David Rovics Sings, "Who Would Jesus Bomb?"

[bradryba]

awesome song

[blu3vibration]

Christ... Jesus wouldn't do any of these things! This is awful!

He'd bomb the Romans.

[neil67d]

Great song. Good to see some Americans making decent comments and understanding Irony. The stereotype of you guys isn't good. Always knew it was wrong.

[ucmehere]

Excellent Guitar playing here, Fantastic World Peace Song. Today I found a damn good Davd Rovics!

[Jpom22]

damn! it's WHOM would jesus bomb! lol - i guess grammar doesn't matter in this case.

[bodryn]

@Jpom22 If you're going to reach the common folks, you have to use the popular vernacular. Otherwise it might come off as snobbish, just to please the uppity folks.

[Jpom22]

@bodryn- i DID write 'lol', then said grammar didnt matter but getting into what works or doesnt in the media, let's consider the philosophical/political implications of finding the lowest common denominator in media art. dunno how you feel about 'rap' but i fuckin hate it. looping 4 measures of real music and putting lyrics over it is not art imho, but MAN, it sure sells! meaning it reaches the "common folk". my moral compass impels me to try to lift the uneducated ignorant, not stoop to them.

[bodryn]

@Jpom22 You have a point, but as someone who had 2 very intelligent parents who didn't have the chance to finish high school, and having found such uneducated people easiest to work with, despite my having 3 university degrees, I like to cut ordinary folks some slack. Besides I ran into terminal snobbishness among others similarly educated. I found them often lacking in rudimentary conscience, etc. So this colors my opinions.

[Jpom22]

@bodryn I can definitely dig that. the class war rages red these days. the "intellectual elite" sicken me almost as much as the wealthy who "think who the hell they are", as my fellow workers used to say (i'm retired for about a dozen years or so). and geniuses (genii?) frequently lack even the semblance of social grace or even common courtesy, but i cut them slack also. after all, they have more on their mind than most. 3 degrees! impressive. i'm about 12 credits from a BS in anthro-linguistics

[bodryn]

@Jpom22 I found that in the academic world, there is always somebody who feels superior because they went to an Ivy league university, so that means they are smart and you aren't. I was really disappointed to find the academic world has a kind of gotcha quality, and they think the working classes suffer a lot just from physical labor. Actually I found the world of mechanical skills much more rewarding; farm machinery, carpentry tools, machine tools, etc.

[Jpom22]

@bodryn i can relate - did very well in metal and wood shops in HS, loved refurbishing old apts in brooklyn, worked with a blind carpenter friend for a while, loved it. but crafting a good short story is my passion, now that i'm in my mid 60s. also write screenplays, which are really blueprints for the final products: short and feature films, half-hour series, etc. Not having had anything produced yet, i dont know how satisfying the results of these efforts are. hope to find out one day.

[bodryn]

@Jpom22 Good for you. And in case you didn't know, the great writer Jack London came from a lower class background and hardly any formal schooling. He was a favorite of mine from a young age, and that told me that formal education wasn't necessary to be a great writer. His novel Martin Eden is considered something of an autobiographical novel. I wanted to write, too, but got addicted to writing computer programs :-(

[bolillo239]

Karma

[boxbeagle1]

make every show a benefit show. What the general public doesn't need to know is that it's probably only really a benefit show if it's well-attended. Say I aim to make $500 to do the show and I'm not asking for a guarantee for this one, but just for show organizers to aim for $500 or so. Advertise it as a benefit, charge $10 at the door. At the end of the night, after taking out your expenses for organizing the show, the first $500 gets split 80/20 between me and the cause (I get 80%) HE WINS

[MrCopperhead1861]

Love this song, more people need to ask this.

[timothyxmcveigh]

I think it's telling that western anarchists like godwin and thoreau and rothbard were more capitalist/individualist. It's the places we come from. Just like the russian and south american anarchists are more into communism/socialism. I think that both would work, but no one system should ever rule the world. Socialist anarchism is great for countries like Cuba where the vast majority is poor. But it doesnt work in every situation and in my opinion it doesnt work in this one (The u.s.).

[bodryn]

@timothyxmcveigh It certainly is worth remembering that Russia wasn't communist until the 1917 revolution. It was a monarchy. And until 1776 or so, the American colonies were also part of a monarchy.

