The Pact with the Devil

The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity.
~George Bernard Shaw, "The Devil's Disciple", act II

I am not a Christian, but my family and I celebrate this time of year in all its Pagan glory, with a whimsical attachment to magic and merriment reflected in my young grandchildren’s eyes, and a gentle feeling of sentiment and love.  It is a special time of year.  So, I find it ironic that so-called professed ‘Christians’ seem to have missed the whole point.  This is a time traditionally associated with compassion, charity, and giving of the heart...  it seems that Mephistopheles has been competing for critical corner space with the dwindling forlorn bell-ringing Santas.... we turn around twice and all of a sudden Congress repeals DADT, and The US Congress has passed a bill to fund health care for workers involved in rescue and clean-up efforts after the 9/11 attacks on New York City after struggling to get the necessary votes.  Why the sudden turnaround?

In the classic German Faustian legend, Mephistopheles promises Faust that he will give him everything that he desires, but in exchange, Faust will then have to serve the devil in Hell.

In January of this year, 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that the McCain-Feingold act of 2002 which regulated the finances of political campaigns, was in violation of Corporations’ rights.  After this decision, corporations were no longer barred from promoting candidates with unlimited hordes of money, which would then be funneled through PAC’s to their chosen candidates. 

We saw the consequences of this decision during the 2010 mid-term elections, where PAC’s, such as Karl Rove’s American Crossroads, and the clandestine American Crossroads GPS, funneled millions of dollars into Republican campaigns.  Only a handful of billionaire donors donated millions of dollars to these PAC’s.  And as a result of this windfall, an unprecedented 63 seats in Congress would be won by Republicans.

This is why, this Fall, the Faustian Republicans, felt obligated to dig in their heels and block every piece of legislation, unless the Bush Tax Cuts for their wealthy donors were extended for another 2 years.  It was time for the Republicans to serve the devil in Hell. 

When debating the Bush Tax Cut extension to the rich, Bernie Sanders, the determined and indefatigable warrior on the Hill, held a day long vigil.

“Greed,” he said, “in my view, is like a sickness. It is like an addiction.... But I would hope that these people worth hundreds of millions of dollars will look around them and say: There is something more important in life than the richest people becoming richer.”

Matt Taibbi wrote in the Rolling Stone on 12/15/10 (Bernie Sanders puts Obama to Shame):

“This tax deal, frankly and unequivocally, is the result of a relatively small group of already-filthy rich people successfully lobbying an even smaller group of morally spineless politicians, to shift an ever-bigger share of society’s burdens to the lower and (what’s left of the) middle classes.  This is people who already have lots of shit just demanding more shit, for the sheer rotten sake of it.”

If you make money your god, it will plague you like the devil.
~Henry Fielding

This is Pluto in Capricorn conjunct the North Node, highlighted in the recent Lunar Eclipse. ‘Plutocracy’ on the Hill.  We can allow ourselves to be swept along by the general wave of the Karma of a nation, which is what we do, when we don’t speak out, or try to not get involved; or you can stand out and be separate.  Let your voice be heard.  Pluto is big money, power and control, the North Node represents the consequences of previous actions, and Capricorn is government and the infrastructure.

One advantage to Mercury being Retrograde is that when agreements, including unethical agreements are signed during this period, it usually has to be adjusted or revoked some time in the future.  What is apparent is that the full impact that such a decision will have is rarely taken into full consideration while Mercury is retrograde.  The consequences will be revealed later on.  

Waking up in January, after the euphoria of the holidays, the majority of Americans may come to realize that they were just relegated to second class serfdom.  This is not likely to rest well on the shoulders of the hoi polloi.  The uber wealthy and the powerful might well consider, that a sense of disenchantment and futility lays fertile groundwork for rebellion and revolt, which hovers just over there... on the brink of the horizon...  There’s going to come a time, when the people, are going to wipe the sleep out of their eyes, and come to the conclusion that they just won’t take any more.