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In keeping with the season, I offer a little political anecdote about Christmas.

More specifically, it's about the moral teachings of the biblical Jesus, which formed the ethical foundation of Christmas and gave Christianity itself its true gravity.

The story is about a political clash some 60 years ago in Houston, when a boorish right-winger accosted the feisty mother of a renowned progressive populist lawmaker, U..S Rep. Bob Eckhardt. Bob, whom I later got to know and learn from, was a fierce battler for racial equality in a time when not all Texans were singing in Kumbaya harmony.

Sure enough, at a public forum where Bob's mom was representing him, this bonehead loudly demanded to know why her son was trying to make "them (Black people) equal to whites." Ms. Eckhardt cut off the fellow's ugly diatribe by, of all things, offering an apology! Her son's advocacy, she said, was not his fault, but hers: "You see, I raised him to be a Christian."

Today, however, Mother Eckhardt's put-down might lack the clarity it once had. This is a strange Christmas -- concluding a year in which far-right extremists have relentlessly perverted the profound and love-based Christianity of Jesus into a partisan ethic promising brutish rule. As we've seen, their "beatitudes" include repression of the poor, worship of Mammon, turning away strangers, hatred of thy neighbor ... and so awful much more that rejects the values of Jesus -- all in the name of establishing something they call "Christian Nationalism."

This is Jim Hightower saying ... God bless America. And please hurry! But remember, God helps those who help themselves. That means you and me. So, let's work together to create a merrier, truer Christmas next year.

AI PROFITEERS CASH IN BY BEING NAUGHTY THIS CHRISTMAS

The high priests of Holy High Tech are in a huff, wailing that they're being bothered by you busybodies, Luddites and commoners -- ie, The People.

Grandiose gabillionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos assert that they're not merely rich, but visionary pioneers! Stand back, they bark, for we're going to re-populate the world with a new species of artificially superintelligent humanoids. Yet, to their astonishment, rather than being hailed as geniuses, the oligarchs are being widely berated by us old-fashioned humans. Indeed, the level of public outrage has goaded lawmakers in all 50 states to enact some minimal protections for workers, communities ... and humanity.

Of course, Musk, Bezos, & Company have no tolerance for the democratic will, so they jetted to Congress, demanding passage of a 10-year ban on enforcing any state law regulating artificial intelligence. Shockingly, however, the U.S. Senate, normally a total corporate toady, rose up 99 to 1 to vote against the Silicon Valley potentates. 99 to 1!

So, the billionaires are now playing their trusty Trump card. Having greased the corrupt pay-to-play president with about a billion dollars in campaign cash and personal deals, the AI profiteers got their payback this month. Quicker than you can say "quid pro quo," Trump issued an executive order that -- get this -- orders himself to block our state governments from enforcing their own AI laws.

This is Jim Hightower saying ... And here's an extra fun fact: President Donald Trump didn't even have to write the special interest executive order himself. A Silicon Valley AI profiteer generously sent a draft for the president to sign, effectively awarding more power and wealth to the profiteer. And that's how Big Money rigs the system against you and me.

To find out more about Jim Hightower and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators webpage at www.creators.com.

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