rhetoric

I must confess, with the completion of the presidential campaign my viewpoint of Christian Republicans have changed...and not for the better. Let me back track a bit, when George Bush was running for president in 2000 and 2004. The general consensus of white Evangelists (the backers of GWB and John McCain) was this, 1. GWB was a praying president and a born-again Christian 2. GWB was against

          Today would be a great day to Take 5 from the apparent crisis and all the exciting political news. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could just simply hit the “mute” button and turn off the chaos and claim our own personal peace on Earth – no matter what is going on in the [...]

by Dave MindemanMaybe the Republican Party should be listening to Colin Powell rather than people like Michele Bachmann:"This business, for example, we've got a congressman from Minnesota who's going around saying, 'Let's examine all congressmen to see who is pro-America and whose not pro-America.' We've got to stop this kind of nonsense and pull ourselves together and remember that our great

by Dave MindemanI just listened to Michele Bachmann on Hardball with Chris Mathews. And it was simply appalling.She questioned Barack Obama's patriotism. She equated liberal philosophy with anti-Americanism. She said members of Congress should be investigated for anti-Americanism. It was viscious and displayed her true myopic vision of what America is.How can any person spin so much hate? In

Time for another installment of "Friends of Progress". When I come across a blog that I find to be intelligent and insightful I want my readers to be the first to know about it.Roundhouse Rhetoric is one of those blogs. Their tagline is "articles that kick ass" and they certainly do. The guys over at RR have a team blog format and I find their posts on politics are fresh, never frozen and the a

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, a video is worth 100,000 words. I can write and talk incessantly about the hateful rhetoric that emanates from all too many professing "Christian" clergy and laypeople, but this video puts a reality to that claim that no amount of words on my part could do justice. Why would anyone be intimidated by such a hater like this, and what does

Amad Jamal is one sick lyricist. He was a regular in the LA underground hip hop scene hangin’ with the likes of other LA artists such as The Pharcyde, Freestyle Fellowship, Dilated Peoples, among others. Check out this track from his 2001 EP, The Renaissance. Amad Jamal “Rhetoric” download

The Dartmouth Institute for Writing and Rhetoric, a division of Dartmouth College, provides a very useful selection of online academic writing resources, which consist of guides to different types of writing, outlines of the methodology for teaching writing, and training materials for writing tutors.Features:Materials for students: offer advice on writing an academic paper, writing for special dis

You’ve got to give it to the Republicans. They’ve got guts. How else would they even attempt to pull off the paradoxical campaign of John McCain? How else could the incumbent party run as the party of change? How else could a man who has been a Congressman and a Senator since 1982 try to present himself as a Washington outsider? Throughout his acceptance speech on Thursday night, M

The direct link is HEREPALIN: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere." THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two yea

Louis J. Sheehan.  Earlier this month, the Sixth International Conference on Creationism took place in Pittsburgh. Sponsored by the Creation Science Fellowship and the Institute for Creation Research, the week-long event billed itself as a “highly technical, peer reviewed symposium, with planned rebuttals and discussions.”     Papers submitted for the conference were put th

At a stop in Big River Saskatchewan alleged federal Health Minister Tony Clement took questions on federal health care initiatives including some from Carolyn Forsey the mother of an autistic child. Ms Forsey had previously written to Health Minister Clement urging the federal government to create a strategy for autism. Minister Clement responded, as reported on Meadow Lake Progress:

I've just had a read of some of the comments on Damian Thompson's Telegraph blog. In his post "Rome's plans for the Anglicans" we are given some very nice insights into RC pew thinking. As an Anglican Catholic I have long since known that ecumenical niceties are only skin deep with some. I'm derided as a fake catholic, attending a fake "mass" with an invalid priest in a church full of "ornaments".

LOL. This is the introductory paragraph to Peter LaBarbera's latest post: Folks, we expect homosexual activists like Jeremy “Good As You” Hooper to take cheap shots at pro-family leaders like Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern (R) — but we don’t...

