A lot of the time, our target is the world’s dominant religion, Christianity. Big power invites great satire, after all.

All religions are ripe for satirical scrutiny, however. That includes the Hindu-Buddhist tradition, with its emphasis on detachment from the everyday world, and all the things that truly matter to most of us.

Be here now, the Buddhist instruction for mindfulness tells us. Really, though, what are our imaginations for, if not to take us somewhere else now, when we would rather not be here?

This bumper sticker offers a gentle response to the mindful approach: Be Over There Now.

What happened to the clarity of the anti-war movement? Did the fierce urgency of NOW die off with the departure of George W. Bush? Was the anti-war movement really more of an anti-Bush movement? Have we fallen under the spell of a new president who seems to promise us change without specifying exactly what change means or when change will happen? Or is there a difference between a movement to stop a war from commencing and a movement to deal with a war that is already under way?

Regardless of the reason, the anti-war movement in America seems lost in a quagmire of words that end in ish.

The legislation: An amendment to extend the most abusive parts of the Patriot Act – without any reforms at all. These unconstitutional spying practices are almost never used in relation to cases of suspected terrorism, and even when they are used, the chances aren’t good that they result in actionable information.

In short, the Patriot Act isn’t doing much to actually protect Americans from terrorism. What the Patriot Act is accomplishing is the creation of a Big Brother system of federal government spying against its own citizens, leading Americans to always suspect that even their most private activities are being watched.

Such a state of continual fear of government espionage is inherently incompatible with the survival of democracy. That’s why this bumper sticker rallies the American people to the defense of liberty – to repeal the Patriot Act. We don’t need Big Brother to spy on our private lives.

That’s the argument made by a growing number of Americans, who say that they don’t trust science, and think that major policy decisions should be made merely on the basis of “common sense” or “gut instinct” – emotional guesses about what people want to be true.

This bumper sticker responds to the critics. Science doesn’t matter, unless you care about reality.

It’s the Blue Dog Democrat strategy to a T – and it’s enabled Melancon to rise to the top of the right wing Blue Dog Coalition in the House of Representatives. The Blue Dog Democrats are like Melancon – voting like Republicans in Congress, but registered as Democrats for electoral advantage. Melancon has become the co-chair of the Blue Dogs, leading the charge as the Blue Dogs rip apart progressive Democratic legislation.

Charles Melancon thinks that kind of political two-timing has earned him a promotion, so this year, Melancon is campaigning to become Louisiana’s newest United States Senator. The bumper sticker you see here speaks to Melancon’s bid, reading, Melancon is too much like a Republican to get this Democrat’s vote.

This year, once again, Democratic voters are being asked to plug their noses, never mind the stench of betrayal, and give their support to members the right wing Blue Dog Coalition. Those Blue Dogs are Democrats, but they vote with the Republicans, wrecking Democratic Party attempts to to pass progressive legislation on issues like health care and climate change, over and over again.

Democratic voters have been asking themselves: What’s the point of having a Democratic majority in Congress, when it’s made up of creeps like the Blue Dogs? This year, the discontent is out in the open, with bumper stickers like this one, declaring, I’ll never give my vote to a mangy old Blue Dog – featuring a graphic of a blue dog, slinking away.

Sanford Bishop consistently votes against the progressive values of his constituents, and in favor of the interests of corporate polluters. The Democrats of Georgia’s 2nd district deserve better – and it’s to them that this bumper sticker is designed to speak. Sanford Bishop? I want a real Democrat! – not a blue dog.

Think for yourself? Aren’t Catholics just supposed to follow the teachings of their church?

Well, the priests of the Catholic Church like to say a whole lot of things about how things have to be – but then they go about breaking their own rules. The truth about Catholicism is that it’s not a purely top-down religious tradition. The Catholic laity makes decisions about Catholicism just as much as the priests, and what Catholics actually do is often very different from what Catholic priests say they do.

So, yes, many Catholics like to think for themselves, not just take orders. Guess what? Most Catholics are pro-choice, because they don’t check their brains as they enter the pews.

Bye Bye Buyer, it reads, “Indiana can do better”.

Indiana certainly can do better. In the current session of Congress, Congressman Buyer earned a negative 49 legislative score from That’s My Congress. There is now hope that the 4th congressional district of Indiana can elect a more forward-looking Representative.

Our foreign policy reflects this limited view, designed as if the needs of the United States are the only important thing in the world. Place this bumper sticker on your car to remind your neighbors on the road that the planet Earth is bigger than just the USA