Eh, bonobos naturally have a non-aggressive society that gets long pretty peacefully. It's a decent goal to aim for, and Bill correctly points out that the Christian Right's ideas about natural philosophy are pretty out of tune with nature.

Yes, and given what that man just did to the girls at the Amish school, I think a big group fuck after a full meal sounds pretty damn healthy.

wilhelm reich was a post-freudian therapist who came to the conclusion that most of society's problems are due to sex repression. his books were burned and he died in prison. here in the land of the free.

The Native Americans called Lacrosse the "Little Brother of War" to channel away their violent impulses as well, might this be something else we can learn too?

This discussion of sex and agression and displacement reminds me of my pet theory that somewhere, there's an alternate universe where George Bush,jr never stopped drinking and eventually opened up a video store in Houston after telling his folks to piss off, and his most offensive traits were telling dirty jokes and leering at Rice coeds.

Otherwise, alternate universe George is a reasonably decent guy, and the republicans in his Washington keep complaining about how the first lady wants to ban explicit lyrics and wish she had a more sophisticated understanding of the bill of rights.

leering at Rice coeds

heh. Rice coed?

This may be why the democrats keep losing, even when they get an election served up on a silver platter. What purpose does it serve to alienate the Christian right? If you want to alienate them in a big way and keep losing elections you might point out that anthropologists view Christianity as just another origin myth among the numerous other origin myths that exist in the world today, that should go over big.

Of course after the recent performance of democrats in the senate and pissing on their constituents perhaps one might no longer care who gets elected, a point I am rapidly approaching. Of course there is social security which Bush still plans to dismantle in the next two years but maybe no one cares about social security any longer. As the dismal economy continues and with another recession looming over the horizon social security might possibly mean the difference of having food on the table and a roof over your head for many not so well off elderly. Perhaps when you are in the springtime of your youth and you are still immortal you might not think it important that a lot of elderly people could find themselves on the street digging through garbage cans.

And then there is Medicare and Medicaid which our republican leaders would also love to dismantle. Though Clinton is a liar like the rest of his ilk he once let it slip that the cheapest way to ensure that everyone has medical coverage would be to socialize medicine. What are the chances of a republican majority instituting socialized medicine? Whoops, I forgot, silly me, we are all going to realize the American dream of opportunity and we shall all be rich beyond our wildest dreams so who needs this stuff.

Could it be that all this huffing and puffing over torture and legislation that will probably be booted out the door by the Supreme Court any way might be just the recipe to keep us from thinking about these other matters? We could ask Rove, I bet he knows.

Here's the deal, rob. The Republicans got to power by catering to the fundamentalists and the crazies. It worked a treat as long as the repression of those of us who don't think religion is a necessary component of government were willing to say precisely what you are saying -- which is, oh well, why alienate the believers when what we really want is dis and dat and the other. But it's come to this: I really want a democracy that doesn't confuse tolerance with license to repress others' beliefs or opinions or thoughts. Particularly when those others are in the minority. I never repressed the Christians, fundamentalist, evangelical, or mainstream whatever that might be. But the Christians are certainly not standing up for me and mine. And when they do shout about how necessary their religion is for "our country", well, that's when they scare me the most.

Jonathan,

Clixxon must have been referring to the those friendly Canadiens, not ancient hominids, when he said "They have the most incredibly developed social sense". I know this to be a fact because I moved up here as an ex-patriated American who will not vote in an election for the first time since 1972. I won't miss it or you crazy Americans!!!

Canadiens are wonderful people who are more socially advanced and have accepted me as one of their own. I changed my pseudonym from americanintifada to Johnny La Rue and am living cheaper and healthier up here in the Great White North. I have adopted a James Baldwin-type attitude towards America: I love her and can criticize her as an objective observer.

America doesn't really suck, it just smells bad due to gross mis-management! Enjoy your upcoming erection - I mean election, you crazy Yanks! Been there, done that, you can love it because I left it! This is one happy snowback now, eh!!!

Look, liberals have to get over this idea that we can make ourselves "attack-proof" by being careful about what we say and what we think and who we're talking to - making sure we don't offend ANYone.

We're gonna get attacked regardless. And behaving as bland, non-offensive, cyphers only compounds the problem that most voters don't know what we stand for.

Hats off to the Big Dog. We need to be ourselves and be proud of it. And hit back hard every time we're attacked...thekeez

Damn, I'm beginning to like the guy, to like a politician. Kill me now, please.

abb1,

Nay way, you must live so that you may suffer, suffer and suffer some more as I have suffered.
Besides, I like your posts.

Home of the brave, land of the free, free to starve that is.

Ruth Rosen points out what is blipping under the radar screen of more sexy issues.

http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2006/oct/04/the_care_crisis

The "Care Crisis"--the absence of anyone to care for America's children, elderly and disabled -- has turned into the new millennium's version of the "Problem That Has No Name," Child care is part of that larger Care Crisis. It is the 800-pound elephant that sits in Congress, our homes and offices -- gigantic, but ignored.

...the Bush administration has successfully dismantled government services for children. State funds for child care assistance...

Poverty -- like the care crisis -- remains invisible to mainstream America and largely outside the national political discourse. Yet, in 2004, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that poverty rates in U.S. had increased for the fourth straight year and had jumped from 31.6 million people in 2000 to 37 million, including 13 million children.

Look into the mirror. What are your values? Is your sense of security only tied to a national security program that has resulted in two failed wars and an unprecedented assault on our democratic rights? That is the question that all Americans should ask themselves before they cast their votes in November.

* * *

13 million kids living in poverty, elderly neglected, the medical care crisis, who gives a shit, right?

They should change the national anthem to mi, mi, mi or is that me, me, me. Oh! George might torture me and Foley has a boner, oh my goodness.

Saheli,

Rice University: 'spensive private school in Houston.

Co-ed:somewhat antiquated term for a female who attends college.