There is a lot of intense rhetoric about gas prices from Republicans. As usual, they take a complex problem.... offer a one sentence solution.... and beat it to death.Are we really that naive?Michele Bachmann is "focused like a laser beam" on reducing the pump price. Maybe she needs fewer "laser beams" and more reality checks. MinnPost's Ron Way cites the real bottom line he

“George Bush hates the environment.” “Obama is anti-American.” “John McCain is a warmonger.” “Hillary is a control freak.” “Bill Clinton has no morals.” “Reagan only cared about the rich.” These are just a few of the extreme statements that otherwise fairly reasonable people bandy about every day. And of course, none of these statements are the least bit reasonable, just as

I have an interest in rhetoric, the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion. No, really…this IS interesting, please read on: My studies of rhetoric have made me fans of those who have mastered the art of persuasion, and one of my favorite examples is the official DreamHost blog. Which is massively [...]

Responding to the press release in which nine national LGBT groups encourage gays to take heed before taking their newly minted California wedding back to their home courts and to instead use a systematic approach towards obtaining the equality of...

The folks over at HuckPAC are doing a poll asking what issue is most important to you. They asked five issues today and they will likely ask for your top priority on several more issues next week. For the time being, you have the following options… 1. Protecting Marriage In States 2. FairTax 3. Border Security 4. [...]

Clinton: 'Think about this as a hiring decision' - CNN.comClinton encouraged her Kentucky supporters to vote in the upcoming primary, saying Sunday, "If we get everybody turned out, it's going to send a great message to our country that you don't stop democracy in its tracks.""You don't tell some states that they can't vote and other states that have already had the opportunity that they're someho

You will certainly get a great laugh from this. Click the Headline Link to Visit Copious Dissent and Read the Full Story.

From my interview with Mark Steyn today: MS: Chicago doesn't sound like part of America. It sounds like we need to fly in some U.N. relief agency. They should all pull out of Burma and fly into these derelict parts of...

Mrs. Snoop is my witness. She knows that I have said for as least long as I have known her - and I promise you long before that - that Sunday is the most segregated day of the week.Faith is personal; faith is deeply engrained in the soul. And I’m not talking about Faith. I’m [...]

An assumed homage to Chicago Cubs’ rookie slugger Kosuke Fukudome (batting .328 and slugging .463 through the first 18 games of the season), a street vendor began selling t-shirts outside of Wrigley Field that are raising eyebrows. The shirts feature Japanese-style lettering, a modification of the “cubby bear” mascot (with slanted eyes), and the phrase “Horry Kow,” which mocks the way a speaker with an Asian-language accent might say the late Cubs announcer Harry Caray’s famous “Holy Cow!”Though the story broke over a week ago, Rahula Strohl began an online conversation about the appropriateness of such a slogan (as well as the tendency of Cubs fans to wear martial-arts style headbands to the games this year) on the ChicagoSports.com blog “What’s Goin’ On” Sunday.

We reported on Fox News’s Greg Gutfeld's show "Red Eye" and their hateful and disgusting transphobic comments regarding the ftm pregnant male. Apparently our words have not gone too far because this is the latest statement released by Mr. Gutfeld, who apparently lacks the guts to show some compassion. Please contact Red Eye again and tell them how you will boycott their disgusting transphobic program: Email: redeye@foxnews.com Phone Fox News: 1-888-369-4762 (Tell Fox to dump this guy) "Journo Takes On Thomas Beatie’s Femininity" Also, not to be outdone in transphobia, Queerty Reports: "Journo Jeff Jacoby doesn’t hold pregnant trans man Thomas Beatie in high regard: Could anything be more incoherent or sad? Gender Identity Disorder is not “incredible,” no matter how pol

Check out the exclusive interview the Senator had with Just Out Magazine senator believes "Gays should SHUTUP and not talk about their sexuality", and he is leading the effort to repeal the Oregon Equality Act.Feel free to send the senator your thoughts on his homophobic comments.Contact Tel. (503) 986-1712or email at: sen.garygeorge@state.or.usAddress:900 Court St. NE, S-214Salem, OR 97301Contact the entire house and senate to censure and fight off his bigoted comments and attempt to repeal the Oregon Equality Act.

