The Strategy Behind Trump's Lies

I write this on Sunday, September 15. Since doing poorly in the debate with Kamala Harris on Tuesday, Sept. 10, Donald Trump has not been not backing away from his outrageous lies about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, eating pets, but actually doubling down. Same with his Vice President nominee J.D. Vance. This is NOT the way to attract undecided voters, as this stuff is clearly both crazy and racist. So what is Trump up to? Here is my gloomy prediction. He is no longer trying to win the election. He is just trying to rally his right-wing, racist, anti-immigrant, xenophobic forces so that they will be filled with maximum anger and be ready to again attack when he loses the election and starts shouting, again, that the election was unfair, that it was stolen. Prepare for a Jan. 6 type event, or maybe multiple such events, all over again. Fortunately, Joe Biden will be in charge of American security forces to put down any coup attempt, but this could mean months or years of violent right-wing activity. I hope I am wrong about this, but I fear I could be right.

The Wheel of Time and the Will of Nature

Like many Americans of a liberal-progressive political disposition, I am feeling greatly relieved as well as inspired by the wise decision of Joseph Biden to step down as the Democratic party's presidential nominee and to instead call on Vice President Kamala Harris  to step into the role. Her performance in the two days since the baton was passed to Ms. Harris has beautifully demonstrated the qualities of forceful energy, verbal sharpness and joy in battle that had become so sorely lacking in Joseph Biden due to his advanced age. I now feel hopeful that the terrible Fascist juggernaut of Donald Trump and his antidemocratic forces can be stopped in its tracks, and a brighter horizon beckon.

There is something so poignant in this turn of events: the old giving way to the young, the turning of the wheel, the acceptance of time and season. To put this in Jungian terms, it is the elderly Senex giving way to the youthful Puer. Now Donald Trump, the sociopathic Trickster whose narcissistic confidence and red-faced bellowing gave him the appearance of vigor in relation to the frail and feeble Biden, has been exposed as an aging clown whose bluster and blather are no match for the moral clarity, righteous anger and laughing confidence of this far more youthful and quick-witted contender. The tables have turned. Of course, no one should underestimate the power of American racism and misogyny to boost Trump over Harris, but I am hopeful that some kind of cosmic re-alignment is taking place that will indeed result in the victory of Kamala Harris.

From a more specifically Pagan point of view, it may be that Mother Earth and the forces of nature are rising up to block the return to power of a man who has very clearly proclaimed his willingness to allow the heedless exploitation of natural resources to proceed with no limits, no regulations, no restraint, a man with absolutely no concern for all the devastation this will cause, all the suffering, all the scarring and degradation of our beautiful earth. Well, Mr. Trump, you thought nature was helpless: it may now be rising up against you.

This is my prayer today. May it prove true tomorrow and in November when the election takes place!

The War on Reality

One of the greatest dangers of Trumpism is that it it is a war on reality. Trumpers reject most news media reports of Trump's misdeeds because they just want to believe what they want to believe, which is whatever pumps up them with the angry adrenalin that they have become addicted to. If we cannot start to agree on basic facts, Trump will go down in history not just as a destroyer of democracy, but as an assassin of reality itself, and we will be in a very dangerous, unstable world led by mindless but highly emotional propaganda.

Cockroach Parable

 I came across a satirical piece on religion that I wrote some thirty years ago. Unfortunately, it seems just as relevant today as when it was first written.

Parable Exercise: The Virtues of Uncertainty (1992)

             There once was a man, otherwise quite unremarkable, who was distinguished by his indecision and uncertainty in matters which most other people considered of the greatest importance. When such a matter was under discussion and this uncertain man was asked his opinion, he would say only that he wasn't sure. When pressed as to whether he agreed with this or that theory or opinion which some other person was putting forward with great energy and conviction, he would only say, "Maybe, maybe not," or "Perhaps in some cases, but not in others." This kind of response made the uncertain man an object of not inconsiderable scorn, and eventually placed him in great danger.

            It so happened that in the time and place in which this uncertain man lived, there was great dissatisfaction and dissent among the people, their general prosperity notwithstanding. As a consequence, there arose various rival religious sects. Each bitterly denounced all the others, and declared itself to be the exclusive champion of truth, wisdom and justice. In this contentious fashion all of the rival parties were in considerable agreement, but to even discuss this with oneself in private, let alone in a public forum in the presence of other citizens, was considered extremely poor taste, and might even render a person liable to various highly unpleasant reprisals. The necessity of such punishments was another matter on which the rival groups found themselves in perfect agreement with one another, but to call attention to this point would subject one to even harsher reprisals.

