, the station featured a show called “News and Views,” hosted by a man named “Dr. Larry Bates.”  The host repeatedly painted the future of the US as bleak, thanks to irresponsible financial policies by the federal government.  Because I have some sympathy with that general conclusion, I continued to listen.  It turned out that Bates was predicting the imminent financial collapse of the United States.  Although I doubted that conclusion, I continued to listen.

Bates then indicated that he is also a big proponent of religious “End Times.”  In short, he believes that Jesus will soon be returning to Earth in order to sort things out.  I have no sympathy for this religious view.  In fact, I find End Times beliefs to be irresponsible and destructive for the numerous reasons.  For example, I do not hold the Bible to be inerrant. Based on my study of the Bible, although it offers some good stories and some reasonable moral instruction, it is also rife with bad advice, contradictions and senseless violence.

“Dr. Larry Bates” wears many hats.  He claims to be an economist, publisher, editor, …

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Continue ReadingLarry Bates offers his prescription for End Times woes: buy and eat silver