Josh Rushing: My New Hero

Josh Rushing is a retired Marine Lieutenant who appeared in the documentary "Control Room" (2004). He is now employed by Al Jazeera (to the horror of his former employers, the Marine Corps and the Bush Administration). This interview, hosted by Democracy Now!, is powerful because of Josh Rushing's unassuming truthfulness. He's a retired Marine, a veteran of the Iraq War who served for several years as the Media Liaison for the U.S. military.

This interview gives a glimpse into his transformed worldview--from that of a military messenger boy to an advocate for free speech and bipartisan reporting.

I was shocked at the level of media censorship that continues to prevent Americans from seeing a well-rounded picture of the war in Iraq. While it is a good thing that Al Jazeera doesn't explicitly cater to the U.S. government's opinion, this is exactly why this news network does not appear on any American television stations. Instead of conforming to the whims of the elite who rule American politics, Al Jazeera tries to appeal to a worldwide audience.

Al Jazeera is arguably the most far-reaching news network in the world. Isn't it a little strange that the English version of this network can't get a lick of airtime on one of our hundreds of cable/satellite channels?

Anyhow, this interview is great. Rushing's book looks like a decent read as well:

Don't Let Religion Guide Your Choice in This Year's Election

My main motivation for voting four years ago was religion (President Bush seemed to be Christian, therefore I voted for him). I now realize that this is a misguided way to vote.

It has become clear that George W. Bush has been following the trend of his predecessors, taking as much power as he can whenever he can get away with it. This is a fundamental betrayal of the American people.

It has slipped his mind that the limitations of his office are purposeful. There's a good reason the Executive branch is limited; let's keep it that way. I sincerely doubt that President Bush remembers very often what a humble role the Executive branch (and indeed all the branches) are supposed to assume. Based on what I have observed over the last eight years, he seems to treat it as a position of power, a privilege to be obtained and then exploited.

His actions have been, by and large, immature and ill-advised. Likewise, the fruit of his actions have been disastrous, not only in the U.S. but in the whole world.

2011: Trendspotting for the Next Decade

I picked up 2011: Trendspotting for the Next Decade (by Richard Laermer) while waiting at the airport the other day after glancing through it.  I read a few chapters at the airport and then haven't read anything else since then (three weeks ago).

I wouldn't usually buy a book for $25 on impulse, but I've been more concerned lately about trying to "live smart" rather than on impulse so (ironically) i decided to impulsively buy this book.  

The book is okay, a bit vague, but overall well written.  His writing style appeals to our present, fast-paced, blog-hopping, PDA-toting society.

I am convinced that, if we are Christians, we represent our Maker well by living smart.  This doesn't necessarily mean "conservative," but rather wise in our everday lives.  Being wise might mean spending more or spending less, taking chances in certain ways and not in others.

One way to live smart is to observe widespread trends and act accordingly.  

Know-Yourself Question

I thought of a good get-to-know-yourself question today:

What is the best compliment that anyone could give you?
(I'm probably not the first one to think of this, but it's a good question to ask yourself anyway)

Banning Plastic Bags -- An Environmental Red Herring

There is a movement underway all over the world to ban plastic bags forever. Here is an article about it.

This "movement" is yet another environmental red herring allowing gas companies to continue their reign over the energy industry. This demonstrates once again the ease with which corporations and their political puppets can distract the public.

Plastic is the one thing we should be using oil for, for goodness' sake. Plastic is cheap, sanitary and easy to recycle. Plastic grocery bags in particular are the most reused disposable item I have ever heard of.

How many plastic bags can be manufactured from the oil used to make one gallon of gas? It must be quite a few, or else a gallon of gas wouldn't cost three dollars while plastic bags are free with any retail purchase.

It's acceptable that U.S. citizens dump a super-tanker of oil into the atmosphere every week, but it's unacceptable to bring home 10 plastic bags from the store every week (many of which will be reused for bringing lunch to work or picking up doggie doo).

I drive a Prius, which uses about 10 gallons of gas every two weeks. But that's still ten gallons of petroleum that's now floating around in the atmosphere. Have you ever bought home ten gallons of water? That much water fills up most of my back seat. That's how much gas my car disseminates into the air, which we are all now breathing. And this is the most efficient car available on the American car market.