            As each sect was always eager to enlist new converts in its unceasing struggles against its rivals, the uncertain man frequently found himself the recipient of the attentions of the representatives of one group or another, who sought to persuade the uncertain man to take up their cause. For instance, the group in favor of the abolition of most, though not all language once sent to him a spokeswoman who said to the uncertain man, "Surely you will concede that all too often, language is used to mislead and deceive people and stir up enmity between them." He responded,  "Perhaps in some cases, but not in others."

            She went on, "As a reasonable, intelligent person, you would have to agree that even much supposedly well-intentioned speech is frivolous and unproductive, as well as grammatically incorrect."  He replied, "Maybe, maybe not."

            The representative continued, "Then you will surely see the wisdom of our program for a ban on the 95% of language determined most offensive and injurious by our panel of experts, and the introduction of a hieroglyphic symbol-system, a copy of which each person would be required to carry with them at all times, enabling them to point to the necessary item at the relevant time, without causing offense to any class, gender, color, person or plant, fish, mineral or insect." The uncertain person answered only, "I'm not really sure." The spokeswoman from the group in favor of the abolition of most, though not all language left in a huff, cursing the uncertain man in no uncertain terms, and  displaying an impressive command of obscene, offensive and thoroughly vituperative language.

            As time went on, the number of such visitors calling on the uncertain man with hopes of converting him to their cause increased, as each group realized that the conversion of such a stubborn unbeliever would be an enormous public relations victory. 

            On one such occasion, a spokesman from the Society for the Glorification of Felines attempted to convince the uncertain man of the merit of eliminating all other forms of religion, even including gambling and spectator sports, in favor of mandatory cat worship. The representative argued that in contrast to the troubles and violent discords of the present time, spiritual peace and social harmony had been everyday experiences in ancient Egypt. The reason for this favorable state of affairs was that the people of the nation had understood that the cat was the living symbol of divinity, and had ordered their lives accordingly, worshipping the cat as intended by God, appointing a pharaoh to mediate between man, God and cat, and constructing pyramids in order to provide gainful employment for the masses.

            "And so you see," concluded the cat-worshipper, "that it is more or less a self-evident truth that a re-dedication to the enduring values of cat, pharaoh and pyramid is the only course of action that can save humanity from its headlong rush toward depravity and destruction." The uncertain man reflected for some time in silence, and the cat-worshipper was starting to feel guardedly hopeful when the uncertain man responded, "Maybe so, maybe not. I'm impressed by the passion of your conviction, and I'm sure you mean well, but that's no guarantee that you're completely right in all you say or that others are completely wrong. I am just an uncertain man, and I guess that's all I'll ever be."

            As the sects struggled amongst themselves, social conditions continued to deteriorate. Young people, seeing that their parents' and other adults' talk of `love', `peace' and other such ideals was no more than a hypocritical excuse for the daily practice of self-flattery, greed and intolerance, devoted themselves to materialism and violence, some even killing each other for a mere article of clothing. Older people, convinced that the nation's youth were ignorant, ungrateful and undeserving, refused to pay taxes, for fear that money would be wasted on social and educational programs for the young. When people turned to their religious leaders for guidance, all they found was a group of self-righteous fanatics, each eager to blame someone else for the problems of the day, while claiming a glorious future sure to come for the faithful.

            The sectarian rivalries became political and then military matters. Eventually, the leading clerics of the church of the Holy Cockroach, who worshipped the cockroach as the symbol of eternal life, by reason of its obvious hardiness and joie de vivre, as well as its reputed ability to withstand nuclear holocaust, seized power and began to persecute unbelievers. Citizens were arrested in the dead of night and brought before military tribunals, where they were asked but one question: "Do you believe in cockroaches?" Many people, unaware of the peculiar doctrines espoused by the Roachians and confused by the question, were unable to answer in the clear and unequivocal way expected of them, and instead responded with such questions as "What do you mean by `believe'?" or "Define `cockroach'". These poor souls, who had quite grievously overestimated their accusers' capacity for theological discussion, were executed on the spot.

            It happened that the uncertain man was summoned before such a tribunal and presented with the usual question. The uncertain man automatically responded in his usual uncertain way: "Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps in some cases, but not in others."            

