US Elections: Just Like the Movies

Ramzy Baroud
The Peoples Voice
January 13, 2008

The United States political process bears an uncanny resemblance to mainstream filmmaking. Elections and speeches are scripted to the letter, politicians put on a tirelessly rehearsed act, catering endlessly to the whims of the target audience. A successful Hollywood filmmaker can’t afford to risk raising issues in a way that don’t immediately reflect audience sympathies. Good politicians vying for votes are similar in that they speak according to the already existing expectations — and prejudices — of the voting public.

Rarely do candidates stand behind a podium without amending or overriding their personal beliefs in return for generating applause. You would hardly hear, for example, of a US presidential candidate getting booed by an audience.

Candidates do not bring fresh principals to the table, but instead shape their views based on what national and local polls tell them matters to the voting public. And what matters is largely manipulated by the media and the state. Their combined scare tactics convinced most Americans of outright falsehoods, such as Saddam’s ties to 9/11, his stockpiles of WMDs, the “liberation” of women in Afghanistan, and so forth.

In a healthy democracy, the media is expected to represent the interests of the people — all the people, while the government serves as a conduit to carry and defend these interests without violating the constitution. But in the age of evangelical fanatics, lobby groups, international corporations and lucrative Iraq contracts, democracy itself can be placed on hold.

Indeed, maintaining the image of a democracy while violating its genuine principles has consumed the efforts of successive US administrations. No other administration, however, has compromised the interest of the American people and flouted the constitution as much as the brazen Bush administration. No wonder Republicans were squarely defeated in the Congressional elections of 2006. Americans clearly voted for change, but change in a system so skilfully corrupt doesn’t come easy. The way in which Democrats supported the recent spending bill for 2008, their vacillating stance on Iraq, and their downright hawkish stance on Iran say volumes about their contribution to maintaining the status quo.

Democrats are also bound by the rules of the game. They need the money, media coverage and lobbyists. Currently there are 35,000 registered federal lobbyists representing all sorts of special interests, including foreign powers such as Israel, whose collaborative role in the Iraq fiasco is too blatant to overlook.

Barack Obama, who does indeed have little experience of understanding how the system works still possesses a talent for pleasing the crowd. Thus his initial assertion that lobbyists “won’t work in my White House”. Then, possibly after being told by his campaign managers that special interests are more influential than the rest of the country, he tweaked his vow slightly whereby lobbyists “are not going to dominate my White House.” Although his pledge changed its substance almost entirely, he was able to receive victory in Iowa.

For now, analysts can extract temporary comfort from the prevailing interpretation of the Iowa caucuses’ results. Obama was elected by the Democratic caucuses with 37 per cent because he was the only nominee that managed to present a truly new message — that he and only he can advocate real “change”. As for former Arkansas governor, Republican Mike Huckabee, he was the best possible candidate to represent the Republican voters’ conservative concerns. The former Baptist pastor is the rising star of the Christian evangelicals who boast 40 million followers, all tied by an outrageous message of doomsday.

Rev Stan Moody of the Christian Policy Institute, writes, “Huckabee is a Rapturist” in reference to the mid-19th Century interpretation of biblical text which culminated in 1909 as the Scofield Desk Reference Bible. This envisions — and not metaphorically — a Greater Israel as a precondition to the return of Christ, who, with the true Christians, will defeat Satanic forces, convert 144,000 Jews and exterminate the rest. It has no Harry Potter twists, but it puts Hollywood horror movies to shame. The actual concern is that this group has cultivated an alliance with the Israeli government since the late 1970s and is a major powerbroker in US foreign policy in the Middle East.

In her article, which appeared in The Jerusalem Post on 3 January, Hilary Leila Krieger reported from Iowa that Huckabee “has also been staunchly supportive of Israel, writing in Foreign Affairs that, ‘I will not waver in standing by our ally Israel.’ It is a country he has visited several times, leading groups there as well as taking his family.”

According to the same article, “Huckabee has drawn on his experience in the Holy Land in making his pitch to voters, which has especially resonated with evangelicals.”

