Gordon Schultz's Blog

From '68 to '08: The Power of the Dream!

Gordon Schultz — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:07:27 EST

One year ago in the depth of winter, when hope was mocked and change called illusion, I wrote the following to my fellow-baby-boomers, encouraging them not to lose heart, but to remember 1968.

The occasion was the Democratic Party primaries which were becoming increasingly murderous. Now, after the celebration of our history and the struggle for justice that became an Inauguration this past week I thought it worthwhile to look at it again. . . .
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First Steps for a Free and Secure Peace for Israel

Gordon Schultz — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:51:25 EST

My previous post on the search for Israeli security and peace in light of the war against Hamas has brought the charge of Antisemitism (Getting Rid of Your Enemy May Cost More than You Can Afford, see below). It is an odd charge to make, especially since, from a Palestinian perspective, my essay is written wholly from the perspective of Israelis and their peace and security, rather than justice for the Palestinians.

True, it is not very kind to certain Israeli politicians, but if it is Antisemitic then so is the ongoing debate among both Israeli politicians themselves and thoughtful Jews and others who attend to the reality of the Holocaust as the inescapable ground on which to work for peace with security and freedom in the Middle East.

All of Israel's military might, including nuclear weapons has not been able to provide that free and peaceful security. Nor can it.

The question remains how Israeli politicians can best provide a secure and "normal" life for its citizens.

Getting Rid of Hamas May Cost More than Israel Can Afford.

Gordon Schultz — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:04:57 EST

Getting rid of your enemy may cost more than you can afford. Can Israel learn from American mistakes?

The Black Church? I AM the Black Church!

Gordon Schultz — Fri, 02 May 2008 10:01:33 EDT

I have been a supporter, not without criticism, of Jeremiah Wright. (See my first post on Wright, called "Politicians and Preachers," below.) I continue to support Trinity UCC, of which he is no longer the pastor. And I am glad for his many years of ministry for the thousands of people who have been helped through his dynamic congregation. I did not see the Moyers interview, but I heard many positive reviews of it.

However, his speech at the NAACP congress and the National Press Club show that Wright has let this controversy go to his head. He thinks that the uproar is about him. And then he says, it's not about Jeremiah Wright, "It's an attack on the black church."

Let's be clear about two things: 1. It's not about him or the black church, directly. It's about the Right-wing attack on Barack Obama made possible by an ignorant and cynical press corp.

2. It also has led to attacks on the black church and has revealed the continuing racism in our society. But, Jeremiah Wright has contributed to the forces of racism by his egotistical identification of himself with the black church. Wright is saying in effect, "THE BLACK CHURCH? I AM THE BLACK CHURCH."

When We Should NOT Talk to Enemies

Gordon Schultz — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:31:00 EDT

There's a lot of crackpot realism in the arguments about when or whether we should negotiate with leaders of states openly hostile to our interests and values. And there's naivete in many arguments about the value of negotiation. Are there times when the US should NOT talk to our enemies? Yes. But when?

Open Response to Femdemo--I'm Sorry. . .

Gordon Schultz — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:56:20 EDT

Femdemo has accused me of slandering, insulting, and attacking her. I'm sorry she confuses factual criticism with slander. She claims to prove that Trinity United Church of Christ teaches black separatism and that Barack Obama as a member of that church believes in black separatism. I'm disappointed in her. I'd hoped for better. She has laid out her argument in a number of posts. What are the facts? You be the judge.

Jimmy Carter in North Korea

Gordon Schultz — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:36:07 EDT

Jimmy Carter, attacked by Secretary of State Rice and the blogosphere for negotiating with Hamas, is used to attacks. He was previously viciously attacked and ridiculed for his going to North Korea in a bid to head off what the US military and leaders in Defense and State were convinced was certain war on the Korean Peninsula.

Yet, Carter succeeded not only in preventing war through negotiating with the diabolical Kim Il Sung, at the same time he brokered the first rapprochement, totally unexpected, between North and South Korea.