            The Roachian clerics were taken back by this confident, ready response, as it seemed to suggest that a person could be aware of the divinity of the cockroach, and yet still be unwilling to devote their life to its worship. This possibility had never occurred to them, as previously they had thought that all those who had resisted affirming their simple creed must be devotees of the Antiroach, who were incapable of understanding the one true religion and who attempted to hide their actual, sinful convictions by dodging or debating The Question with fancy verbal trickery. Seriously facing for the first time the prospect of a belief which was neither completely identical nor totally opposed to their own, which seemed to share elements of their cherished convictions while differing on other points, the Roachians were thrown into confusion. The uncertain man was given a temporary stay of execution, while the elders of the church debated his case.

            Some believed that the uncertain man was the worst kind of heretic, bearing enigmatic words designed to gradually corrode their most essential doctrines, and that in light of the danger which he represented, he should be crushed like a bug, without delay. Others saw the uncertain man as a former believer who had fallen victim to confusion, and should be re-educated in the principles of the one true religion, so that he might again receive the grace of the divine insect.

            Still others saw the uncertain man as a prophet in disguise, come to reveal the further teachings of the cockroach. They saw his strange response to The Question, full of qualifications and ambiguity, as evidence of a deeper understanding of the inner mysteries of the insect, and they begged him for instruction. "Tell us," they asked the uncertain man, "what do you mean by the words, `perhaps in some cases, but not in others'? Does this mean that there are some cockroaches who deserve our worship, others who don't, some who are divine, some who are not?"

            The uncertain man responded, "Maybe, maybe not."

            "Do you mean it is impossible to discern the truth without first developing deeper spiritual insight?"

            "Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps in some cases, but not in others."

            "Do you mean that different people should worship different cockroaches? Are these different roaches one or many? What of the benighted lands where there are no cockroaches?"       

            The dialogue continued in this manner, with each uncertain statement of the uncertain man provoking further theological dilemmas among the Roachians. As a result of the ensuing roachological debates, the Roachians renounced their dictatorship and withdrew to the countryside to meditate on the further mysteries of their religion. Leaving the city, they issued a proclamation apologizing for the several hundred thousand murders which they had committed, explaining that it was all just a theological misunderstanding about the nature of salvation and the relationship of eschatology to entomology. They promised that it wouldn't happen again, at least not until the end of time, when the Roach Messiah would return in glory to usher in the metamorphosis of the blessed.

            The uncertain man, who previously had been an object of scorn for his noncommittal approach to religious matters, was now honored as a hero by a population grateful to have been delivered from the Roachian holocaust. There was now one question foremost in the minds of the people: Should they again practice religion, or should they abolish it, considering their recent traumatic experience?  The uncertain man was consulted for his learned opinion, and he replied merely, "Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps in some cases, but not in others."

 

Setting Limits on Trump and America's Slide toward Fascism

 Because I usually talk with people who share my low opinion of Donald Trump, I sometimes underestimate how high the opinion his followers have of the former president. So, I was surprised to hear a man on the street in NYC the other day say to his female companion, "He is the BEST THING that ever happened to this country, and now LOOK WHAT "THEY" ARE DOING TO HIM!" If and when Trump is convicted and sent to prison or given other punishment, there really could be an explosion of violence. But I think there is no way to avoid this. I learned a long time ago, working in mental health with schizophrenics and other disturbed people that it does no good to tolerate unacceptable behavior. We used to call it "limit-setting." If the legal authorities are unable or unwilling to set a limit on Trump, he may very well just go on to do more and more outrageous things and to encourage his followers to do the same. . I am praying for limits to be set. It is the only way America can even begin to get back to something like "normal."

Remarks to the ECER 2023 in Riga Latvia

 On June 29-30, the European Congress of Ethnic Religions (ECER) met in Riga, Latvia. Here is the speech I gave at this gathering.

Hello.  I am very pleased to be with you today.  As most of you know, before the ECER there was the WCER (World Congress of Ethnic Religions).  I was at the first WCER  meeting in Vilnius in 1998 when it was initially called the WPC—the World Pagan Congress. I attended several meetings after that, in Athens in 2004 and Antwerp in 2005.  I am not a member of any ethnic religion or Pagan group, officially, but am a scholar with training in the history of Indian and Pagan European religions, who has had close relationships with the Asatru religion in Iceland, Romuva in Lithuania and Dievturi in Latvia, the last of which makes me especially happy to be here today.