Isn't kidnapping and the holding of bodily remains a violation of some "international law on warfare"? If any western nation had kidnapped a soldier the United Nation's would be up in arms and condemning the act. Yet when it comes to arab/islamists they get a pass. Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah announced Monday that UN-mediated negotiations with Israel for a prisoner swap were

Language plays a powerful role in shaping political decisions, argues Brent Cunningham. As an example, he points to the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, "when the choice of words -- by the press and government officials -- played a crucial role in setting America on a course that led, ultimately, to our military action in Iraq. ... The decision to describe the attacks in

TEHRAN (Reuters) - A leading Iranian reformist said on Sunday that "provocative" speeches had damaged Iran's nuclear cause and its diplomatic standing in a veiled attack on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.ADVERTISEMENT"Our policy is one of detente. We want to have interaction with the whole world except Israel," former parliamentary speaker Mehdi Karoubi told a news conference ahead of Friday's parliamentary election.He urged voters to turn out for the poll, even though reformists are contesting little more than half the 290 seats. A vetting council has disqualified many of their candidates.yahoo

After Poland has initially agreed to host the US Missile Defence system on its soil, Russia did not take long to warn Poland possible outcomes.Russia's envoy to the NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, warned and "wanted to remind the colleagues [Poland]", that such attempt to destabilise the region through this project could have the same outcome as the Second World War.Poland was then destroyed by Soviet and Nazi German troops.Adding that "such actions from Poland always ended in tragedy".A disgusting and tasteless rhetoric used by Mr. Rogozin, to describe horrific atrocites to warn Poland of possible consequences.Moscow also warned, that Missile Defence bases can be targets for Russian Nuclear warheads and that Russia will consider using them in order to protect their country.This announcements can le

Al Mohler comments on this year's Presidential campaign scene:The rhetoric of the race, and the rhetoric of many evangelicals, is disturbing. This race is important and necessarily so. We are talking about the next President of the United States, after all. But evangelicals have invested far too much hope in the political process. No government can make people good, transform humanity, or eliminate sin. The political sphere is important, but never ultimate. Jesus Christ is Lord--and He will be Lord regardless of who sits in the Oval Office. I think this is an exceedingly helpful perspective and a good reminder as this year's Presidential race promises to be very interesting on a number of levels.Cf. David Brooks' thoughts on the "the Republican Reformation" that he thinks began with Mike H

Anybody who commits an act of theft of any kind belongs in jail. Similarly, anyone who takes the law into his own hands even after being cautioned by law enforcement not to — and then shoots burglars in the back, “for sport,” unprovoked or just because he thinks he can get away with it (with the [...]

The Seattle Times reports that former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey recently stirred up a controversy surrounding presidential candidate Barack Obama while endorsing Hillary Clinton for president by noting his full name "Barack Hussein Obama" and the mention of his family's Muslim background.The Obama campaign have said they periodically encounter voters who say they cannot support Obama because they've heard he is Muslim, a claim that has been making its way through Internet sites and blogs since he announced his candidacy for president.Obama often has mentioned at campaign appearances that he had relatives who have practiced Islam and that he has lived in a Muslim country as a way to promote a knowledge of foreign affairs and an ability to deal with Muslim nations.As the issue gained prominence over the weekend, Obama did not address it directly but instead attended services on Sunday December 16 at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Mason City, Iowa. He smiled for came