With the notable exceptions of Republican Ron Paul and Democrat Dennis Kucinich, most visible presidential candidates were eager to compromise the interest of their country to guarantee that of Israel’s. Clinton and Obama exemplify this. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) wrote, “Obama has always enjoyed strong Jewish support since entering state politics in Illinois in 1996, although some in the pro-Israel establishment are wary of his calls to negotiate with rogue states such as Syria and Iran.” JTA, of course, nonchalantly substitute the word ‘Zionist’ for ‘Jewish’, but that’s another story.

While supporting Israel, right or wrong, is business as usual for US politicians, Huckabee’s advent — described as the “second coming” of Ronald Reagan by a producer at an Iowa TV station, is the truly alarming trend. He cannot simply be dismissed as a lunatic Armageddonist who thinks that he can win an election; he actually captured the Republican endorsement in Iowa.

Huckabee knows well how to carry the momentum to the next destination — he needs to keep up the religious fervour, as narrow-minded and irrational as it may be. We are told that this is what voters are expecting. To win, like a good filmmaker, Huckabee must deliver.

Life can indeed resemble the movies, but in the case of US elections the movie has become so familiar and predictable that it’s no longer even entertaining.

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  1. S. Wolf Britain on January 13th, 2008

    The 144,000 is NOT the number of Jews “saved”. It IS the total, actual, literal number of True Christians who live to see Jesus the Christ return in the clouds of heaven. The rest of the True Christians will have been martyred or otherwise died, and will be “sleeping” in their graves [NO ONE goes to heaven or “hell” (permanent, final destruction) right away when they die, but not until after the first (of the righteous) and the second (of the evil) judgments]. These “rapturists” love twisting around Biblical prophecy to suit themselves and the Zionists, but their interpretations just don’t hold water, truth or anything else for that matter.

  2. S. Wolf Britain on January 13th, 2008

    ….Except evil, of course.

  3. carolyn on January 14th, 2008

    WAG THE DOG…Ever see it??

  4. kingsman on January 14th, 2008

    S. Wolf are you a Russelite aka Jehovah’s Sickness?
    The Book of Revelation is clear that the 144,000 represent 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. Only a Russelite would make the claim you are making.

    You’ll also have to contend with Jesus on “soul sleep” since He recounted the afterlife experience of a specific man named Lazarus and a certain rich man. Both of them are conscience after they died. There would be no reason to have a parable about that incident if soul sleep was indeed a correct doctrine. Must be Jesus didn’t check with ol’ Charlie Russel or his replacement Drunk Judge Rutherford.

    Maybe you can go to Beth Sarim and live with Moses and the prohets after the return of Christ. Oh yeah, they sold it after drunk boy died. So much for that prophesy.

  5. C. Davis on January 14th, 2008

    Somehow, this seems like a cartoon election. The players are like caricatures of themselves. For instance, does anybody really believe this Hitlery vs. Yo momma facade? and What about M cain? Did the North Koreans really release John Mccain or is he really the evil twin of Nikita Krueschev, released on the American public after killing his bro with a table leg? Every one of these carreer hacks are being backed by the worst recycled scum,perenially scraped off the nether parts of the proverbial barrel. Our only hope is to get enough new,real Americans elected to public office to water down the number of insufferable mannequins currently holding office.And of course insist that the will of the people regarding the successful election of Ron Paul is concerned is not thwarted by these wholly criminal and unAmerican Trolls who belie their false patriotism by pushing these candidates who belong to the London banker. Probably an idle daydream, but freedom,for a change, from this demon might be worth a try.

  6. episcope on January 14th, 2008

    @C. Davis

    Hilarious!but hard to read.Not enough spaces between sentences,and clauses.

    > M cain

    Like M butterfly?JmC is too old.

