The Mudflats

I got an email today from Spouse. He got it from a family member. That family member had gotten it from a friend who had also sent it to his wife and two other friends. That friend got it from another family member who had received it as part of a large group email of 13 friends and acquaintances.  That’s as far back as I could read, as all the emails before that had been erased.  But the article that spawned the email was written back in July, so presumably it’s gotten around.

The family member who sent it was a little hesitant. He knows the political leanings of our household, and knew that we wouldn’t like the contents. Did we want to hear the other side of the equation, he asked?  He didn’t want to offend, but said he’s worried about the country and his kids’ future.  He thought this email sounded a little over the top, but wasn’t sure what to make of it.  What did Spouse think?

Let me preface this by saying that the person who sent the email, as well as several in the long chain of forwards, is intelligent, and caring and can hold a conversation. He loves his country and his family, and he’s a pretty great guy. He has a sense that something is terribly wrong with the country, like many people do, but he is not a “wingnut” and neither are the others I know in this chain who forwarded this email along. He also has access to a computer, and presumably knows the basics of how to do basic Google searches.  Basically, he’s a lot like many people we know and like.

So here’s the email:

The Queen is in her parlor…and we don’t mean London! Never in the history of the White House has a First Lady spent so much on so many “personal assistants”, all paid from taxpayer dollars.

Hilary had three; Jackie Kennedy one; Laura Bush one; and prior to Mamie Eisenhower, social help came from the President’s own pocket.

Michelle Obama has 26 – from makeup artist Ingrid Miles and hairstylist Johnny Wright to her “chief of staff” Susan Sher, whose salary is $172,200.

The First Lady does not get paid to serve as First Lady, and she doesn’t perform any official duties. But this hasn’t deterred her from hiring an unprecedented number of staffers to cater to every whim and satisfy every request in the midst of a great Recession.

Sort of makes one think the White House has been mistaken for the Versailles Court of Marie (let ‘em eat cake) Antoinette, doesn’t it?

Don’t believe it…see this:   http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/12652

I guess the Democrats really do identify with the poor people, right? Right…. Reckon the press would jump on this if it were the other way around and Laura Bush had had this many “servants”?

Can’t you Kool-Aid drinkers take responsibility for your own votes and do something about these continuing daily atrocities? Or are you so far gone, you’re not responsible anymore? Maybe you think she “deserves it cause she’s ….. (fill in the blank)”???   Right? Whatever…gimmeabreak. This is atrocious!

The email then goes on to list members of the First Lady’s staff and their salaries.  The list is 22 names long.  Needless to say, one’s first reaction is likely to be, “Laura Bush, our previous First Lady, had ONE assistant and Michelle Obama has TWENTY TWO?”  That IS outrageous!”

It is here where the reader of this email must make a choice.  How will they respond?

1)  Do nothing and believe the email.

2) Do nothing and assume the email is inaccurate.

3) Forward the email on the spot, and share your outrage with family and friends.

4) Read the part that says “Don’t believe it?  See this:” and actually click the link.

I chose option 4, and it resulted in a wild ride that took more than five hours, and ate my entire Sunday afternoon and evening.  I will now share with you the fruits of my labor, and condense those 5 hours into 10 or 15 minutes.

So, I invite you to sit back, relax and join me for a ride on the right-wing propaganda crazy train.  All aboard! You may feel free at any time when the need arises to visit the snack car for an adult beverage, or a large tumbler of ice water to throw in your own face.  Here’s our first stop.  We’re going to click that link in the email we received – the one that says “Don’t believe it?  See this!”  Ready?

((CLICK)) Canada Free Press

We are now at the website of Canada Free Press.   “Canada”  “Free”  “Press.”  Sounds like it’s an objective, maybe a little left-leaning newspaper.  There’s a nice red maple leaf on the top of the page, but things rapidly begin to take a strange turn.  Next to our happy maple leaf is a countdown clock ticking off the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the end of Obama’s term.  Below that is an ad with praying hands that says “A Prayer for our Time – Deliver us from Obama.”  “Obama” replaces the word ”evil” in this snippet of the Lord’s Prayer.  Suddenly it’s not looking much like an objective news source any more.

Who runs this place, and what’s it all about?   And now to our next stop – the “About Us” page.

