07 February 2016

Socialist Criticisms of Sanders

The American political spectrum is by default set to the Right. In a European context Sanders would be maybe Center-Left. Hilary Clinton would definitely be Center-Right and of course the entire Republican spectrum is more or less on the Far Right. There are some variations of course. Figures like Trump and Christie advocate some positions (or at least did) that would push them a bit more toward the center.

Sanders is striking a populist note and like Trump is feeding on frustration and anger. And yet, he's not really advocating positions nor does he have the record that would indicate he's fully prepared to take on the system. He wants to remedy certain situations without acknowledging they are systemic. Trying to treat symptoms won't accomplish anything. The fact that he seems to advocate the whole Militaristic-Imperial system demonstrates that he either doesn't understand or is unwilling to truly take on the cancer that is the American system. You can't take on Capitalism while defending the Empire. They go together.





 

3 comments:

  1. This is actually regarding your most recent post on your other website pertaining to the demonic.

    I take it you were prompted to write it based on the encounter you had with the individual you mentioned in the second paragraph and that this happened recently. I'm just curious...what exactly was he saying that suggested to you his understanding of Christianity was deficient?

    Don't get me wrong. I know you've touched on this issue before and I agree with you 100%. Even though charismatics and rationalists are at opposite ends of the spectrum on this issue, they represent two extremes we need to avoid. Personally, I think the demonic is most active, at present, in the love of money and status. It's pervasive throughout our culture and it's sadly afflicted the church so surreptitiously that few seem to notice and those who do try to explain it away. Just ask any bible teacher about usury and listen to what he says. I don't say this condescendingly, either. I say it with sadness and fear especially since I've been guilty of this sin in the past as well.

    I hope to hear from you soon.

    Cheers,
    Jim

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  2. Listening to him talk he obviously embraced (and heartily at that) the doctrine of the Carnal Christian. His life was in total disarray, drugs, divorce etc...

    I'm not suggesting that a Christian can't seriously fall of the wagon for a season but there's a fundamental problem when this is one's basic lifestyle for years on end. When you add in the Charismatic factor it creates a toxic brew of bad doctrine and when you factor in emotionalism and intuition based discernment and ethics it leads to a real mess. I've seen it before, a lot of out of control drama, passionate extremes etc...

    The root problem if I can offer an analysis was familiar to me. It reminded me a lot of my father. There were a lot of sociopathic-type justifications for actions, excuses, refusals to submit to the commands of God and total self-absorption, the latter point being key. This guy was obsessed with every little feeling, intuition etc. and I am always disturbed when I hear people hyper-dissecting their feelings and emotions. It's not just 'why do I feel that way?' it's more of a 'why do I keep thinking about how I feel? It makes me feel bad, why do I keep thinking that? What's happening to me? Why am I constantly thinking about the fact that I'm not feeling good right now?' Hyper self-obsession seems to dominate.

    And then in his case, every funny feeling was entertained as some kind of demonic impulse or assault. The demons were making his steering wheel veer toward the other lane etc.

    I'm not sure you if you know what I'm getting at, but I encounter people who are just obsessed with themselves, sometimes to the point of paralysis. They often struggle with depression and no wonder! I'm also struck by the fact that often times these types of people are the ones most drawn toward psychology and want to become counselors.

    Throw in the demonic element and all I can say is watch out.

    For years I was deceived by the doctrine of Easy-Believism/Decisionism, the cheap grace altar-call variety of conversion that had a severely watered down version of faith and little concept of repentance. The Christian life was carnal and superficial. It seems to me that when you add in the Charismatic element these factors are amplified and create larger distortions.

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  3. The man was obsessed with the demonic and believed himself to be engaged in this sort of wild variety of spiritual warfare. He's engaged in a teaching ministry and yet his own life seems in total disarray, his own understanding of the faith struck me as woefully deficient and he's running about promoting his version of events. Frankly I was left wondering if it wasn't him that was demonic.

    That's probably unkind but it's not the first time I've thought so.

    That's what made me think of Alan Morrison. As I said I wasn't always on board with him but he had collated and written about the testimonies of many who had left the Charismatic movement as well as those who had been previously involved in the occult, come to Christianity and were startled by what they found in the Charismatic movement. They argued (rightly I think) that much of what was going on in the Charismatic movement was close cousin to the ideas and practices from their occult days.

    We cannot judge the hearts of individuals nor is it our task to do so although to a certain extent the Church must do so. Nevertheless a tree is known by its fruit and in the case of the gentleman that I heard on the radio, something was very rotten and suspect.

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