  7. S. Wolf Britain on January 14th, 2008

    Yes, seen and “done that” re Wag the Dog, Carolyn; and I’m sure just about everyone here has seen it… Are you kidding me, “Kingsman”? I wouldn’t have ANYTHING to do with “Jehovah’s Witness” falsehoods if my life supposedly depended upon it! They may have a counterfeit 144,000 belief that I’d forgotten about (seeing as it’s been many years since I studied how the JW doctrines are so false and deceptive), but they of course would believe that only JWs are supposedly going to make up that number (God, if Michael “I-Want-To-Diddle-With-Childen” Jackson and his “JW family” are supposedly going to be some of few who make it, I wouldn’t want ANY part in it)!

    Remember that the Gentiles are “grafted in” to the olive branch, thereby making them an “adopted” part of the twelve tribes; and, since the Jews have long since (in 70 A.D. and at the then-destruction of Jerusalem) forfeited their “chosen people” title, other than the “Jews for Jesus (the Christ)”, the Gentiles now make up more of the chosen people than the Jews do, though Jews who Truly, Fully and Completely accept Jesus as the Christ (the One and Only True Messiah), can and will be grafted back in to the olive branch, we can rest assured that most of the original twelve tribes of Israel no longer encompass mostly Jews today! Most Jews, by their own choosing, are forsaken!

    And who said anything, let alone me, about “soul sleep” not applying to Lazarus, etc.? He was “asleep” when he was dead; but, just because he was resurrected “early”, so to speak, doesn’t mean that soul sleep doesn’t exist! Another JW doctrine you claim? No, Sir! Again, even if they have a counterfeit belief of the truth about the subject, doesn’t mean that soul sleep is false! Where does it say that people go to heaven or hell right away when they die?! Clue: It doesn’t! That is something that is taken for granted because of people wanting to believe such “Biblical” fairy tales, which is “taught” in such things as out of context Scriptural readings over dead bodies at burials (and, because it is extremely evil and deceiving, mostly presented in movies)!

    Jesus the Christ Himself called death “sleep”, and talked about raising people up from their slumber! And why would Jesus the Christ talk about resurrecting people if they were already resurrected and at home in heaven, or living in so-called literal “hell”?! Please supposedly enlighten me!! I probably will regret requesting that, because you probably will lay on me a bunch of out of context, so-called proof for why your completely false viewpoint is supposedly true; but please spare me that!! I happen to know without any doubt(s) whatsoever that I don’t believe in ANY false doctrines whatsoever, even though most people do believe in false doctrines, like yourself!! But, anyway, please at least don’t confuse me with one of the most evil counterfeits of Christianity on the face of the planet, the “Jehovah’s Witnesses”!

    And, please, “Dufuses”, call me Wolf, not “S. Wolf”! When anyone’s first initial is abbreviated, it means that they want to be called by their middle name rather than their first! Why is it that most people don’t know that, even though relatively huge numbers of people record their name that way?! Do you mean to tell me that all of the many times that you’ve come across people like Dr. M. Scott Peck, the famous writer and author of “The Road Less Traveled” and “People of the Lie“, for instance, you have supposedly called him “M. Scott”, etc.?! Please!! Where have you people been that by this time you don’t know that MANY people denote their names this way and want to be called by their middle name(s)?! Talk about being “dumbed down”!!

  8. scott cowie on January 14th, 2008

    Kingsman, the book of the revelation is written in symbolic language and cannot be interpreted literally. The one hundred and forty four thousand represent all of ‘Israel’ it is a perfect number. 12 x 12 x 1000

    It does not represent the present day Jews. The present residents of Israel do NOT comprise of the twelve tribes. They are Jews. i.e. of the tribe of JUDAH remember the divided kingdom ? The other tribes were assimulated in the gentile sea my friend.

    Stop running around waiting for locusts with girls hair and learn to interpret the bible correctly. Proper biblical hermeneutics is to let the bible interpret the bible. Not whatever dribbles out of the yap of Timmy Lahaye.

    John was speaking in visionary language. Look at the book of Nahum for example.

    Nah 3:17 Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.

    Get the idea ?

    Try using a concordance or a search engine and do your studying yourself, quit being spoonfed the opinions of men.

