The various interpretations and presentations of “A Christmas Carol” are something many of us look forward to during the Christmas season. But Dickens was castigated by some church leaders of the time for his emphasis on the goodness of the human spirit rather than on the birth of Jesus. What they chose to overlook, as do many today, was the fact that without the birth of The Prince of Peace there would never have been the story by Dickens with its emphasis on the goodness to be found in humankind.

As with the charming story by Dickens, while it is generally a subject for academia curiosity is aroused when considering why the noblest thoughts of men and women throughout history are largely ignored of putting into practice, and as Emerson pointed out such people make disciples but leave no truly representative class. And no Jacob’s Ladder to heaven has resulted from the pile of books, the heritage of the best of humankind representing the noblest thoughts of good people and philosophers.

A broad hint of why the worst and not the best are elevated to power in America is that while there is so much of real moment, so much real suffering going on throughout America and the rest of the world the MSM seems captive to the inane like celebrities and thereby making America and Americans appear shallow and self-absorbed with wealth and fame. Perhaps you become as disgusted as I am with what the MSM considers “news.” But what is the driving force for this absorbing fascination of the media with celebrity and the propaganda supporting it as of real interest to Americans? Are Americans really as shallow as the MSM would have everyone believe? We are told it is the ratings that prove this. But is this really true? It certainly is not what we want to believe, but can it possibly be true? And if so what does this say of America, of the future for America?

If one were to look for a conspiracy in this, perhaps it involves Henry Thoreau’s comment about unjust governments making war: “Thus, under the name of order and civil government, we are all made at last to pay homage to and support our own meanness… The broadest and most prevalent error requires the most disinterested virtue to sustain it.”

It seems the “Bully Pulpit” has become a bully in the White House. It is no accident the MSM is cooperating with Bush by elevating the inanities of celebrities to captivating TV and thereby taking attention away from the debacle in Iraq. But will the Clinton henchman Berger be held to account for his thefts, stealing security documents unflattering to Clinton in an attempt at revisionist history? What is this but bullying? And every drunk behind the wheel seems to believe it his “right” to drive while drunk. And the drunk is encouraged in believing this because our leaders will not allow the punishment to fit the crime when the drunk maims and kills people. The failure of good people to elect good government because of bullies shouting down every attempt at standards of good and decent behavior results in the meanness Henry wrote about due to the “disinterested virtue” of too many good people thereby allowing the “drunks” to keep getting behind the wheel.

And how is it that every attempt to defend a truly distinctive American heritage, culture, language, and secure borders is met by the bullies attempting to shout down such attempts to hold on to a distinctively American identity and American sovereignty? If one were to look for a conspiracy of evil look to those that attack all that speak out against those that appear to believe America can survive without its identity as a nation based on our heritage, culture, language, and secure borders.

“U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Va., said he will not apologize for criticizing the use of the Koran for swearing in government officials. Goode came under fire for sending his central Virginia constituents a letter criticizing a request by Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, D-Minn., to be sworn in using the Koran instead of the Bible next month.”

The hypocrisy of politicians swearing an oath of office with hand on Bible is obvious to all and the subject of a lengthy essay of mine. Harper Lee has the evil Ewell and his daughter swear an oath their hands on a Bible with the clear intent of lying in order to send an innocent man to his death. But to introduce a Koran leaves me with the most uneasy feeling this will not be hypocrisy, but an oath taken to do everything possible to advance the cause of Islam in America. But the Devil’s attorney has no trouble pointing out the fact politicians do not serve the interests of America, but their actual oath of office is sworn to their own selfish interests, hands on a Bible notwithstanding.

It has come to this; a seeming mad man in the White House aided by the MSM glorifying celebrity no matter how debased, cooperating in making those who believe America should not forsake our heritage, culture, language and borders to be the mean-spirited while those attacking these things are made to look like the noble defending America. But because of the success of the bullies due to “disinterested virtue” the rest of the world sees our nation being driven by a drunk at the wheel; and as is usually the case the innocent will suffer the consequences of such madness while the drunk goes on to maim and kill again and again.