The Devil's Christmas Letter

[Sternhauser]

From the desk of Charles Hugh Smith, December 17th.

[font="Verdana"][color="#404040"][size="2"][size="2"][i]"The Devil pens a Christmas letter.[/i] [/size] [size="2"][b]Through means I am unable to disclose, I have obtained a copy of the Devil's Christmas letter.[/b] Yes, Satan too sends a Yule letter, and no, I was not on his mailing list. I think Satan's Holiday cheer should give us all pause. [/size]

[indent] [size="2"]To my fallen angels Beelzebub, Lucifer and Leviathan, princes of Hell's demons, and to my minions, lackeys, toadies and sycophants on Earth: [/size] [size="2"]As you know, this time of year usually finds me quite despondent, as the Prince of Peace's influence waxes most atrociously around his birthday. But this year I am in fine spirits, nay, let me even declare myself absolutely giddy, for the destruction of the United States of America draws ever nearer. [/size]

[size="2"]Though my minions have long sown festering seeds of hate and disharmony in that now-benighted land, only recently have my favored weapons of destruction--leverage, debt, half-truths and endless, preening justifications for greed, sloth, lust, pride, envy, anger and gluttony--have been unleashed to worm their way into the stricken heart of that Republic. [/size]

[size="2"]My most treasured hopes of destitution and conflict in the U.S.A. are nearing fruition. [/size]

[size="2"]First, my minions in the Federal Reserve--such loyal servants!--and the Federal government have unleashed a veritable orgy of leverage and debt upon the land, spreading ruination under the false guise of prosperity. What a delicious irony, that the geniuses doomed to eternal damnation in my Empire believe themselves prosperous as they absorb the poison of exponentially rising leverage and debt. [/size]

[size="2"]They have made a mockery of the rule of law, openly flouting it by letting financial crimes go not just unpunished but rewarded. The blatant injustice that roams the land like a foul, slobbering beast--there are two sets of laws and two sets of books now, one for the financial Elites and their political toadies, and another one for the tax donkeys beneath them--this will eventually ignite the firestorm I seek. [/size]

[size="2"]American extravagance has surpassed even my highest expectations, as purveyors of luxury goods reap record profits, and the childish desire for instant gratification has become the unspoken ruler of the land. Convenience is now worshipped as a god, sitting triumphant beside entitlement, greed and willful ignorance. [/size]

[size="2"]Convenience is, as you all know, the name of a peculiarly slick slide into Hell. [/size]

[size="2"]One of my favorite sins, gluttony, is running amok, with half of the people groaning under their own weight, sickened and weakened. My loyal minions in the fast-food and packaged food industries have followed my plans to perfection, and my lackeys in the marketing and media have fueled the instant gratification and ignorance which insidiously undermine even the greatest empires."[/size]
[/indent][/size][/color][/font][size="3"]
[url="http://www.oftwominds.com/blogdec10/Devils-Christmas-Letter12-10.html"]Read the rest of it here.[/url][/size]

Edited December 19, 2010 by Sternhauser

[Jaime]

Satan isn't a very good writer

[Semper Catholic]

Apparently Satan watchesa lot of MSNBC

[Catholictothecore]

Raises a good question, though. The tone of this letter implies that the USA is a nation somehow protected more than others by Divine Providence. Like, the corruption of our land is any more tragic than the corruption of any other government. What were we, some sort of divinely inspired experiment that tragically is failing/has failed? I really have trouble believing that.

[Ed Normile]

[quote name='jaime (the artist formerly known as hot stuff)' timestamp='1292775547' post='2193460']
Satan isn't a very good writer
[/quote]


Yea, he seems more like a documenter than a writer.

Good piece though, I enjoyed it. thanks for putting it up Stern.

ed

[Mark of the Cross]

TLDR satan. LOL. Who translated it into English?

Edited December 19, 2010 by Mark of the Cross

[Mark of the Cross]

[quote name='Catholictothecore' timestamp='1292787521' post='2193486']
Raises a good question, though. The tone of this letter implies that the USA is a nation somehow protected more than others by Divine Providence. Like, the corruption of our land is any more tragic than the corruption of any other government. What were we, some sort of divinely inspired experiment that tragically is failing/has failed? I really have trouble believing that.
[/quote]

Wikileaks indicates that much evil comes from the US. As if we didn't know, but you always get that. There always has to be a certain level of evil and self serving in any nations activities. Imagine what would happen if the US did fall. Could the EU stand against evil nations? The whole of western civilisation could very well fall. As an Australian I would be very afraid. We have weak and incompetent government and a small population, there are no doubt nations which would be eyeing us for an East Timor type takeover. I pray that God does protect the US or Geerts fears could become reality.

[Lilllabettt]

Dang. I was expecting something of the quality of the Screwtape letters. Hell's editing department has really gone down hill.

For the sake of world peace, I hope US hegemony continues indefinitely.
The Chinese hope so too, if you read their military literature ... they say cuz the US is the only capable guarantor of order, everyone, including theymselves, will lose when America goes down.

After us, cometh the deluge.

[Sternhauser]

If only some of that concentrated displeasure could be shunted toward T.S. Eliot or Stephen King. Or Thomas Aquinas. Were there any misspelled words?

He used the m-dash a lot. Was the style [i]really[/i] that painful to read?

~Sternhauser

Edited December 19, 2010 by Sternhauser

[Brother Adam]

Compared to CS Lewis? Yes, that was a painful read. Satan did not even bother mentioning his biggest victory - abortion.

[Sternhauser]

I post something from the interwebs, and everyone expects it to be on par with C.S. Lewis. And the piece wasn't about abortion. I suppose an essay can't be all things to all men. Only men can be.

~Sternhauser

[Lilllabettt]

[quote name='Sternhauser' timestamp='1292803683' post='2193526']
I post something from the interwebs, and everyone expects it to be on par with C.S. Lewis.
[/quote]

We are spoilt here at phatmass, reading so many posts worthy of the pulitzer prize

[Brother Adam]

[quote name='Sternhauser' timestamp='1292803683' post='2193526']
I post something from the interwebs, and everyone expects it to be on par with C.S. Lewis. And the piece wasn't about abortion. I suppose an essay can't be all things to all men. Only men can be.

~Sternhauser
[/quote]

Right. It was an apologetic for a particular political-economic slant disguised as a satanic letter to condemn another political-econocmic slant. While I agree with some of the things the author wrote, and certainly there is much to be condemned about the current US political-economic system, it just was not particularly moving. I appreciate you posting it and all. I am sorry the reception was not better.

[ardillacid]

lol, fast food

[Mark of the Cross]

[quote name='notardillacid' timestamp='1292824786' post='2193575']
lol, fast food
[/quote]

You should see some of the people who get off of planes here in Oz from the Europe. They must have to reinforce the wings with gantries and fit the jets with after burners or transwarp drives or something. I don't think the jumbo jets got their names from the planes. How do you get triple seat lounge chairs and contents through aeroplane doors? No wonder the engines blow up!

Edited December 20, 2010 by Mark of the Cross