[timothyxmcveigh]

On the subject of humans being competetive. What do you call going from Benjamin Franklin flying a kite in 1752 to having bionic lims, pacemakers, acoustic weapon technology, Aids patients living normal lives etc. in less than 300 years? Or on a basic level, look at little kids on a school yard. They are constantly competing for status, being cruel to weaker kids the way a pack of animals is cruel to the ill animals. It's not pretty but to try and fight human nature is a waste of time.

[bodryn]

@timothyxmcveigh Charles Proteus Steinmetz probably wouldn't be competitive in some milieus. Despite his brilliance, he probably would have suffered a lot of cruelty. His survival would depend on there being a certain amount of kindness in his world. Trying to fight human nature is sometimes a function of government, to allow the cream to rise to the top, to benefit not just one, but many.

[Jeffreybuchanan]

Cause I don't think Jesus would send gunships into Bethlehem

Or jets to raze the towns of Timorese

I don't think Jesus would lend money to dictators

Or drive those SUV's

And I don't think Jesus would ever have dropped

A single ounce of napalm

So tell me, who would Jesus bomb?

[Jeffreybuchanan]

Yes I hear you shout with confidence As you praise the lord And you talk about this God you know so well And you talk of Armageddon And your final victory When all the evil forces go to hell Well you'd best hope you've chosen wisely On the right side of the lord And when you die your conscience it is clear You'd best hope that your atom bombs Are better than the sword At the time when your reckoning is here

[Jeffreybuchanan]

Maybe Jesus would bomb the Syrians 'Cause they're not Jews like him Maybe Jesus would bomb the Afghans On some kind of vengeful whim Maybe Jesus would drive an M1 tank And he would shoot Saddam Tell me, who would Jesus bomb? I've seen you on the TV And on the battleships I've seen you in the house upon the hill And I've heard you talking About making the world safer And about all the men you have to kill

[Jeffreybuchanan]

I've seen you in the markets I've seen you in the streets And at your political convention Talking of your crusade Talking of your nation And other things too terrible to mention And you proclaim your Christianity You proclaim your love of God You talk of apple pie and mom Well I've just got one question And I want an answer Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?

[timothyxmcveigh]

Btw, I'm poor as dogshit, so don't give me that privilaged elite crap. Socialism does just as much to suppress competition (a natural human behavior) as it does help "the workers". Please remember not everyone cares about unions and not everyone wants to share the wealth.

[DarkSoool]

Oh, i love that "natural human behavior" thing, where is the scientific proof of that?. do you think people like keynes, or adam smith were trying to help all the people?, na, capitalism was created for the rich, not the people.

[timothyxmcveigh]

That was a really stupid comment. The proof of it being a natural behavior is that for thousands of years before capitalism was ever consiously used people killed off other tribes, tried to make more money than others, competed for women etc. Without competition we'd be like the Dodo bird. There's no denying that humans are competetive by nature. Besides, socialism just makes everyone mediocre. No ones worse than anyone else but no one is any better. That would be an even sadder world.

[DarkSoool]

Just tell me, do you compete with your friends?, do you compete with the members of your familiy?, telling that competition is the natural order is simply stupid, i am a sociology student and as far as i know there is no such thing as natural order of human behavior.

[timothyxmcveigh]

In a voluntary communal situation like a family there is usually no need for competition. It works on a small scale. But when it comes down to it you do compete with your family. Brothers and sisters compete, fathers and sons compete, the next generation tries to outdo the last one. Through competition has been born an incentive to innovate and improve. The only thing socialism ever innovated was the Theremin. Collectevism can work within a free market, but not the other way around.

[DarkSoool]

Still, there is no scientifical proof that competition is the only sistem suitable for humans, and even if we collectivized everything, the only competition erased is the one of the profit, you still compete in sports, music, art, socials, games, humans dont need a murdering system to be able to do healthy competition if that is their desire.

[timothyxmcveigh]

The problem with not having competition is that I dont believe we innovate nearly as much without it. Without the profit incentive why would anyone have ever created pacemakers, or artificial limbs? The reason I switched from collectevist anarchism to individualist is because collectevist anarchism seems to forget the realistic human factor in the situation. I have spent my whole life poor. Money isn't my motivation, complete freedom is.

