Zeitgeist, German Imperialism . . .

Foucault, the Greatest French Intellectual of the 20th century valiantly fought off several of the worst abusers within modernity. 'Mental illness' as a classificatory scheme propped up by the Prison System. Medicine as a medically verifiable course of study in which the 'disease' suddenly over-rode the patient in terms of importance. Finally, prison itself in which sheer bureaucracy could imprison someone indefinitely, all behind the facade of anonymity.

Well, the Year is 2008 A.D. and although the enemies of the Cross of Jesus wish to adopt 'normative-sounding' prose, the true test of truth will be held within the battlefield of the mind!

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba it turns out really is inside the jurisdiction of the U.S. Constitution, and much to the chagrin of George W. Bush, ever the American King wishing to override the laws of the land! No, by a margin of 5 - 4, the U.S. Supreme Court said that even our enemies are deserving of due process under U.S. Law!

But what of 'mental illness?' The sad fact is that 'mental illness' is an artificial construction whereby those holding the keys to a police state can label anyone with whom they disagree as being 'crazy' or 'delusional' and that seems to be the end of the story! The Soviet Union did so to political dissenters, as does Communist China. In fact, I even know a professor who disagreed with the former Pope, John Paul II, and rather than admit his own less than holy life (pretty arrogant chap!) instead just said, "The Pope's crazy!" Well, friends, 'crazy' is not a theological or epistemological category.

Indeed, when Jesus Christ was ministering, even his own family had claimed that Jesus had "gone out of his mind!"

Huh?

Yep, that's right, whether the enemies of the cross are errant faculty, communists, or simply shrinks, the pull towards dictatorship is as common to human history as eating, drinking and sleeping.

The term "zeitgeist" is a German word meaning "spirit of the times" and is an apt word to utilize when describing the post 2001 shift in U.S. self-identity! No longer are Americans concerned with due process under law. No, now in the wake of 9/11, we are living in a "clean-up" operation! We must now re-gain the very liberties that BOTH Democrats and Republicans have done away with! Whether it is warrant-less wire-taps or refusing to acknowledge our dependence on foreign oil, we Americans will now rebuild.

Sorry about that one . . .

Maybe we can learn from the Post WW II German people! In Germany, the horrors of the Holocaust led to an increasingly socialist and free society opposed to all forms of discrimination. Perhaps in our own society, and in the wake of Roe v. Wade's disavowing of Christian and Natural Law teaching regarding protection of babies in the womb we can now rebuild a 'culture of life.'

FOR CHRIST, FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
Rob J. King