We justify the use of gas because it makes our lives more convenient... so let's at least be consistent: Banning plastic bags won't make a dent on our petroleum usage (compared to how much gas we burn) and yet it will impose a considerable inconvenience on the average person's life. It will cripple productivity for the common man while the petroleum big whigs continue raising the price of gas according to their whims, never sacrificing anything themselves.

Corporate Name-Building Is True Worship

Corporate brand name building is true worship. A successful company makes its name famous to its employees first, then those employees set out to make this name famous throughout the world.

Similarly, anyone consumed by God's Spirit can't resist proclaiming the greatness of Christ throughout the world. Like the zealous CEOs of Fortune 500 companies who give their all to advance their companies, so also a spiritual man's life with be thoroughly infected with Godly zeal so that his every direction and desire springs from God's Spirit.

Spiritual Batting and Giving It All for Christ

There is no way to become tough except through tough circumstances. Marines are made ready for war by enduring circumstances in bootcamp that are at least as difficult if not more difficult than war. Similarly, Christ grows His followers up as they engage the world.

We who follow Christ will get to know Him better as we obey Him in the little things right now.

Our capacity for serving increases not by hoarding our energies now so we might give ourselves away all at one time, but by giving of ourselves right now regardless of our circumstances.

How to Date Like a Man (of God)

God made men to be assertive. A man who is on the right page with God will be assertively obedient to God.

It is not a bad thing to desire a wife. The most healthy way to deal with this desire is to obey God in whatever way He commands right now.

If you discover someone you're interested in, your best game plan to marry that person is to keep obeying God.

On a related note, if you notice a young lady you would like to pursue, then keep using the brain God gave you. Consider whether or not your two life-directions are compatible. Are you both the adventurous type or do you both desire a more settled-down lifestyle? Do you have compatible interests? Do your spheres of influence naturally coincide? Do you enjoy each other's company? Could you happily spend days and days and days together?

Those are questions you can use your God-given brain to answer. If you get the chance to look into these things, then great.

Now, if you want to ask a girl out, then ask. Be straightforward.

If the two of you go out a couple of times, great. Now comes another decision time. If you couldn't legitimately propose to marry this girl after two or three dates, then forget it. Otherwise, what are you doing?

If the two of you date for two weeks or more, then you should be planning to get married ASAP. If you both are on the same page with God then this will seem like common sense.

** Here is my caveat: Of course, no two relationships are the same. The main thing I'm advocating here is godly manliness in dating.

Dishonesty Makes No Sense

If we were all theives, we would all have nothing. If not for honest people, dishonest people would have no one to exploit.

Money is useful because of a system of economic trust. When any link of that system is compromised, everyone who depends on that system is compromised. Counterfeiters devalue currency as a whole and thereby shoot both themselves and everyone else in the foot. When the U.S. Government prints extra money to pay for foreign wars all Americans get poorer, the whole country is weakened and therefore the government is undermining both itself as well as the people it depends on for funding.

Honest people work hard to invent valuable things. Other people work honest jobs by which they earn money to purchase those valuables. Thieves depend on these other, honest people to work hard to they'll have something to steal. If everyone were a thief, there would be nothing valuable produced and therefore nothing to steal. If everyone were a thief, everyone would have nothing.

Thievery as well as every kind of dishonesty makes no sense.

The American "Can Do" Attitude

The American "Can Do" attitude has its roots in faith. Every form of confidence must take its roots in faith.

A godless, self-confident person has faith in something besides God, either himself or some other man-made system. A godly, confident person has faith in God.

It is good to believe that something is possible before it actually happens, even despite the doubt of others. For this reason the man of faith will accomplish more than the skeptic. For this reason Americans have been innovative and productive in many ways that other cultures have not. We have faith that there is always a better way to do things. We believe there is always a better way to live. Americans are blessed with the kind of hope that gives breathing room for the soul and the mind.

As long as God endures us Americans we will have this spiritual/mental breathing room. However, the further we stray from God, the closer we come to sacrificing all such freedom as well as everything other blessing that God has given us.

Though we have never been a “Christian” nation, every good or admirable quality about us as a nation has always found it’s roots in God's good graces. It is the norm for most Americans to blaspheme God with their everyday live, but there is such a thing as getting out of hand. Please, let’s not get out of hand.