God is basically Ayn Rand with a great big bushy beard, according to Michael Medved, who may not be a great theological thinker, but who at least ought to know from ghastly misbegotten facial hair.

It’s a stupid article but it does tell us a lot about the beliefs of crackpot hard right wingnut jihadists like Medved,  whose belief system is about to run and wreck the country because the Democratic Party refuses to act like liberals.

For more than a hundred years liberals and conservatives have been arguing over the true meaning of justice. The left emphasizes just outcomes—seeking smaller gaps between rich and poor, and a comparably dignified standard of living for all members of society. The right stresses just procedures –making sure that individuals keep the fruits of their own labors and remain secure in their property, without seizure by their neighbors or by government.

This is dogma, which I’m using as a polite term for “a devoutly believed-in article of bullshit right-wing faith.” The actual “left” believes that the United States should not be a game preserve, theme park, or toxic waste dump for a highly privileged minority. The actual “right” believes they should be allowed to use the power of the state to ensure that a highly privileged minority gets to piss on whoever they want, and that they shouldn’t pay taxes because fuck you.

Medved says this is the Message of the Almighty. No, really.

If the Bible is indeed the word of God (as a big majority of Americans say they believe it is), then it’s difficult to escape the conclusion that the Almighty would cast his all-important ballot for Republicans…. the Biblical view directly contradicts the leftist inclination: no, you can’t unjustly confiscate wealth from those who created it to fulfill the righteous goal of helping the poor. The Bible insists that no matter how worthy your purposes, you must employ only righteous means in achieving them.

Which would be persuasive if “taxes” equate to “unjust confiscation,” a view that’s actually fairly extremist by historical and rational standards, even if it’s the Word of the LORD in Medved’s circles. Heck, Medved is basing this nonsense on the Torah; his interpretation might perhaps come as a bit of a surprise therefore to, say, the state of Israel. Don’t they even know over there how badly they are pissing off the Creator of All? Maybe Medved should send them a note.

Medved also seems to believe that the US legal system is Satanically geared towards helping the poor at the expense of the helpless, cruelly oppressed rich. I’d rebut this point but I might be forced to use bad words in doing so, and I am a gentleman.

In short, if your God is all about how you shouldn’t have to pay taxes, but is all right with the state letting corporations sell you salmonella, permitting torture, starting stupid wars, and making kids bring toilet paper to school with them along with their pencils and notebooks, well, your God can blow it out his ass, quite frankly, I say with as much courtesy as I can at present muster.

[edited to correct Michael Medved's name]