((CLICK)) About Us

“Canada Free Press (CFP) is a proudly independent, 24-7 electronic newspaper, updating several times–and sometimes several hours– a day. [snip]   Espousing Conservative viewpoints, cornerstone of which contain love of God, love of family, love of country, CFP maintains a loyal and growing readership.”

Well, they seem to be somewhat grammatically challenged, but we now know without a doubt that the site is not, nor does it claim to be objective.  They have a conservative slant, and they’ve said it right there in black and white.  But let’s go further.  Who are the people running the place?  There are three.

Judi McLeod, Editor of CFP is an “award-winning journalist.”   Her Wikipedia page is a fabulously entertaining read.

Arthur Weinreb, Associate Editor is a Canadian lawyer, author and columnist whose work has appeared on Newsmax, Drudge Report, Fox News and Glenn Beck.

Chase Clift, the Social Network Editor is a 9th grade student “attempting to write but have [sic] started as a social network editor along with CFP as well as pushing the Southern Secessionist movement in which he is a mere volunteer. Chase is currently working with the Confederate Liberation Society and Canada Free Press.”

This is not looking good.

We’ve got a little background.  Now it’s time to look at the article that is the source for the email.

((CLICK))  First Lady Requires More than Twenty Attendants

The first thing we notice, of course, is the use of language, calling the First Lady’s staff “attendants” in the title, and subsequently “servants” and “lackeys” in the body of the article.   Then we see a picture of the Obamas, and notice that it has been Photoshopped to show the First Lady with an extremely exaggerated backside, and the President with his neck angled forward, hunched over at the shoulder like the silhouette of the second-to-last guy in the evolution profiles that go from monkey to man.

One thing we do NOT see in the article is any mention of Laura Bush or Jackie Kennedy having one assistant, Hillary Clinton having three, or anything about any other First Lady or her staffing needs.  These were all things added in by one of the many people that got this email and thought it needed a little more punch before it was forwarded to the next group.  This is easily verified by this article in the National Journal which shows Laura Bush having fifteen staffers with the words “First Lady” in their title in 2006 - the same number as Michelle Obama.  And yet it continues to be forwarded, proving that it’s a lot easier to spread negativity than to check and see if it’s real.

So, that assertion – that Michelle Obama has more than twenty staffers and Laura Bush had only one – we can consider debunked.  Another quick Google search reveals this link with some interesting facts about First Ladies’ staffs and the evolving role of the First Lady and her office.  Jackie Kennedy, by the way, had a staff of 40.   Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush (who had a staff of 24 at one point) continued the tradition of “The Office of the First Lady” which was officially named as such during the Carter administration.  Go figure.

We could get off the train here, now that we know the email is bunk, but let’s ride on a little while longer and see what the next stop brings.  There’s got to be some reason that this assertion about Michelle Obama, that is so easily proven false, was put out to discredit her and make her the object of anger and resentment.  So let’s check out who actually wrote the article in Canada Free Press.  His name is Dr. Paul L. Williams.  And he has his own website.  His wikipedia page says that he is currently being sued for upwards of $2 million by McMaster University for claiming that Islamic terrorists had managed to steal 180 pounds of unspecified nuclear material from the McMaster nuclear reactor.  He is also the author of the book The Day of Islam: The Annihilation of America and the Western World. Interesting.

I’m going to pause here for a second and allow you to hit that snack car if you have not done so already.  You may need it for this next stop.

(pause)

((CLICK))  CRUSADER CALL – The Last Crusade

We’ve now pulled in to the station at the author’s website.  The graphic in the header of this site is a sword.  No maple leaf here.  The title reads “The Last Crusade – Think not that I am come to send peace on earth:  I came not to send peace, but a sword.  Matthew 10:34″

And the agenda of the “Michelle Obama Has Too Many Servants” email is revealed in all its glory.  It’s not about fiscal responsibility.  It’s not about Michelle Obama.  It’s not about the staffing needs of the First Lady.  It’s about this:

Islam, America and the Coming Apocalypse

Bring the Last Crusade to your church, synagogue, or civic gathering.  Dr. Paul L. Williams and his crusaders are available to address your group to stir spirits and to renew faith.  Contact the holy warriors at (email).

There’s an audio clip available that you can listen to, so you can get an idea of what a presentation to your group might sound like.  Below, I have a transcript of this audio for the brave of heart.  That’s where the better part of my afternoon went.

And the crazy train has pulled into the station.  Thanks for coming along on the ride.