    In other words…STUDY to show thyself approved unto God…

  9. S. Wolf Britain on January 15th, 2008

    Scott, duh, stop telling me things I already know, and/or falsely accusing me of things! I am very well aware that Revelation is symbolic prophecy; but, once it is interpreted correctly, is it then to be interpreted literally; or, rather, the correct interpretations of it are then to be interpreted literally. I ONLY interpret the Bible with the Bible, and of course with the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit as well; i.e./e.g., it takes the book of Daniel, as well as many other verses, to correctly interpret Revelation; and the book of Revelation, and many other verses, to correctly interpret Daniel. As Isaiah 28:10-13 alludes to, in order to fully interpret ANY AND ALL doctrine(s) from God’s Word(s) correctly, we HAVE TO take ALL of the verses on ALL subjects and/or topics therein TOGETHER in order to correctly interpret what God’s One, True correct meaning and will is on those topics and/or subjects. If we don’t, we will blown about “by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14), making all kinds of false interpretations, which is what most of “Christendom” has done.

    I have NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with Tim LaHaye, one of the worst, as far as I’m concerned, false prophets and deceivers, along with people like Hal Lindsay! I have NEVER read LaHaye’s books allegedly correctly interpreting Daniel and Revelation, for his interpretations, like Lindsay’s, etc., are almost if not completely false! It’s like that fruitloop in these threads, Natasha’s, completely false belief that the Beast in Revelation is supposedly Ronald Reagan because there are six letters in each of his three names! Balderdash! And I wouldn’t read Tim LaHaye’s completely lying and fraudulent interpretations of symbolic prophecy(ies) if one literally paid me a million dollars! Besides, after decades of in-depth study, and ONLY correct interpretation(s), I already COMPLETELY understand CORRECTLY what ALL of the symbolic phophecy(ies) in Daniel and Revelation, etc., mean; so I do not need so-called “theologians”, etc., to interpret ANY of it for me! Although, I do admit that I have become somewhat “rusty” at recalling much of it because of the memory problems I have due to my very serious physical disabilities.

    Anyhow, all of the rest of what you say in your last comment is, again, just more of a bunch of false jumping to conclusions regarding me, and is completely wrong! I have Strong’s Concordance sitting not two feet from my face right now, in front of me on the top shelf of my office-desk, and I DO use it quite often! I also have one of the best free KJV Bible programs on my computer(s), “e-Sword”, with Strong’s reference numbers; which, particularly because of my above-referenced short-term memory problems, I also use quite often! In other words, I am constantly refreshing my memory correctly about what the Word(s) of God say and mean! Now, you unChristlike hypocrite, make something out of that! Next you’ll be using my memory problems against me, and claiming something like I supposedly can’t trust studying the Scriptures for myself, or some equally asinine thing, even though God’s Word(s) are where the ONLY True Power is found that can and does overcome my memory deficits! (Hebrews 4:12; one of my very favorite verses.) Therefore, you ought ONLY to be making righteous judgments (John 7:25), instead of making nothing but unrighteous judgments (Matthew 7:1-5), concerning me or anyone else!

    In summary, I do NOT believe in ANY “opinions of (people)” regarding the Word(s) of God, and I DO ONLY study His Word(s) for myself!

  10. Sam Adams on January 16th, 2008

    Well check this out, did you know that the Anti-christ is suppose to be the next Pope! Yea, read chapter 17 in the book of Revelations. You have to remember that anytime a woman is memstioned it is talking about the church because the church is the bride of Christ. Now remember that when the Vatican became a soverighn country that the Pope became a king, the Pope that is currently the king is the 7th, and the Anit-christ is suppose to be the 8th.

  11. S. Wolf Britain on January 16th, 2008

    The anti-Christ is already alive somewhere right now, and is coming on the scene very soon, that’s for sure, and on that we can agree. Whether he is going to be the next Pope, that is another question. Btw, I’m also well-aware that the symbolism of a woman is speaking of the, or a, church. There is a guy who’s very popular among the spiritualists worldwide, that they’re saying is Jesus; but he doesn’t necessarily have to become a Pope to be the anti-Christ.

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