And Now News For the Day - Monday September 26

Congress is working to avert a government shutdown. Both houses have to agree on another short term funding legislation to avoid another murky market wearying, market worrying confrontation over the federal budget. The current budget ends September 30, 2011.

Some Syrian military defectors with their military weapons have named themselves the Free Syrian Army as they attempt to organize an armed militaristic challenge to President Bashar al Assad’s government. This has been a peaceful protest, others want change and hope that a military opposition might force the government to either resign or listen to the people. Others are concerned that civil war could begin between forces loyal to the government and the Free Syrian Army.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia decided that women will be allowed to vote and run as candidates in nationwide local elections in the Muslim kingdom. The first elections in Saudi Arabia were held in 2005. The 2015 election cycle will be open to women. In Saudi Arabia women can’t drive, can’t open bank accounts, have to be chaperoned by a male member of the family.


Almost 20,000 people attended the last bullfight in Barcelona’s last remaining ring El Monumental. Catalonia banned the spectacle. The ban passed in the regional parliament in 2010. In 1909 the first protest was against bullfighting was held in Barcelona.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra finished recording 205 national anthems to be played during 2012 Summer Olympics. So far it has taken 50 hours to record the anthems.

Things keep happening. Christians keep praying, keep serving the Lord.

Debt Ceiling

Social justice is needed as much now as in any time in history. The past month there have been so much posturing and posing about the issue of the federal government's debt ceiling.

How the debt ceiling was discussed, the programs which were offered up, sacrificed to gain support within the US Congress were both frightening and amusing. There was a heartlessness, a contempt for fairness, for social justice.

The art of American politics is the creation and organization of superficial, temporary idolatry.

The debt ceiling mess revealed the aristocracy of idols the democracy of idolaters and the fears of the common man.

The populace cannot understand the debt ceiling: the politicians avoid speaking honestly about the debt ceiling: the politicians want the voters to remain confused and angry.

Debt ceiling rhetoric exposes the darkness, the despair that is now the heart and core of our political systems. Our politicians are now proud to be boorish, unsympathetic characters.

An inertia of faith and trust will be the true aftermath of this round of debt ceiling decisions. Both the common good and the common man were offered as sacrificial pawns. Now both the politicians and the nation itself have questions of character and credibility. We are now behaving like tourists searching for a plastic idol made cheaply in China.

And now the Senate will debate and vote on this plastic idol which cheaply assaults the character, the integrity of all Americans especially the poor, the elderly, those who need government help the most.

Hopefully, American politicians will learn to love their neighbors and not just their lobbyists and special interest groups.