[DarkSoool]

There cant be freedom if the production process is owned by one or a group people, rather than the whole thing is owned by the workers that does the job, that my friend, isnt anarchist, you are not anarchist for wanting to destroy gobernment, you are anarchist if you believe that no one should be ruled by no one, and the core of capitalism and private property gives everyone the "opportunity" to rule under your property like a supreme unquestionable authority.

[timothyxmcveigh]

I believe in autonomy. First and foremost I believe in no government. But the purpose is so we can form individual societies. There can be socliast, free market etc. I don't think one economic system works for everyone. I call myself ancap simply because if we had no government I would prefer to live in a free market community. Volunteering for submission is not being "ruled". I think capitalism or socialism is equally dangerous in a large setting.

[DarkSoool]

There is no voluntary submission in free market, they own the resources and tools you need to exploit those resources, so you are indirectly forced to work for them or you can starve, but hey, its freedom after all ¬¬

[timothyxmcveigh]

Within a free market there can exist socialist communities. If you choose you want to have money I dont see a problem with submitting to a boss in exchange for wages. Capitalism may be more work and focus, but in my opinion a completely unregulated market is the best economic model. I dont believe in government. Thats the bottom line. I guess you could call me an anarchist without adjectives or a plain old school individualist, since capitalism is not my main focus. Its the right to autonomy.

[bodryn]

@timothyxmcveigh I just heard from a Russian who went through just that lack of regulation in the Russia of the 1990's. Lots of starvation, and one or two cagey folks who got obscenely wealthy at the same time. He warns Americans, don't let that happen.

[timothyxmcveigh]

and it's so much less confusing

when lines are drawn like that.

when people are either consumers or revolutionaries,

enemies or friends. hanging onto the fringes of the cogs in the system. it's just about knowing where everyone stands.

-Against me!

[timothyxmcveigh]

I respect your branch of anarchism, and believe it is valid. Just because most early anarchists were pro communism/socialism doesn't mean they were the only anarchists. Keep in mind the times they lived in (the industrial age) People like Emma Goldman and Bakunin were less anarchists than communists in my humble opinion Shit like this is what keeps anarchists down How about we focus on our similarities instead of pointing the finger, and segregating? "You're not anarchist enough"..Fucking silly.

[timothyxmcveigh]

There's a huge difference between a typo and typing like a little girl. And it's pretty sad that you think 23 is a child. You must be old as hell. I'd like to ask what your political ideology is. We can't have a fair discussion if you don't have your cards on the table. Democrat? Republican? Green party? Constitutionalist? Socialist? Communist? Capitalist? Fascist? Nationalist? Imperialist? Or are you just so apathetic to your own existence that you let everyone else fight for your rights?

[dongpingog]

i saw this guy yesterday in aalborg. He is just fantastic, great at telling stories and getting his (and a lot of other peoples) opinions out throw music. Just fantastic.

[Monkeyrunky]

Dave I love your music , and I agree that afghanistan and Iraq wars are total bullshit and that Palestine ought to be a real autonomous state that doesn't have settlments in the land of the west bank which is 100% frecken rights too

[drovics]

ah, i should add that i have no idea who 'justduckie' is who claims to be my 1st cousin. same person as 'fightsandarguments'?

if anybody has further information on these people i'd be curious to know more.

david

[mollkatles]

Boy oh boy, this shit is unlistenable! I have heard sweeter sounding head-on car collisions, at least in a horrible sense they make sense. Thanks for dumbing down the political debate to a bumper-sticker slogan and a bunch of nasally non-sequitors.

But wait! Do no despair, all is not lost. Perhaps if you incorporate this bass line, at least the musical portion of this monstrosity can be improved, here goes: de-dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, de-dumb can you hear it?

[mollkatles]

Hey, so I did some poking around, and the music media across the globe is buzzing that you may have more songs coming out, is it true the planned titles are: "Kiss me I'm Polish", "My kid is an A student at blah-blah middle school" and most exciting of all "honk if you're horny"? Is there any substance to these exciting rumors?

[timothyxmcveigh]

What a long winded insult.