But, here’s the greater message, and the lesson we obviously still need to learn.  Don’t believe chain emails, no matter where they come from.  Just as you wouldn’t look at graffiti on a bathroom stall and think to yourself “Hey, look!  I bet if I call that number, I’ll have a good time!” don’t believe email.  Completely false and misleading content could have been added by Uncle Joe’s boss’ cousin’s neighbor to emails that might have actually had some legitimacy at the beginning.  If the email gives you a source, CHECK IT.  Find out who wrote it, and what their agenda is.  It may not be what you think.  The big wide internet is just like our train ride.  Click and click until the mystery reveals itself to you.

It only took us four clicks to find out that “Michelle Obama’s staff” has nothing to do with Michelle Obama’s staff, but really means that Islam is taking over the world and the Apocalypse is near.   Good people who are concerned about fiscal responsibility, by forwarding an email full of untruths, have allowed themselves to become unwitting tools of a radical evangelical Christian group that thinks the president is a Muslim and the rapture is coming.  And they have helped that group perpetrate a lie because they decided to blindly forward it on to their friends and family, instead of actually checking to see if it’s true.

And if you do get an email like the one I did, send it back to everyone on that list with links to the truth.  Nobody likes to sound like a fool, or realize that they’ve been had.  Nobody likes to think that two simple clicks would reveal this nonsense for what it is and they didn’t do it.  After all, they trust the person who sent it.   Save the people you love from looking like idiots in the future.  If they’re called on it once, they may think twice before doing it again.  And who knows, they might even check for themselves next time.

Now here we go.  For those of you with the stomach for it, you can stay on the train for its last insane runaway downhill ride.  Remember, this is the guy that wants you to get all mad at Michelle Obama.

On Muslims and Christian Persecution

Look, I hate Muslims.  I hate Muslims.  I hate the Muslim faith more than I hate anything.  But let me tell you something.  What’s happening in Iraq isn’t worth the spilling of one drop of that precious blood of our troops, and I’m going to tell you why.  This  new democracy that was established in Iraq, and this has me hoppin’ mad… The very first stipulation in this new democracy, the very first article in this new constitution is the imposition of sharia, Muslim law on every inhabitant in Iraq.  Everybody now, not under Saddam Hussein, never before in history, every inhabitant right now is under sharia.  Do you know what that means?  Christian churches are being burned down to the ground.  Do you know what that means in Iraq right now?  Christians in the outskirts are being crucified while our troops occupy the country.

Do you know in Syria right now… God help us…  God forgive us for allowing this to happen!  In Syria right now there are over 250,000 Christian refugees who have been driven out by Iraq. That’s what we have caused there.  Is that what we’re fighting for?  Sharia?!  It’s madness.  We have permitted this.  We have allowed this.  Nobody except for the southwest radio ministry people are speaking out against this.  Christians are being persecuted as never before, even in this country.  Even in this country.  Lookit, I’m a Christian.  I’m a born-again Christian.  I am a miserable rotten sinner….not anymore… I’ve been washed and cleansed by the blood of Jesus, but beLIEVE me, I was not worth a dime, and not only not worth a dime, but I was puffed up because I had these degrees, and I thought, “Oh, I’m really smart.”  I was worse than a snake.  And lookit, the Lord lifted me up and he cleansed me, and he cleansed me and I’m leading the good life and I’m a Christian and a professing Christian and I have the right credentials, and I’ve written 20 books that have been international best-sellers, and I cannot be employed by any major university in this country.  I can’t be.  Once you say you’re a Christian, they immediately assume you’re a nutcase.  (Shouts of “Amen!” ” Yes! Praise Jesus!”  “Hallelujah!” ”Amen, brother!” “Preach on, brother, preach on!” “God bless you!”) Hallelujah.  That is the truth.  You look at … every night I’m looking at TV programs.  You don’t think we’re persecuted in this country?  You don’t watch the sitcoms every night, and the person who is the real idiot, the person who’s really obnoxious, the person who everyone hates, the person who’s the real joke is the minister, or the Christian.  That goes from the Simpsons on down.  The real person who has everything wrong and you want to grab by the neck and throttle is the Christian.

