Politics – Monday Thoughts

I don’t feel like doing news today, but I do have some things to muse. And here they are.

Election 2008

Just as much a comedy as I thought it would be. The latest laugh being the so called ‘super delegates’. Why this sort of thing exists is beyond me. All over some sources of coverage are how these delegates could, if they so desire, potentially overwrite the will of the people in the democratic primaries.

This isn’t a laugh because it effects any candidate that I care about(I have yet to care much about any of those currently at the forefront), but on the principal that a very small group of people could overturn the general direction of US opinion when it comes to a future presidential candidate.

Why we don’t have a straight up numbers election for any of this amazes me. Yes, some states will have less say because of power populations, but its long since time for there to be a simpler, fairer means of determining who will run the country, wherein everyone gets the same say in the end. Same thing as needs be done with the tax system. Simplification and fairness.

Scientology

I’ve written about this subject before. But I haven’t gone back to read that article I crafted years ago. I have, however, been musing the subject recently. I’ve been looking at vids on XenuTV and have been repeatedly amazed by the antics of those associated with the official ‘Church’ of Scientology. Not Lisa McPherson or other such incidents, but the way they act toward the owner of the above linked channel and associates, as captured on tape.

Badgering folks on their ‘crimes’, stalking them, setting up incidents and other such small shows of less than amiable behavior. It all hints toward the sort of dark corruption that lies at the heart of the ‘Church’ of Scientology.

Mind you I don’t particularly have any antipathy toward the practice of Scientology itself, despite the goofy beliefs attested to it. I think the beliefs of other religions to be less than believable. Some people say that the ‘tech’ from Scientology help them. I’m not one to deny that without tangible proof to the opposite. I acknowledge that the practices outside of the official ‘Church’ itself may well be a positive force for many.

My concern lies with the organized aspect of Scientology that does so much to defame itself in my eyes. After this many years, my views have matured, but not changed. Organized Scientology is a dangerous force that has made far too much headway toward legitimacy on this Earth. It needs considerable reform if not outright destruction.

However, I don’t support the efforts of some toward that goal. Mark Bunker, owner of the XenuTV channel, is one who acts against the official Church of Scientology in a proper way. Protesting peacefully and documenting the negative side that few see. There is also a group calling itself Anonymous who is behind Project Chanology, a more militant, internet based effort against organized Scientology. They use illegal methods such as DDoS attacks in an attempt to shove Scientology off the net.

It seems like they’ve toned it down a bit as of late, but they merit watching. While I applaud their focus on pushing back the ‘Church’ of Scientology, illegal tomfoolery is not the proper means to get it done. Legal methods will work, given time and the spread of true information about the dark side of the ‘Church’. Protest to get their tax exempt status removed will be a serious blow to their claim of legitimacy.

Despite how we might feel about this group, the means used to confront them should be legal. It gives them no ammunition and keeps those who would resist them from damaging their own lives in their bid to prevail.