[mollkatles]

man that is pretty cold-blooded of you, even I didn't have the brass to call his song a long winded insult (on all thinnking people?), but I guess if you have to hit the poor guy below the belt-line tell him, not me

[timothyxmcveigh]

You're like one of those comedians at amature night that people walk out on. If you were funny you'd be getting paid for it.

[mollkatles]

Run along son, this is between the adults; let me get back 2 trying 2 help this lackwit be smarter.

I'm sure u have important anarchy meetings 2 go 2 where u and your 3 friends can get drunk & scream about capitalism, & point 2 all of the other flourishing anarchistic societies. after the meeting, u can get drunker & talk about the gripe bands u love so much that no 1 has ever heard of, & convince yurselves your not on societies fringe because your kooks but because your smarter than everyone

[timothyxmcveigh]

Your sentence makes very little sense. Between all the 2's and 1's and &'s and misspellings and lack of grammar and just general disjointed ranting I don't even know what you're trying to say. And btw, what makes you think I'm against capitalism? I'm not some commie anarcist. The free market is very important to a lot of anarchists. Try reading Murray Rothbard or something. Get your facts and your grammar straight then come try and talk shit.

[mollkatles]

As a rule, I never repeat myself to children(particularly those who seem to lack judgement - anarchy) , so if you need to, ask an adult to read it to you - and while you're at it ask the adult, perhaps your mommy, to tell you which of the two spellings of the word anarchist that you used is the correct one - I understand lil' fella, the adult world can be so confusing - good luck

[AnarchyDavey]

Murray Rothbard was not an Anarchist. All one would have to do is read Rothbard to figure that out, especially the essay entitled "Are Libertarians Anarchists". The Free Market means about as much to Anarchists as it does the privileged elite.

[timothyxmcveigh]

That is such a pile of crap. So you think basing your ideas off outdated industrialization age ideas? Collectevists somehow think that everyone works in a factory, and that everyone is ok with socialism and communal life. Market anarchism/agorism is much closer to the idea of "without rulers". Has capitalism been corrupted? Of course. But its the only system which takes into account that people aren't perfect. What about Godwin? Thoreau? Are they not anarchists?

[drovics]

for the record, i don't know who 'fightsandarguments' is, tho if she doesn't want to reveal her identity that would be understandable because she's obviously a nasty individual and is, for whatever reason, lying. if indeed she knows me she certainly doesn't know me well. i have never called anyone a 'cunt' in the context of discussing obama or any other context, ever in my life.

david

[Monkeyrunky]

okay maybe david has some problems (if fightsandarguments isn't lying) but hey lets not judge him on that, because thats not who he is to us. we are not his family, we are his fans, and he is a great artist with a powerful meangingful and strong conscience.

[dttnwo]

romans 13: 1-7 is the perfect example of fascism

[Blazhei]

What? No way. Most everyone else in the bible was, but Jesus? He's the nicest guy in the whole damn book.

[Wrapped4]

I don't believe the son of god thing, virgin mother and that crap. But I love what he believed in. If he came back now they'd probably call him a commie

[BigGibbo1986]

Brilliant.

[JusDuckie]

I am related to this guy. He's a complete dickhead. He's one of the phoniest people I've ever known. He is abusive to women, a user, and extremely childish and self-centered. Those of you who like his lyrics are probably well informed, intelligent people. But do you really need to hear it from his whiney, obnoxious voice?

[rambojoe2323]

looks like someone forgot to send you a Christmas card this year. X D

David Rovics 08!

[rambojoe2323]

Jesus was a Libertarian.

[Leaveitago]

Jesus was a liberal.

[RATMagainstbush]

amazing song. David Rovics is amazing

[SCE2AUX]

Who Would Mohammed Bomb?

[trackstar789]

Dude, Jesus was a Jew.

[trackstar789]

He kind of said it in the beginning of the video.

[montejerome]

Awesome quality on the audio and video fronts. Wonderful song by the lyrical activist, Rovics!

[usermarkmonkeyboy]

sorry that last comment was meant as reply to lagunabeachrules

[helloantonio]

I love the fact that this was done in a church. Those in that congregation must know that Jesus is about peace and love. Why can't all christian churches be that way?

[irishlight42]

Some of the "moral right" *Cough* call David Rovics horribly anti-Christian. BLASPHEMY they're speaking, and if anything THEY are anti-Christian for speaking such nonsense.

