In 1967, psychologist Martin Seligman conducted a behavioral experiment involving dogs which offered up a startling discovery, the result of which gave rise to the concept of “learned helplessness.”
In a nutshell, Seligman discovered that if you shock a dog with electricity enough times—Zzzzzzzzzzzzzt!—the dog will cease to resist the punishment. It will simply accept the shock as part of its reality, and fail to take evasive action—even when evasive action is possible! I love dogs, but it’s a good thing we humans are different from them.
Can you imagine the fate of mankind if learned helplessness was part of our psyche? How would we move forward, striving to become a freer nation and a better people? Where would we be without the desire and ability to fight back?
Take for instance Timothy Geithner, who is undergoing confirmation hearings to be the Secretary of the Treasury, a position which will place him also at the head of the Secret Service and the IRS. In case you missed the news, he failed to pay $34,000 in self-employment taxes from 2001 to 2004, and after being caught by the IRS, he, uh, continued to fail to pay them. Clearly this is—Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!
The Republicans should, of course, fight the idea of a tax cheat heading up the IRS, but Lindsey Graham stepped forward to defend him. Since when do Republican Senators side with partisan Demo—Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!
I’m also amazed at the rubber stamp being offered to Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, given the list of questionable and international contributors to Bill Clinton’s library. How can you wave America’s big stick when you have direct financial ties to—Zzzzzzzzzzzzt!
I think it’s important also to understand the “Rule Changes” Nancy Pelosi has enacted in the House, which essentially prohibit the Republicans from even offering input on a proposed bill. This is a reversal of the Rule instituted by Newt Gingrich, which provided the Democrats with fair say, and flies in the face of the non-partisan politics preached by Oba—Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!
America’s problems are hardly all due to Democrats. The Republican President led the charge to nationalize the banks, bail out the insurance companies, and rescue the Big Three, despite the fact that basic free market principles allow for both success and fail—Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!
Speaking of opposing parties, can someone explain to me why Sarah Palin was cast as America’s most hated woman because of her “lack of experience, speaking style, and ambition,” yet just a few months later, you know, Caroline Kennedy is, you know, being considered for, you know, Hillary’s Senate Seat while the media fawns over her pedigree and volunteer work as—Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!
I’m also still amazed at how quickly the American media attacked and demonized Joe the Plumber for asking Barack Obama a simple question. The question wasn’t even a hard one, and Barack was happy to answer it. It’s almost like the media feels they alone have access to the First Amendment, and when—Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!
Speaking of the First Amendment, I’d like to voice my concerns about Leon Panetta being chosen to head up the CIA; other than his vocal pledge to ban torture, even during a ticking-clock scenario, why is he even being considered? Shouldn’t the head of the Central Intelligence Agency have at least a day of background in intelli—Zzzzzzzzzzzt!
As of today, two days before the inauguration, we still have Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean serving time in jail for shooting a convicted drug dealer, based on testimony by the same drug dealer they shot. We also have United States Marines on trial for “murders” committed on the battlefield, as attested to by Iraqi combatants. How can we ask men to defend our nation when—Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!
Riding into the tower of power with President Obama is, of course, the one-man brain trust known as Joe Biden. During the campaign season, Mr. Biden claimed the Obama administration would pursue prosecution of the Bush Administration for War Crimes, much to the delight of the left. Now, it’s possible my Dad taught me wrong, but the idea of a seated Senator calling the President a war criminal is—Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!
So I’m taking a stand. I’m—Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!
Reality check: These days I find myself getting immune to talk radio—even the shows hosted by the non-yelling, common sense commentators. I have been a long-time listener to talk radio—because I enjoy hearing the opinions of intelligent commentators and guests—but the reality of 2008 and early 2009 has ruined the experience.
Why? Because there’s so much blatant corruption and partisan hatred on the part of both parties, the commentators have no time to discuss anything else. As they run through their stacks of the latest mind-blowing news, I find myself saying, “Well of course that happened. What else can you expect? There’s not an ethical human being within 25 miles of that decision being made.”
Even worse, I sometimes find myself saying, “Whatever.”
My buddy the Reverend Peet Dickinson pointed out something to me that I never noticed prior, and the reality of his observation is striking: Jesus never offered commentary on what form of government He supported.
It seems like He would have supported a democracy or a republic built on human rights and self-evident truths, but He never weighed in on the issue—other than to point out that human leaders have no other authority than what God has given them.
But how can this be? How could the Lord not have an opinion about the form of government that rules over humans? How could He not be passionate and angry about those corrupting the system? How could these new developments not bother him?
Peet explained that, too: Humans are involved in government, so corruption and sin are inevitable. Jesus saw that end game 2,000 years ago.
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