Not sure if you’ve heard about the shootings in Colorado that happened at a YWAM base and a church, resulting in five deaths including the attacker. I didn’t know anyone involved, but I did attend that very same YWAM base in the fall of 2000, so a number of people have been asking how I’m doing as a result. I’m doing fine. Like I said, I didn’t know anyone involved so it seems as disconnected as any other of these types of shootings that I hear about. At the same time, the fact that it happened within the context of a program I have been a part of has given me a chance to ponder a little deeper about the incident. Two things about it concern me. You can read about the incident on your own, but one thing I want to discuss is how it ended. The gunman shot two people at a large church and then when he walked into the church an armed security guard shot and killed him. I read a few articles discussing church security and it appears a number of large churches d

In attempts to sway support from Turkey, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki insisted on Sunday that "terrorist activities" have increased in northern Iraq since "foreign forces" arrived there. He also said that from the Iranian point of view, Washington is the mastermind of the Kurdish "terrorist attacks" on Turkey and that it is being done with Israeli support. Turkey Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, whom was in Iran asking for their support against attacks by Kurtish rebels, expressed gratitude for Iran's cooperation but did not back accusations against the U.S. and Israel, which are allies of Turkey.The U.S. Military says that the 107mm rocket fired upon a U.S. base southeast of Baghdad on October 23rd was made in Iran sometime in March. I believe this discovery to be far more telling of where responsibility lies for instability and terrorism in Iraq.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,305796,00.htmlhttp://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,305686,00.html

I don’t have the time to generate a post of my own– with any substance, anyway– but that doesn’t mean I can’t pass along something fun. It’s important to note somewhere that right-wing rhetoric has gotten more snarly and bloodthirsty over the past few weeks, especially about the rapturous prospect of a really stupid and destructive attack on Iran, and about the need to repress the treasonous, murdering saboteurs (i.e. people like us) who are sapping America’s strength with their vile and cowardly lies, and so forth. This might be as good a place as any to make that observation in plain words — rather than contextually, as with the earlier posts down the page. Sadly, No! » Foto Funnies Pt. 1 1/2

Want some clear evidence that Democrats' Defeatist Rhetoric Aids Terrorists? Well, first off, a quick look back...Harry Reid: "[the] war is lost"66% of Democrats: "the war effort has already failed"Howard Dean: "The idea that we are going to win this war [in Iraq] is an idea that unfortunately is just plain wrong."These are just a few examples of the defeatist approach Democrats have chosen to take towards Iraq. It's all about pulling out...setting a date for withdrawal. You don't set dates for your military to give up a fight. That's not a redeployment, that's surrendering. What happens in sports when one team quits a game? How bout a tournament? Are they "redeploying" elsewhere? No. It's called quitting or also known as forfeiting.What happens in sports when you quit a game? You lose, the other side wins. That's exactly what happens in Iraq if we quit and give up the fight. We lose, and the terrorists win (although according to Mr. Reid, that's already happened)

When President Bush addressed the U.N., he largely avoided Iran. But when President Ahmadinejad spoke, he targeted the U.S. Jim Axelrod reports.

Michael Portillo, writing in The Sunday Times, laments the lack of political engagement with popular concerns over immigration: The new diversity of races and religions makes a big difference to life in the UK. Some places have changed their appearance and norms of behaviour entirely. Many people will applaud the transformation for the diversity and enrichment that it has brought. But if the alteration of Britain can be presented in such positive terms, then it is all the more remarkable that it has occurred without the British people’s consent being sought...The constraints on the immigration debate today are objectively absurd. Anyone, it seems, is free to advocate immigration, but to advocate ending it, which is no less arguable, could terminate your career. The government simultaneously sets out the virtues of immigration and seeks credit for restraining it. That in itself demonstrates that the proper level of immigration should be a fit issue for political debate.There are many

