John Scalzi is a popular science fiction writer (though alas one of those writers who remains most famous for their first book, in his case Old Man’s War from 2005, though I’m sure he, and critics, would say he’s written many novels since just as good or better) who is also a very astute commentator, about many things including politics. He runs a blog with daily posts, many given over to less famous writers promoting their latest books (which is very nice of him), and only occasionally discussing politics. Scalzi lives in Ohio, a red state with some notorious policies, but doesn’t let that bother him. He holds strong opinions but comes across as reasonable and mind-mannered, quite unlike the in-your-face attitude of David Brin. Here are some comments from his post two days ago:
Whatever, 16 Aug 2022: Oh, Right, Governance
I’ve noted before that I am posting less about politics these days, primarily because I find it largely enervating, and there are only so many ways to say “The current GOP is a white supremacist authoritarian cult who threw away any pretense at seriousness to grovel at the feet of an actual seditious criminal” before one starts to sound like a broken record. That said, for people who have an interest in actual governance, today wasn’t a bad day: President Biden got to sign into law the Inflation Reduction Act, which is actually mostly a climate and medical care bill, but, sure, call it the Inflation Reduction Act if you like, why not.
The act, now law, actually gets us a reasonable distance to meeting our climate remediation goals (knocks on wood) and helps shave down drug prescription and other medical costs, mostly for seniors. It covers a lot of ground, raises revenues to pay for the plans, and generally is a decent bill that does things as well as can be done when one entire party won’t vote for anything the other party proposed even if it were to build a golden shrine to Ronald Reagan on a national park land leased for its oil rights.
(And when he’s sarcastic, at least he’s funny about it.)
He considers the trade-offs and comprises of the bill, and thinks it is a pretty good deal. “‘I get everything I want or I set it all on fire’ is not actually a good way to govern.”
It also means that at this point Biden has done an actually pretty good job of carrying out his campaign goals, in terms of the legislation that’s gotten through Congress. He’s done a very poor job of communicating that fact to this point, because none of this legislation is really what you’d call sexy; it’s mostly blandly practical at best, and also, it’s debatable whether people actually want to hear about it. Biden was voted into office as much if not more to deny Trump a second term than anything else. But when you add up everything that’s gotten through Congress to be signed into law, well. Turns out Biden’s been pretty effective when no one’s been paying attention. Who knew?
[…]
We’re closer to not baking in our own juices over the next few decades, and we’ll keep some folks from not having to choose between rent, food or medications. It’s not nothing. In fact, it’s a lot of something. It’s not everything, but it’s more than I would have counted on even a couple of months ago. And it’s worth noting, and remembering when it’s time to cast your ballot.
Hear, hear.
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Salon, Ariel Gold, 18 Aug 2022: A new holy war rises in America, Israel and Europe — people of faith must stand against it
Subtitle: “From Jan. 6 rioters to the West Bank, the poisonous distortion of scripture is fueling conflict. We can stop it”
(So this is an article defending scripture? Yes, from those who would use it to justify white supremacy or Jewish supremacy.)
After the 2020 election, right-wing pro-Trump activists planned and carried out a series of “Jericho Marches” to invoke the bloody biblical story of the siege of Jericho as a call to action to keep Trump in office. As Jan. 6 neared, Proud Boys members could be seen praying near the Washington Monument, comparing the “sacrifice” they were preparing to make to the crucifixion of Jesus. The next evening, they rampaged through town, attacking African-American churches and other houses where Black Lives Matter signs were displayed. Tennessee pastor Greg Locke praised the Proud Boys and lauded America as “the last bastion of Christian freedom.”
The writer then describes recent analogous events in Israel in the name of Jewish supremacy.
Regardless of your political or religious outlook or how deep the divisions among us currently are, I have to believe that all people of conscience are sickened by this perversion of sacred texts to justify white and Christian supremacy or, in Israel’s case, Jewish supremacy.
My comments: But then extremists throughout history have always resorted to religious texts to justify themselves. (Michel Onfray provides many examples.) You can justify anything via scripture.
