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| Rob's Soapbox | ||
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Congratulations!
You have finally landed on the one page on this entire site (and on the entire internet for that matter) that is purely without bullshit... my soapbox page. There are a lot of times during our show that, whether it's because of time constraints and other obligations, I don't always get to address some issues that I feel don't get the attention they deserve. There are even more times when I just don't feel like waiting until the show the next day to get some things off my chest. Thus, I have started the "Rob's Soapbox" page. If you have clicked on this page looking for someone to coddle your fragile sense of self-esteem, or tell you what you want to hear or to reinforce your outdated world view, then exit this page right now and go somewhere else. If you are in search of the last forum for reason and common sense left in the world, then sit back, relax, and enjoy. I make only one promise with this soapbox page... if you read long enough and often enough, you will eventually be offended. So here's my latest soapbox. Listen up, 'cause you just might learn something... |
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August 20, 2007 THE STUPIDITY OF UNDERSTANDING Nearly 70 years ago, a man named Neville Chamberlain, who was the Prime Minister of Great Britain at the time, came up with an idea. Dr Seuss would likely call it a wonderful, awful idea. As Adolph Hitler flexed the muscle of his growing Nazi army, and the rest of Europe (and the world) desperately prayed for an aversion to a second world war (less than 20 years after the first had ended, mind you) Chamberlain decided he would appease Hitler. The Prime Minister's well-intentioned, yet idiotic, thought was; if Great Britain gave Hitler some "concessions," the madman would appreciate it and therefore stop his march towards world domination. His policy of appeasement towards Hitler culminated in the Munich Agreement in which Britain and France accepted that the Czech region of the Sudetenland should be ceded to Germany. Chamberlain left Munich believing that by appeasing Hitler he had assured "peace for our time." However, in March 1939 Hitler annexed the rest of Czechoslovakia and in September 1939 invaded Poland. Days later, Britain declared war, Chamberlain resigned, and the world was saved (millions of deaths later) by Winston Churchill and his commitment to never again leave America's side. Appeasement never works. Parents have known this for centuries, spurning the phrase towards children "give 'em an inch, and they'll take a mile." Those of us who raise intelligent, stubborn dogs like German Shepherds are often criticized by ignorant buffoon outsiders for being "too hard on our dogs," because we always demand that they follow a strict code of routine, orders and schedule. This is done because at the "first sign of weakness," (another cliché born from experience) the Shepherd will assume his role as the leader (alpha) and will, before too long, be training you. Despite centuries of knowledge and experience, cowards like Neville Chamberlain still walk amongst us. Their well-intentioned ideology is half cowardice, half arrogance, for they believe that they will be the ones to prove to the world that lovers, not fighters, can rule the day. Contrary to all indications to the contrary, the Chamberlain's of the world wrongly and stupidly proclaim that men like Hitler are simply "misunderstood," and need a hug and a little patience and all will be right in the world. Tragically, this policy has, forgive the superlative, never worked. It's not working right now in Israel, it didn't work in the 1930's in Hitler, and it won't work tomorrow with the Islamic terrorists. Yesterday's "appeasement" is today's "understanding." The words have changed but the intentions, meaning and stupidity behind them are still the same. Last week, a major leader of the Roman Catholic Church decreed that to help us all "just get along," we should begin using the Muslim word for God wherever we go. In the interest of bridging a gap, argues the catholic church leader, we should all refer to the almighty from now on as "Allah." Bishop Tiny Muskens, from the southern diocese of Breda, told Dutch television on Monday that God did not mind what he was named and that, "Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will name God Allah? ... What does God care what we call him? It is our problem." (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20279326/) Well, isn't that sweet? Now that the Islamic fundamentalists have killed millions across the world with their reign of faceless terror, I am sure that all they need is a little understanding. Why though, should we stop at calling the Lord Allah? Why not change the name of the Bible to the Koran, demand that our women cover their faces and murder women who are victims of rape? If we are truly to "understand" the culture and belief system of these fine folks who want us dead, let's not do it half-assed. Let's pray five times per day, grow beards, eat sand and insist that all Jews fall into the ocean while we're at it. Bishop Muskens, in his cowardly fear of all things conflict, tries to dumb down his stupid idea by attacking the free world as being some form of elitist culture obsessed with names. The Bishop defends his idea by arguing that God doesn't care what we call him, as if radical Islamic terrorists believe in the same God in the first place. For the love of cheese and rice, with all of the religious hypocrisy in this world, neighbors in America who go to the same church can't even figure out if they even believe in the same God anymore! I am fairly certain that radical Islamists have already decided that their God (sorry, Allah) is not only different, but is also bigger, better, faster and stronger. Essentially, they worship the $6 million God. Oops, I mean Allah. Perhaps the most disturbing part of the bishop's suggestion, though is the insinuation that any of us should want to understand a group of murderous thugs. The politics of political correctness have been leading us down this road since we began tolerating liquor store robberies because the criminal was "just trying to feed his family." We've allowed men to walk away free who have taken the law into their own hands and given it a romantic title by calling it a "crime of passion." These were the beginnings of "understanding" how evil minds work and allowing, or appeasing, if you will, unacceptable behavior. We have been told for decades that we need to "understand" why rapists want to rape and why Count me out. I have no desire to know how or why evil thinks. The phrase "too close to the forest to see the trees" refers to people who are so engrossed in something that they need some "fresh eyes," in order to provide proper perspective. People, for example, that are outside of the forest and looking right at the trees. I will happily stand outside this forest. I will proudly point my finger and proclaim evil without understanding. I certainly will not call my God anything other than what I want to. By the way, his name is Piglet, if you must know. Understand that.
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