In that first conference in 1998, we debated what name to use for the kind of religion we were involved with. The word “Pagan” was advanced as a way to indicate that we represent what came before Christianity in Europe and that we continue to suffer disrespect and suppression from Christian authorities. It was also mentioned that in modern times, Pagan often means a nature-oriented religion that allows for the worship of ancient gods. Others preferred “ethnic” as a way of indicating that the religious traditions under discussion were connected with particular places and peoples. Finally, the decision was made to accept the Ethnic Religion label as our official designation. I continue to prefer the term Pagan, so I ask you to forgive me if use this term today.

Today, as one of the only people here who was at the first meeting and who has what is now a long history of studying and supporting European Pagan or ethnic religions, I want to offer some thoughts on the future development of Paganism or ethnic religion in the years ahead.

Paganism reaches into the past to find spiritual meaning that can still be valid today.  We are thus all very concerned with preserving and protecting traditions from the past. However, all human life, all human culture, including religion, needs to evolve and develop.  If we look at any of the major world religions whether Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam or others we can see that these religions change over time, often involving a lot of debate and discussion about what to keep from the past, what to put aside as no longer useful or meaningful, and whether to develop new things.  Early Hinduism practiced animal sacrifice, but this was later abandoned, and now we often associate Hinduism with strict vegetarianism. The Buddha told his followers that he was not a god and not to worship him, but over the centuries, the Buddha has been worshipped like a god. Therefore, we who are Pagans or follow ethnic traditions grounded in the past should not feel constrained to only repeat what has been done in the past, especially considering the difficulty in actually knowing and recreating what exactly people did and believed a thousand or ten thousand years ago.  We have to be humble about the past, because we have never been there. We have never met our ancient ancestors. We only have limited information about the religion of the past. We can and should take inspiration from the past, but not be trapped by it. It is great to visit the museum, but who really wants to live there?

This actually opens great possibilities for development of European Pagan religions. From the beautiful fragments of the past that we find in archaeology, in folklore, and other sources, we can create new visions and practices, taking inspiration from the past, but also recognizing that we live in a changing world with many sources of information that were not available a thousand years ago. If someone wants to create new religious music that is computer-based and electronic, not played on a kokles or kankles, we should not reject this just because it is not a thousand years old or even a hundred. We should see if it has spiritual meaning that connects to people today, and if it helps the tradition speak to modern times and not only ancient.

One particular challenge we have today is that we live in societies of increasing diversity. This creates questions for Pagan or ethnic religions about who should be allowed to participate in our religious activities or to obtain membership in our organizations. Some would say this should only be people with the exact same ethnic identity as the original creators of the religious traditions that we honor. I think this is wrong on several levels. First of all, historians and archaeologists can tell us that people in the past were actually more diverse than we might think. Tribal identities were fluid and changeable, and people migrated, moved, and mixed a great deal. So, the people of the past may not fall into the kind of neat ethnic categories that some like to imagine. Second, to survive today, our religions must reflect the societies we live in, unless we want our religions to be hostile fortresses where we keep out outsiders and live in a mental world of paranoia and resentment., which can easily degenerate into outright racism and white power fantasies.  I think there is a better way, which is to focus on maintaining and developing sacred traditions, not obsessing over who is involved in the traditions. If a black person, an Asian or a Roma feels a sincere interest in becoming a Czech or a Greek or a Norwegian Pagan, why not let them in?  If they are willing to learn the traditions and practice them with deep sincerity, are they not at least equally deserving as some white person with the right kind of ethnic surname who may be of poor moral character, limited intelligence and not care at all about the tradition?  Pagan or ethnic religions do not have huge membership. They need to grow.  And accepting people of different ethnic and racial backgrounds is one way to do that.

Finally, I want to call on all of you to consider that in ancient Pagan or ethnic religions, nature is sacred.  I believe that one of the best ways for our religions to unify and to also have positive relations with other religions in the world is to dedicate ourselves to only worshipping nature, but protecting it. I believe it would be a very good thing for Pagans to be at the forefront of environmental action, to fight against pollution, climate change and the other severe problems affecting our earth. In this way, we show the world that we do not live in a museum. We live in the world and just as we honor and protect our ancient traditions and ancestors, we honor and protect the earth that is the mother of us all.

Thank you.