Stevie Joe and Mark Twain

Right on, Brother Sam!
Stevie Joe Parker

Stevie Joe's Fast

As chair (and possibly the only member) of the Peace and Social Justice Committee down at the Junebug Holler Community Church of the Righteous Shepherd, I have been investigating various peace and social justice-type activities in which the local parishioners can participate. I'm a little late on this one, but tomorrow, Monday, October 8, is the Interfaith Fast to End the War in Iraq. This is a nationwide event to raise awareness of the spiritual importance of peace in Iraq.

I discussed this during coffee hour after services today and did not get much support from the congregation. See, folks in Junebug Holler like to eat. A lot. The fast only lasts from sunrise to sunset, but that's still a long time for local folks even if it's only for one day. Of course, some tried to cite concern for the health of the Junebug Cafe and Internet Lounge as their reason for not participating. Without all those Denver omelets, Trudy might just go under. Never mind the fact that Trudy herself was in favor of the fast.

Well, eat or don't eat, but try to spend a little time on Monday thinking about a peaceful world. That's gotta be worth something.

Mmmmm, omelets . . .
Stevie Joe Parker

Stevie Joe and Peace Day

Just missed it. Keep it in mind for next year.



Peace,
Stevie Joe Parker

Stevie Joe to Boycott Beijing Olympics

There has been a lot of discussion lately about China's actions both at home and in Sudan. There aren't too may ways to cut it: China has a brutal, repressive government. So, as my own form of protest, I will not seek a spot on the US team at the 2008 Summer Games. I will not participate in any Olympic qualifiers nor will I entertain any offers from the selection committee.

If we want freedom and justice in this world, we sometimes must make personal sacrifices. I am ready to make mine today.

Citius, Altius, Fortius,
Stevie Joe Parker

Stevie Joe, The Good Professor, Alan Greenspan, and Adam Smith

It appears that the Good Professor from Edinburgh has indeed responded to old Stevie Joe, but he did not do so by name. Check out his post here to see the details. Here is one quote of interest:

. . . some acknowledge their ‘errors’ but as brazenly declare they will continue with their attributions because that is what the modern profession has decided to do, and it’s now ‘irreversible’ (a strange stance for scholars) . . .

This might be a strange stance for scholars if said scholars were addressing other academics in the field of economics (this is an excellent spectator sport, but I choose not to be a participant). However, old Stevie Joe is addressing the entire world here and must deal with how most folks perceive Adam Smith whether or not this perception is accurate.

Just to show, however, that Stevie Joe is not alone, check out this post by the Good Professor. Here, he argues that Alan Greenspan doesn't really understand Adam Smith either. Here's a quote:

. . .he [Greenspan] does not seem to be acquainted with his Works to any degree. His image of Adam Smith is firmly stuck in the Chicago model of Adam Smith, which has little acquaintance with the man from Kirkcaldy.

I know for a fact that both Stevie Joe and Mr. Greenspan are damn geniuses. Professor Kennedy makes no attempt to explain how we both could be wrong about this. After all, I know a lot about everything, and Alan Greenspan would appear to know a lot about economics. I say this round goes to the geniuses.

Thinking of Groundskeeper Willie,
Stevie Joe Parker

Stevie Joe Has More on the Wall Street Journal

I found another blogger that is discussing the "Jonah's Dilemma" column. He appears to be Don Clark, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal (original publisher of the column). Surprisingly, Don agrees with Mikey and Marky, but I've added my own two bits in the comments section of Mr. Clark's blog. We'll see if and how he replies.

Speaking of the WSJ, my super high-tech tracking service says that someone there has been reading ol' Stevie Joe's thoughts about the Jonah column. I've also picked up a few fans in Israel and the federal government. Well, Stevie Joe just wants to say "Howdy!" to all y'all!

Speaking the truth,
Stevie Joe Parker

Stevie Joe Blows the Lid on the Wall Street Journal

This week, there was a column in the Wall Street Journal entitled "Jonah's Dilemma." Now, most folks know the story about how Jonah was swallowed by the whale. However, there is a bit more to it. If you find reading the Bible to be a bit tiresome, I recommend watching the Veggie Tales version starring Archibald the Asparagus as Jonah. Bible story, animated vegetables, and a bit of Gilbert & Sullivan-style whimsy - what's not to like?

Anyway, Jonah was the reluctant prophet. One day, God commands Jonah to go to Nineveh and tell the folks there to wise up and repent or prepare for some smiting. Jonah sees this as a no-win situation for himself. If they repent and nothing happens, they'll think ol' Jonah was pulling their legs. If they don't repent and God goes medieval on them, then Jonah has failed in his mission.

So, the two WSJ geniuses who wrote the column, Michael B. Oren and Mark Gerson, compare the story of Jonah to the decisions that must be made by today's world leaders. For example, Churchill predicted the threat posed by Nazi Germany. Had he decided to strike first, he might have been accused of starting an unnecessary war rather than preventing an even larger conflict. Since he did not strike first, World War Two resulted.

Mikey and Marky then carry the analogy to President Numbnuts and the Iraq War. Damned if he attacks, damned if he doesn't. Poor ol' George. No matter what he does, the liberals are going to criticize him.

Now, here's where these two Bozos go wrong. They are offering a false choice. They present the dilemma of today's world leaders as a choice between launching a war or doing nothing. However, it does not take a genius like Stevie Joe to see that there are many more choices than that. In fact, any leader who chooses such a simplified view of crisis management is inherently unfit for the job!

So, what exactly is behind this poor attempt to justify the war in Iraq? To find out, we have to take a closer look at Mikey and Marky.

Mikey is a fellow at the Shalem Center. According to their website, they are "a Jerusalem-based research and educational institute dedicated to developing and transmitting ideas in the areas most crucial to the intellectual and public life of the Jewish people." Mikey himself lives in Jerusalem and served as an officer in the Israeli army. He fought in the first and second Lebanon Wars and was a liaison to the US during the first Gulf War. So, he's not exactly a disinterested party.

What about Marky? According to the WSJ, he is co-founder and chairman of the Gerson Lehman Group. What do they do, you ask? They provide access for their clients to over 150,000 "subject-matter experts." Sounds innocent enough although I'm not sure how that qualifies him to discuss either the Bible or foreign policy.

But wait, there's more! A little searching shows that Marky is part of the Project for a New American Century, the neoconservative think-tank that was the driving force behind President Numbnut's foreign policy. The PNAC was founded by a real group of sweethearts including Dick Cheney, Jeb Bush, Paul Wolfowitz, Don Rumsfeld, Scooter Libby, Dan Quayle, Elliot Abrams, Bill Bennett, and Steve Forbes.

So, why isn't the WSJ up front about this? Why hide the fact that this column was written by an Israeli army officer and a mouthpiece for the Bush administration? Is this your idea of editorial integrity? Shame on you, WSJ!

Oh, snap!
Stevie Joe Parker