Romney's rhetoric glosses Mass. years - Boston Globe

Author: Sanneke Kuipers Paperback: 232 pagesPublisher: Amsterdam University Press (March 7, 2006)Language: EnglishISBN: 9053568085(R)Belgium and the Netherlands were perfect examples of the “welfare without work” policy that characterized European welfare states — until a political crisis in both countries during the early 1990s produced a surprising divergence in administration. While Belgium’s government announced major reforms, its social security policy remained relatively resilient. In the Netherlands, however, policymakers implemented unprecedented cutbacks as well as a major overhaul of the disability benefits program. The Crisis Imperative explains this difference as the result of crisis rhetoric—that is, the deliberate construction of a crisis as the imperative for change. It will be a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and anyone interested in welfare reform in the United States and abroad. Zip Password: T0sT@rN@

What is a Sermon Jam?There was a time when I would have answered this question with the same angst and befuddlement that you are right now experiencing. A 'sermon' 'jam', you say, does not make much sense. No. Good try, but it is not some sort of sanctified breakfast condiment either. Rather, a 'sermon jam' is an amalgamation of impassioned clips from sermons and groovy beats. I was skeptical at first as well, but after I heard Allister Begg read Acts 17 to a hip back-melody, I was hooked. Sermon Jams are now some of my favorite things to chill, exercise, and wash dishes to.Allister Begg--Preaching is in the Shadows (Acts 17): A Taste:One of the reasons there is such a distaste for preaching, is because there is so much dreadful preaching.In this monologue, there is actually a divine dialogue. And it is not the dialogue of a man with men and women, but is a dialogue of the Living God with the souls of men and women, who quickly forgetting the one who is responsible for the monolo

Stephen Pollard, writing in The Times, attacks Brown and Cameron for their lack of action over demographics and pensions:What makes the sterility of the argument over public services all the more ridiculous is that none of this need be a problem. If, instead of using taxes to fund services on a “pay as you go” basis, we (to use the jargon) used funded financing, where money is invested throughout people’s working life, the demographic equation would be irrelevant.By saving a fraction of our earnings each year, the weight of those repeated contributions to the principal, plus the interest earned on them, would accumulate by retirement to a capital sum sufficient to buy an annuity, or even a perpetual income, that would cover the pension and other costs of old age – including ill-health and chronic conditions such as heart disease and cancer.Instead of society and each individual facing a financial crisis as we age, we would each save for our own protection, with the State steppi

Stephen Pollard, writing in The Times, attacks Brown and Cameron for their lack of action over demographics and pensions:What makes the sterility of the argument over public services all the more ridiculous is that none of this need be a problem. If, instead of using taxes to fund services on a “pay as you go” basis, we (to use the jargon) used funded financing, where money is invested throughout people’s working life, the demographic equation would be irrelevant.By saving a fraction of our earnings each year, the weight of those repeated contributions to the principal, plus the interest earned on them, would accumulate by retirement to a capital sum sufficient to buy an annuity, or even a perpetual income, that would cover the pension and other costs of old age – including ill-health and chronic conditions such as heart disease and cancer.Instead of society and each individual facing a financial crisis as we age, we would each save for our own protection, with the State steppi

These fascist liberals and globalists in Washington are mad as hell that the American people dared to challenge them. They know they would’ve gotten away with it if the American public was uninformed and in the dark. For the most part, the MSM on television stuck to the scripted talking points given […] More: continued here

Finally found the transcript to Hannity & Colmes interview with John Bolton regarding Gaza, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran from last night (6/14/07). What do you know, I pop over to RealClear every day, except this morning and there it is. By all means read the entire transcript if you didn’t see the segment. I found one particular line of questioning from Alan Colmes that I found disturbing; if for nothing else, then for its naiveté: COLMES: If you're Iran, and you hear this incendiary rhetoric toward Iran from certain people in the United States about how we have to take military action, what would you do if you're Iran? BOLTON: Well, I wish they worried that much about me anymore, but I don't think that's really what motivates... COLMES: But you're not the only one saying this. Does Iran respond to this incendiary rhetoric? A lot of crosstalk when running short of time, but one last question/remark from Colmes; COLMES: But they're going to feel they've got to defe