What was the response of the Administration to Carter's success?

Open Letter to Attackers--Response to Femdemo

Gordon Schultz — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:40:55 EDT

This is prompted by a recent post of Jackie MacIntosh and especially the reply from femdemo. It was written to femdemo and is directed to all who care about the tenor of debate in this land and this party.

My Dear Democratic Party Colleague,

I like to think that Democrats do not resort to half-truths, name-calling, and guilt-by-association. It has always been a part of politics, but in the past, the best leaders of both parties rejected those tactics. However, since Nixon, and especially since Gingrich, Dole, and Rove, those tactics have been used to hurt this country. The nation is asking us right now if Democrats are any different.

Why Republican Strategists are Scared and What They're Doing

Gordon Schultz — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:36:43 EDT

Republican propagandists may be dastardly, but they're not dumb. Republicans are a minority in the US, yet they still win national elections. They've held the White house for 16 of the last 24 years, even though they are outnumbered by Democrats. How do they do it?

They understand the power of fear and the power of money. They drum up fear and that brings them money, lots and lots of it, enabling them to spread fear even more and with greater sophistication. That's how they won in 00 and 04. Now, the fear-mongers themselves are afraid. What scares them and what are they doing about it to win in 08?

With Jesus Against the Christians

Gordon Schultz — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:54:34 EDT

My thoughts on the religious right and who they really hate. . . .

It is time. It is time.
It is time to stand against the christians,
those lions, whose
triumphant certainty scorns mere truth,
to devour the innocent, the poor,
the children who have no time
whose time is stolen
by these ravenous beasts of blind belief
prowling for unsaved lambs while
gorging their bellied souls
upon the commonwealth of earth.

For Jesus's sake
stand against the christians! who
drag his name through the filth
of self-created righteousness, who
offer the thirsty nothing
save the swill of their own holiness,
the poisoned libation of their sinless lives.

You blaspheme with praise
murder with morality.
Your passionate defense of the Commandments--
--or at least their public display--
your comfortable quoting of pain-riven Scriptures,
is a hypocritical smirk of their denial.

You hug each other in spiritual glee
at the thought of a sinner on the tree
guilty of humanity, trussed and prepared
for eternal roasting.

You are damned, condemned
O my proud holy christians.
With not a sinner to be found among you,
your upright circle of holiness
ringed by the pious rage of your vengeful fire
once again leaves Jesus quite alone
with none for company
but those you hate
He loves.

Weakening American Power-- the Republican Legacy

Gordon Schultz — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:13:04 EDT

The constant, persistent erosion of American power that began with Ronald Reagan has led to a world crisis of ever-growing international instability. The current administration, by weakening America for eight years, has made the world more dangerous than at any time since the "Twenty Years Crisis" (E.H. Carr) period between World Wars 1 and 2.

How is it that administrations widely thought to be proponents of a strong America in contrast to their Democratic opponents whom they bullied into silence or co-optation by painting them as cowardly appeasers of America's enemies, actually weakened American power and reduced its ability to act on behalf of its own long term interests?

Politics and Preachers

Gordon Schultz — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:23:09 EDT

It’s a risky thing to do; I vowed to myself that I wouldn’t go near it, publicly, this controversy over the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, former pastor of presidential contender, Barack Obama. However, since misunderstanding and obfuscation are galloping in the nation’s media, as a pastor and teacher both of the Bible and of ethics and politics, I must add a word to the tumult.

We have been inundated with one-minute excerpts from sermons of Pastor Wright on YouTube that make him appear to be a wacky black separatist and racist. Senator Clinton has implied and others have accused Senator Obama of holding racist views for refusing to repudiate Wright. Are these charges against Pastor Wright justified? Does he preach hate against white people? If so, why has he been so important to the church– both black and white– in America for a generation, even supported by the Methodist churches in Washington, DC and Arkansas that the Clintons attended for years? If not, why does his preaching sound so angry?