Tuesday, September 29, 2009

And with Bill Ayers as John the Baptist ...

I've been accused of being a bit hyperbolic in portraying government as a religion-substitute for some people. Hmmm ... Have I gone overboard? Have I pushed the point too far by suggesting that the state has become a stand-in God for folks who just must have something ruling over their lives?

You watch the video below and tell me.

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10 Comments:

Blogger Amagi said...

I think you are spot-on when you compare government as a religious movement for some people. In fact I have been in several discussions with a self proclaimed democratic-socialist who explicitly said that he feels government should be the religion of the people. If we would just turn over our will and self-interest to the government and do what Big Brother asks we would all be better off.

September 29, 2009 9:58 AM  
Blogger Kent McManigal said...

I'm still an atheist. :)

September 29, 2009 3:01 PM  
Blogger akaGaGa said...

And I'm still nauseated.

September 29, 2009 10:02 PM  
Blogger Dan Clore said...

Media Matters has already refuted this claim:

http://mediamatters.org/research/200909290055

They are actually saying "O God", not "Obama". Listen closely. It's sad to see a libertarian (one whom I admire) repeating this sort of thing.

September 30, 2009 4:07 AM  
Blogger J.D. Tuccille said...

I'm not buying Media Matters's claim on this one. I listened closely and it still sounds like "Obama." Media Matters can be a helpful resource, but I find them to be a bit forgiving when somebody to whom they're sympathetic is targeted.

September 30, 2009 7:38 AM  
Anonymous The Infamous Oregon Lawhobbit said...

I don't know that "you watch the video and tell me" is quite the same as a libertarian repeating something. That being said, I completely agree that the State is god for many people and the process of governing (others) is their one true religion. You have worship, you have sacrifice (again, usually others), you have prayers for "god" to grant your wishes, you have fervent hatred for the heretics who don't believe - or who even doubt or question. Sure sounds like religion to me.

September 30, 2009 7:39 AM  
Anonymous The Infamous Oregon Lawhobbit said...

Nah. JD is right. It's clearly three syllables - O - Ba - Ma.

But JD runs a pretty free comments section here - so you can keep on trying to bring kindling to burn him at the stake for his heresy. :D

September 30, 2009 7:42 AM  
Blogger Kent McManigal said...

Listening again, with my eyes closed and concentrating, I believe that some people are chanting "Obama" while most are chanting "Oh God". I can clearly hear both. It's like one of those optical illusions where you can see one of two things, but not both at the same time. That might be why different people hear different things. I used to say "unapproved" things in the chorus of voices when I was dragged to church.

September 30, 2009 10:13 AM  
Blogger J.D. Tuccille said...

If Kent is right, that means the event wasn't organized as a formal prayer to Barack Obama, but that some members of the audience began to spontaneously direct their hosannas in his direction. I don't find that less creepy.

And yes, I'm well aware that George W. Bush was "chosen by God. This stuff isn't confined to one side of the (authoritarian) political spectrum.

September 30, 2009 2:25 PM  
Blogger Dan Clore said...

It's not always easy to make out what they're saying, and they don't always seem to be in sync with each other. But while in some cases it sounds like it could be three syllables -- or perhaps two with people not well in sync, in other cases it is clearly only two. (Maybe they're saying "O Bomb"?) I think that people are probably hearing "Obama" due to suggestion. Much like being told that John Lennon says "I buried Paul" results in people hearing him say "I say buried Paul", when he's actually saying "cranberry sauce".

It's also great to know that there's a LawHobbit here in Oregon--

September 30, 2009 5:17 PM  

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