I'm a seriously, devout Catholic, and this song is NOT anti-Christian but ANTI-HYPOCRISY! This is seriously one of my absolute, favorite songs.

[Anarchy4real]

Christianity has NOTHING to do with jesus.

[norris3]

I think you're quite wrong. Jesus. Jesus Christ. Christianity. Belief in Christ.

[BeaReady]

agreed....at least in USA!

[LionChrist]

This is Jesus...The Lion of Judea. And in resoponse to your Question I have a simple answer. The question again. "Who would Jesus Bomb?" answer...INDIA... ...

[lagunabeachrules]

Yes I'm sure the "prince of peace" would bomb someone. That makes complete sense.

[usermarkmonkeyboy]

Can't you see that he is using the example of Christ to show that those who commit unspeakable acts in his name are simply murderers, liars, war profiteers using religion as a expediane political tool.. The unspoken answer to his question "who would Jesus bomb" is nobody, that's what he means. He is confronting the warmongers with that question.

[Hosanna1Love]

@usermarkmonkeyboy voluton are gwan get a wake up shock . Jeasus(pbuh) wud bomb the living dead in israHELL tho our fellow believers there wud not be touched. the fake muslims in iran and of course the illegal occuping govt in the usa aka disunited snakes and the uk aka fake disunited kingdom. dont get me wrong now i know they cant kill us inshallah i love england

[HomleandSecurity]

@usermarkmonkeyboy Jesus supports American aggression.

[JCMac777]

If you take the title of the song literally, then you['re a moron.

[lagunabeachrules]

I bet God just thinks we're all assholes. "Way to fuck it up".

[krystalsmooface]

I totally agree!

[LordApac]

anti-semitism isn't a movement made by non-jews (gentiles, goyim) but it only a natural reaction to the jews' own rhetoric towards all non-jews of the world. Jews are, according to their own rhetoric, the most fascist of all people who ever set foot on this fading planet.

Their extinction is to be sought not for hate or vengence (for murdering the messiah) , but by love of peace and harmony for all jew perceived goyim, gentile scum.

[margot980]

So great, just got my Friday midnight Rexella and Jack fix, came back to this. Thank you David. Whose line is who would Jesus bomb? Like who started it. David Rovics, some other angel, who?

[kglasscal]

I think you are missing the point. It isn't God who changes over time, it's people. Each covenant changes the relationship of people to God, not God to people.

[JeanySullivan]

God bless you David.

[irishlight42]

I know Rovics is an atheist, I don't exactly know his attitude toward Christianity, but as a devout Christian (was on Catholic campus leadership team at my college) I personally love this song which speaks against the absurd hypocrisy of those who "claim the moral higher ground." (i.e. Bush)

[aquinasss]

(Jesus speaking) "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.  For I have come to set a man 'against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household'". (Matthew 10:34-36 NAB)

[PointsOfAuthority]

acuinasss, I am an athiest, but I was raised in the Episcopal Church, and I have attended a Methodist Church before. According to the Bible, Jesus was supposed to have said this to Peter when he tried to kill the servant of a guard arresting Jesus: "Put down your sword, for all those who live by the sword must die by it." Sounds like pacifism to me.

[PointsOfAuthority]

Wow, that was very badly worried and there might even be some spelling errors. Oh well, I think everyone can understand my point. By the way, the Bible was created by MEN...not a spirtual, invisible being. However you might insist in the archaic "Divine Right of Kings" mentality that some invisible being told people to write the words written in the Bible, the fact remains is that it was written by a group of people, and a group of very misogynistic and racist people at that.

[irishlight42]

Yes he came to bring the sword, but a sword that will be wielded AGAINST those brave enough to follow Christ. The verse you cite is frequently taken WAY out of context to justify war, but if you read it correctly it rather demands self-preservation over self-defense I find.

[ChiDetrings]

even though you posted that a year ago, I really like that explanation irishlight42... When people take that verse literally, they are accepting that in one moment, Jesus completely contradicted every other action or word he left before that.

[irishlight42]

There are a LOT of ways to misinterpret the Bible. Some people don't read the different books of the Bible in the context in which they were written, even worse is to just take certain verses without the rest of the passage or chapter. Also, some people, like some who propose that the KJV of the Bible, don't even seem to realize that it wasn't written in English, but in many different ancient languages. And some people just interpret things (not just the Bible) according ot their own purposes.

