Bunkum

Synonyms: APPLESAUCE [slang], BALDERDASH, BALONEY (also BOLONEY), BEANS, BILGE, BLAH (also BLAH-BLAH), BLARNEY, BLATHER, BLATHERSKITE, BLITHER, BOSH, BULL [slang], BUNK, NONSENSE (or BUNCOMBE), CLAPTRAP, CODSWALLOP [British], CRAPOLA [slang], CROCK, DRIVEL, DROOL, FIDDLE, FIDDLE-FADDLE, FIDDLESTICKS, FLANNEL [British], FLAPDOODLE, FOLDEROL (also FALDERAL), FOLLY, FOOLISHNESS, FUDGE, GARBAGE, GUFF, HOGWASH, HOKEYPOKEY, HOKUM, HOODOO, HOOEY, HORSEFEATHERS [slang], HUMBUG, HUMBUGGERY, JAZZ, MALARKEY (also MALARKY), MOONSHINE, MUCK, NERTS [slang], NUTS, PIFFLE, POPPYCOCK, PUNK, ROT, RUBBISH, SENSELESSNESS, SILLINESS, SLUSH, STUPIDITY, TARADIDDLE (or TARRADIDDLE), TOMMYROT, TOSH, TRASH, TRUMPERY, TWADDLE

Related Words: ABSURDITY, ASININITY, FATUITY, FOOLERY, IDIOCY, IMBECILITY, INANENESS, INANITY, INSANITY, KOOKINESS, LUNACY; ABSURDNESS, CRAZINESS, MADNESS, SENSELESSNESS, WITLESSNESS; HOITY-TOITY, MONKEY BUSINESS, MONKEYSHINE(S), SHENANIGAN(S), TOMFOOLERY; GAS, HOT AIR, RIGMAROLE (also RIGAMAROLE); DOUBLE-TALK, GREEK, HOCUS-POCUS

I have taken the liberty of listing all these synonyms and related words to make certain no one can possibly not understand what I think about the current nonsense having to do with Romney’s being a member or not of a cult. Stephen Pizzo has an interesting article on The Smirking Chimp today entitled “How Crazy is too Crazy.” Basically he suggests you examine the Book of Mormon and decide what you think of Romney’s presumed beliefs (he seems to believe but not want to say they are unacceptable for a President). Having perused the Book of Mormon I personally believe it is bunkum, pure and simple. I also believe that whatever the Reverend Robert Jeffers believes, being a smug Southern Baptist ignoramus is every bit as much bunkum. Thus, for me, the argument as to whether or not Romney is a Christian, or whether or not having a Christian President is better than not, is pure unadulterated bunkum and should be treated as such. As far as I am concerned anyone who actually believes the Bible is the true word of God, or the Angel Moroni was real, or their underwear is sacred, or someone was swallowed by a whale, or there was an Ark containing all the animals of the earth, or the earth is a mere 6000 years old, or evolution is not a better explanation than creationism, is simply unfit for any high office, period.

Unfortunately it seems that no one at the moment could be elected President if they did not at least pay lip service to being a Christian. But would the electorate find a snake handler acceptable? How about someone who uses Peyote in their religious ritual? Maybe someone who believes hurricanes are caused by homosexual activity, or earthquakes are god’s punishment for our sins, or so on? Our Founding Fathers deliberately insisted on the separation of church and state because they were fearful of the religious strife that had caused so much trouble in Europe and elsewhere in the world, not, I gather, because they thought religious nutcases were too crazy to hold office, a possibility I think they ignored, assuming that someone’s religious beliefs would be basically irrelevant (things were much different then as no one knew about evolution and such). The Reverend Jeffers boasts that Southern Baptists are the largest Christian denomination in the world, something he is obviously quite proud of, but probably contributes mightily to making us an international laughingstock. As far as I know we are the only remaining large industrialized nation that still has such a large religious presence, all others having more or less given up such nonsense.

If it were ever to be the case, heaven forbid, that I had to choose between Governor Romney and Governor Perry, a “cult member” or an Evangelical like the Reverend Jeffors, I have no doubt I would pick Romney (of course I would never vote for either one of them unless under sentence of death for not voting).

I cannot understand how people can be arguing that the 2012 election is going to be “close.” I realize that President Obama has been going down in the polls, and I also realize the President is going to be the one blamed for whatever has gone wrong, however unfairly. I also believe the Obama has done things of which I absolutely do not approve, like his “wars” in Afghanistan and Libya, for example, or his failure to pursue bankers or war criminals, but when compared to Republicans he seems like a saint. Republican hypocrisy has reached such epic proportions as to be virtually unbelievable. They thought the Tea Party protests, with people carrying guns and racist slogans were fine but now describe the “Occupy” protests as “mobs.” And they consistently repudiate their own ideas if presented by President Obama. They have placed every obstacle possible in the way of helping produce jobs and then blame the President for the problem. They are absolutely shameless in their support for millionaires and billionaires and their contempt for the middle class and the poor, and are engaged in every conceivable way to prevent people from voting and thus steal the next elections, and on and on. In my opinion they are disgusting in every way and yet somehow there will be people who vote for them. I don’t understand it, but, then, I don’t have a criminal mind.

Anyway, if someone running for President believes in handling snakes, speaking in tongues, flagellating themselves, or beliefs that absolutely prohibit abortion and even birth control, or Gay marriages, or Gays in the military, creationism, dinosaurs as pets, or god’s wrath causing natural disasters, I want to know about it and will vote accordingly. If that makes me a bigot, so be it. There is no transparency here, if a Presidential candidate says he/she is a Christian you simply have to guess what that might actually mean. If anything, It’s “no way to run a railroad.”

But the greatest menace to our civilization today is the conflict between giant organized systems of self-righteousness-each system only too delighted to find that the other is wicked-each only too glad that the sins give it the pretext for still deeper hatred and animosity.

Herbert Butterfield