On Being Thrown Out of Prisons and Nursing Homes

Look in our prison systems, this is the truth.  Lackawanna County Prison.  I used to go visit there, to visit with the prisoners, and they say, “Oh, you’re too fiery.  We can’t allow you in the prison.”  I was even kicked out of a nursing home.  You know why?  This is the truth.  Honest to God, I was kicked out of a nursing home for preaching the word of Jesus Christ and that Christianity is the only way to salvation.  And they said, “Oh, no.  You can’t do that.  You can’t say that. You can’t say that Jesus is the only way.  We have people here who are Jewish.  We have people here who don’t want to hear that.” And so they said, “You can’t come back.”  Same thing in the prison systems.  Don’t tell me Christians are not being persecuted in this country.  Don’t tell me this.  There’s not one Christian image in any public gathering any more.  Any public forum.  You’re not allowed!  Christians will be persecuted as never before.

Illegal Aliens Will Cause the End of the World

“You know the end is near,”  Jesus says, “when lawlessness prevails over all the land.”  Right now, in rural sections of Virginia, this is Rappahannock (?) County… Rappahannock County.  Lookit, you want to take a picture postcard of the country you’d take it in Rappahannock County.  It’s beautiful!   Bucolic, OK?  It’s just like you would see in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”    OK?  Rappahannock County is now one of the centers, one of the murder centers of the United States.  Kansas City a murder capital.  Lawlessness as never before, throughout the land!  How bad is it?  Well we have over 30 million illegal aliens – you talk about lawlessness.  OK?  30 million.  30 million and we are unable to address the problem.  Unable!  I mean, what is the problem, guys?  Let’s get a fleet of buses, put them all on the buses and send ‘em back!  What is the problem?  I don’t get it.  “Oh, we can’t handle this.  We can’t handle this problem.”  These people are draining our systems of education, of welfare, our hospitals.  43%, and this is why I need my notes, 43% of food stamp recipients are now illegal aliens.  41% of the unemployment checks in this country go to illegal aliens.  60% of all welfare benefits are consumed by illegal aliens.  60% of public housing in the United States is occupied by illegal aliens.  Ten million Americans every year are killed by illegal aliens.  And we can’t handle it.  We can’t handle it.  Our Lord says that when lawlessness prevails over all the land, you will know the end is near.

Our prisons are packed, PACKED, packed to overflowing, and the prison population in the last four years, follow me, has increased by  200,000.  We don’t have room for them.  In the state of California right now, we have 660 on death row and we can’t execute them.  Do you know why?  Because they are protected by the ACLU.

You know, I study philosophy, as I said.  A hundred years ago there was a philosopher named Neitzche.  And Neitzche said this, and I want you to remember this, that when a country is incapable of excreting its waste… when a country is incapable of excreting its waste it is sick unto death.  We are sick unto death.

The Albanian Mafia Will Cause the End of the World

The number one crime family, and I told you this yesterday, is not the Italian mafia, it’s the Albanian mafia.  These people are radical Muslims.  They control the ports of entry, they control the harbors.  Do you remember the old movie, “On the Waterfront” where you had the mob controlling, you know…the Italian mob controlling what’s happening… you no longer have the Italian mafia.  Now, it’s the Albanians.  They’re Muslims.  Look, go to the FBI website, the number one crime family in the United States is the Albanian mafia. These people are Muslims.  They commit more murders than anyone else.  They control the prostitution rings, the uh…the uh…drug rings , the arms that are coming into the country.  They control all the freight that’s coming in at the airport.  Alright?  Lawlessness as never before.

And we are incapable. We are…we can elect…oh, let’s face it.  We can elect more Republicans.  Lookit, I hate somebody that would vote for a Democrat in a national election.  I’m sorry guys, maybe you did.   I…I…I cannot… I can’t….I don’t like people who vote for… but I’m gonna tell ya, I don’t know who to vote for.  Because who will fight?  Who will really really address these problems?  Who will address the lawlessness?  The illegal immigrants?  Who will REALLY address these problems.  You know who?  No one.  When lawlessness prevails, (shouting) AND YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN TROUBLE!  AND THE END IS NEAR!