Everybody knows by now that I'm a sucker for contests. I've entered a few contests in the past, one was to win a Nintendo Wii and most recently, was my entry into Stephen Fung's USB drive giveaway (which I won!). Anyways, contests are a great way to generate some traffic and publicity for your website. Now, the freelance writing of Michael Kwan has come up with a new contest giveaway: a nifty USB TV tuner!Entering these contests is part of being involved with the interesting world of blogging. Here's a picture of Beyond the Rhetoric in my Google Reader:The contest ends July 1st and is open worldwide. So head over to Michael's interesting blog if you want a chance to win. Let's see if my luck will carry on...unlike these frogs who are destined for the kitchen (I apologize for all those frog lovers out there! picture taken from my recent trip to Hong Kong):

The only thing surprising about the findings is that the researchers were surprised by the findings. In Kentucky, principals are the most important, and most vulnerable, folks in school reform. In recent years principals who do not conform to the optimistic rhetoric of reform find themselves quickly marginalized, and if their "numbers" are not good enough, they are (soon) no longer principals.Since KERA, principals no longer have tenure as administrators. They retain tenure as teachers only. That means that if a superintendent is willing to demote a principal (rather than moving for dismissal) it can be done with the snap of a finger. That gets the principals' attention very effectively. Any comment that might undermine the superintendent's confidence in the principal's commitment is...well...just not smart. We're talking kool-aid here.Teachers can certainly be pressured too. But they do not share the principal's job insecurity. For them, the pressure comes from the princi

The War on Iraq and the War on Migrants came together in a march and rally in San Bernardino. Written by Leslie Radford Sunday, 18 March 2007 Notable quotes from within article: Congressmember Joe Baca was unequivocal: …. Then he put out the call, the core of a blueprint that one hundred and fifty organizations have united to distribute through the halls of Congress: no more deportations, unconditional amnesty, no wall at the border, no Bracero program, and family reunification. Congressmember Joe Baca 8. Joe Baca, Ok joe, sure thing, after all they are all such proud Americans. [roll eyes] Photo © 2007 Leslie Radford A vice president from the Service Employees International Union assured the crowd, by now thinning in the uncomfortable heat of the day, that “millions of union workers are here with you today. We oppose the hate, this racist group,” pointing across the street. “We support comprehensive immigration reform. We stand here with you. We will

With each day the political rhetoric in Lebanon reach new heights of stupidity, absurdity and narcissism... I am here talking about ALL the Lebanese politicians, their statements are only old regurgitated speeches that can be summarized in a sentence: "they started it, they are wrong, we are right!” Is anybody giving an alternative, offering a new plan of action? No, on one side a fierce power grabbing campaign is waged and on the other side a fiercer defensive action is taken. What is funny among all these statements and counter statements, and the respective demonstrations and counter demonstrations, are the PR campaigns waged before each to convince the populace that these upcoming statements will be earth shattering, mind boggling and future changing announcements. And each time we get the same awful bland speeches… But the sad fact about all this mess is that each leader's loyal followers are totally convinced by these divine revelations and regurgitate the same argument

the marketing of evil: how radicals, elitists and pseudo-experts sell us corruption disguised as freedom. this is the cornerstone of censorship. so damn offensive and scary. heritage.org on the marketing of evil: Americans have come to tolerate, embrace and even champion many things that would have horrified their parents' generation - from easy divorce and unrestricted abortion-on-demand to extreme body piercing and teaching homosexuality to grade-schoolers.Americans have fallen victim to some of the most stunningly brilliant and compelling marketing campaigns in modern history.The Marketing of Evil reveals how much of what Americans once almost universally abhorred has been packaged, perfumed, gift-wrapped and sold as though it had great value.Highly skilled marketers, playing on deeply felt national values of fairness, generosity and tolerance, have persuaded us to embrace as enlightened and noble that which generations since America's Founding regarded as grossly self-destruct