[irishlight42]

*some people propose that the KJV is the only accurate translation of the Bible. Meant to dispute this. Actually, it's one of the less accurate translations, but some people like it cause it does have some pretty words in the English language.

[RFK68]

While you're in the book of Matthew, flip over and reintroduce yourself to the sermon on the mount. The light that emanates from Christianity is not enhanced by deception. Jesus is no doubt your friend, as much as he is mine. But I'm skeptical when you claim he shares your killing mood.

[StarFly18]

War has been around sents the turn of time. Mostly over religion. BC and AC.

[upsguy03]

Was he one of the chipmunks? I think the small fat one.

[watchin07andforever]

AMEN!!! Yes, I understand the sarcasm. And the point. AMEN again, and thank you David, cause SOMEBODY has to say it.

[maxozinsky]

Brilliant - a long over due song. To those who are too narrow minded to understand the sarcasm - why don't you volunteer to fight in Iraq?

[stockguy97]

I seem to remember a flood that God created that wiped out the whole world. I remember two cities in which God wiped out as well, Sodom and Gamora. Thats who Jesus did bomb.

[coachfun1987]

Hmm...God/Jesus?...Laverne/Shi­rley?...Abbott/Costello?...oh,­yeah--same thing. Wow, gotta love that argument. You must be a biblical scholar!

[BlueScarecrow]

yeah God, not Bush.

[upsguy03]

LOL!  Yeah, right. This guy is still one of those who blows up abortion clinics. For God.

[BlueScarecrow]

bush or David rovics?

[iraqvet4peace]

If that's what you remember about Jesus, you need to check your bible. All events you talk about are old testaments. Secondly, after the flood, God made a covenant with man not to destroy mankind again despite any evil the species did as a whole. The rainbow is the mark of this covanent.

[upsguy03]

First of all, God said he would not kill ALL LIVING THINGS again for as long as the earth remains. Soddom and Gamora were after that covenant.

[iraqvet4peace]

If that is the case, then he could send another flood since he let Noah and two of each animal go. (Seven of each insect as well.) Soddom and Gamora were after that covenant, but still in the old testament along with many other bloody and violent wars started by the Israelites. Some of which, as I said, bordered on genocide. None of this changes the fact that Jesus didn't bomb anything, as that it happened in the Old Testament.

[upsguy03]

Yes and technically Jesus was here during the Old Testament. The new covenant didnt occur until his death and resurrection so his life was in the Old Testament times even though his life is recorded in the New. I just dont buy this argument. Jesus wasnt a pacifist. Using the argument of Old Testament and New Testament says that God changes over time. The difference now is that his blood covers sin as before the cross, it didnt.

[RFK68]

Based upon reliable testimony, he got angry once and turned over some tables.

He never pinched anyone, spat on anyone, slapped anyone, punched anyone, speared anyone, tripped anyone, clubbed anyone, shot anyone, bombed anyone, hanged anyone, electrocuted anyone, skalped anyone. He spoke relentlessly as an advocate of peace. Pascifist? Righteously guilty.

[sinistar99]

In fact, the only time he got angry and even violent was when people used his church as a means of making a profit.

[iraqvet4peace]

Likewise Sodom and Gamora were old testament events that occurred before Jesus came as the prince of peace to die on the cross for the sins of all society. The old testament contains many example of God and war, some bordering on genocide. But the new testament contains nothing of the sort. Remember it was Jesus who said: "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God."

[upsguy03]

You could quote bible verses to support any idea you have. Like Mathew 10:34, Jesus said, "I did not come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword."

[iraqvet4peace]

True. However, this idea is generally regarded as metaphor. He came to challenge the generally accepted belief that God was wrathful. Jesus spoke of love and servitude.  As you say, so can pull quotes out of context to support almost anything.

[gmojoblue]

<Laughing>

Oh HELL NO!!

Redneck Rightards NEVER invoke the name of Jesus! <Rich, THICK Sarchasm>

Rightards are so pathetic.

[goofyvovse]

You mean Bush?

[milwaukeeindymedia]

Great. Another hater like "liverleaker" invoking flamewar to bolster their apparent I.Q.

Dolt.