Wickedness Will Cause the End of the World

And let’s remember, when Jesus is saying this, I mean good heavens, we’re going back 2000 years…  Jesus said that you’ll know when the eschaton, the end is at hand when many turn from the faith and hate and betray each other.  And I want to get these statistics right.  In the last year, church attendance among Protestants is down 10%.  Among Catholics – get this – it’s down…you ready?… 60%! (snickering)  You can say “Praise the Lord” but listen to me.  They took a survey…they took a survey.  Christians, Christians…CHRISTIANS – people who call themselves Christians,   and they asked them – this is a Gallup poll – “Name the first four books of the New Testament, and guess what?  85% of them couldn’t name one.  With the decline in church attendance of course – the decline in morality.  40% of the births in this country right now are from unwed mothers.  Now, this is even worse.  This is by the same survey of Christians.  60% of the Christian husbands in this country admit that they cheat on their wives.  Are you listening to me?  40% of the Christian wives  cheat on their husbands.  Remember what Jesus said, “All those who say ‘Lord, Lord’ will not enter the kingdom of Heaven.”  You will know the end is near with the increase of wickedness – when you have road rage as never before, assaults as never before, lewd conduct in public places as never before.

The F-word, and Beating Up Teenagers in the name of Jesus

You know, right now, I’m gonna tell you – my wife will tell you this – when I used to go like, to the movies or to a play – I’m crazy, though , this is the truth – and somebody  who is around me like teenagers, and they said the “F” word – my wife will tell you this – I used to grab them.  I used to grab them and shake them and pound them.  I’m not kidding.  I couldn’t take it.  Right now, if I did that, I’m gonna tell you, I’d spend every free waking second slugging somebody.  We have grown immune to lewd conduct.  It doesn’t offend us any more.

Look at on “The View” the other day.  On The View the other day,… I mean I wouldn’t watch that stupid thing, but I,…I, I heard it on the news and in, in ….in in three minutes the “F” word was heard on – now this is a prime time program for women during the day – that in in in in in…in like three minutes the “F” word was… was… was said on the air sixteen times.  And the audience loved it.

The Internet Will Cause the End of the World

You will know the end is at hand when the gospel is preached to all nations.  And now, for the first time in history, thanks to the internet, thanks to satellite TV – you see with satellite TV you can broadcast programs where you could never broadcast before.  So, now we have Christian programs, and Christian messages being received in the most remote areas of China!  You will know the end is at hand when the gospel is proclaimed to all nations.  My friends, it has been proclaimed to all nations.

Main Line Christianity Will Cause the End of the World

And finally, you will know the end is at hand when you see the abomination, OK? standing in the holy places. Main line denominations - and if you go to a main line denomination right now, you gotta STOP.  You gotta get out of there.  Main line denominations – The United Methodist, the United Presbyterians, the American Baptist, the United Church of Christ, the Episcopalean Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church condone the ordination of gays and same sex marriage.  They condone this!  They approve it!  Even their bishops are homosexual.  What does the word of God say about homosexuality?  It says that it is an… (waits for the audience who say in unison “Abomination!”)  Let me hear that again.  It is an… (Abomination!)  When you see the abomination in the holy places, you will know that the end is near.  Right, brothers?  When you see it…  You have these same churches saying that they approve of abortion on demand, including….including, uh… what do you call it… term, when you’re in your late terms?  (Partial birth abortion.)  Partial birth abortion.  Yeah.  Approving of that.  What does the word of God say about an abortion?   It is an…. (Abomination!)  SAY IT LOUDER!  (ABOMINATION!)  You have these same churches, along with President Bush saying that we all, the Christians and the Muslims,  we all worship the same God.  Saying that the God of Moses, and the God of Mohammad, and the Monkey God of the Hindus are all the same God.

And there it ends.  You made it.

So, if this guy was that worked up about President Bush, ask yourself what was going through his mind when Obama got elected.  This “Christian” only said he “hated” two things in his speech – Muslims and people who vote for Democrats in national elections.  Nice.  Think there’s a good chance he believes Obama is a secret Muslim?  And how close does he think the “end” is NOW?  This is the author of the email “First Lady Requires More than 20 Attendants.”  What do you think of that email now?  And what do you want to tell the person who added this part:

Reckon the press would jump on this if it were the other way around and Laura Bush had had this many “servants”?Can’t you Kool-Aid drinkers take responsibility for your own votes and do something about these continuing daily atrocities? Or are you so far gone, you’re not responsible anymore? Maybe you think she “deserves it cause she’s ….. (fill in the blank)”???   Right? Whatever…gimmeabreak. This is atrocious!

Kinda makes you want to send something back up that email chain, doesn’t it?

I’m sure actually fact checking this 10 minutes of misinformation from our “Christian” friend will provide many hours of entertainment for whomever is up to the task.  But frankly, I’m going to hit the snack car and leave it at that.