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Do what you will--but do it with your brain.
It goes without saying that those who lean to the right won't have anything nice to say here; but, for those of you who lean left, or to the center, I'd ask that you to maybe hear a little bit of what I think has been "wrong" with the left for a long time now.
I'll need to start by very quickly stating what I think is wrong with the right, and that will be easy:
The right is convinced they've got the answer--and that it is pretty much infallible. That's really all I've got to say about that.
The left, if we can call it that, has been ailing for some time--and I think that part of that is the failure to recognize that we aren't in a debate over finding the perfect answer. We are in a debate about making the best decisions along the way. Best doesn't always mean right, and we aren't perfect.
The right takes a huge amount of its ideology (these days--it was not always so) from a document (the Bible) which they believe to be perfect in every way. I don't fault them for this because it is a tenant of their religion and they'd be hypocritical not to view it this way. That being said--those of us who do not believe they've got the ultimate answer need to be aware of the fact that it is their intention to transform America into one that reflects God's perfect plan for all of us.
Down to business. The problem we are facing is that the "left" shouldn't really be called the left anymore. It's not about finances at this point even. What we should be identifying ourselves as is ANYONE BUT THE DUDES DESCRIBED ABOVE. The right is very much united in their vision for the country--they are a force to be reckoned with. The "left" however is poorly organized and barely mobilized if at all. The right has the "perfect plan" that everyone can believe in--and so they do.
On the "left" we don't have that plan--because we know, or believe, one doesn't exist. We know that we can only do our best. That is much more difficult to believe in and get behind. The people who occupy the fringe of conspiracy theories and the like--who claim that all politicians are puppets or "its all the same", these people tend to fall in line ideologically more with people on the "left" than on the right. This is very damaging though--the cynicism and failure to choose the better option rather than the perfect one has sunk democrats more times than not.
What we need, once and for all, is for people to realize that you're either with us or you are helping them.Who seems crazier to you? What I offer is not something perfect, maybe not even something good--but it is something better. That much is certain.
We can't get to good until we go with better than bad--even if it still tastes a little bit like shit in our mouths.
I guess what I'm saying is--the country is going to fall the fuck in on us and all around us. Suck it the fuck up and do what's right. Do not let these people legislate the bible and install complicated financial instruments essentially accessible only to them by which they may leech off the economy of this great country so that they may re-route the funds to furthering "god's plan for America"--a vicious cycle to be sure. The "right" or the wrong as I usually feel like calling them, have been doing this for almost a century now--and it's about time they got their comeuppance.
If you don't want to see, in a future America (think distant future), the full realization of a Christianity-based version of Sharia law--then you really need to consider which way we should be attempting to steer the boat right now. It is clear by now which way the boat will be steered if we are unable to right it. The right is playing a long game--and we're sitting here bickering amongst ourselves and letting it happen.
We are letting them take it right out from under us--and that is a conspiracy theory which doesn't take all that much of a stretch to believe in, they'll tell you to your face if you ask them they think this is God's America and this country was founded for and by him. It's not much of a theory really. It's more just a legit conspiracy.
You either stand up against it or you are complicit with it. That's my view--I'm happy to hear yours. I can tell you one party that doesn't listen to views, though. The party who's already got all of their views figured out--the great and infallible GOP.
It goes without saying that those who lean to the right won't have anything nice to say here; but, for those of you who lean left, or to the center, I'd ask that you to maybe hear a little bit of what I think has been "wrong" with the left for a long time now.
I'll need to start by very quickly stating what I think is wrong with the right, and that will be easy:
The right is convinced they've got the answer--and that it is pretty much infallible. That's really all I've got to say about that.
The left, if we can call it that, has been ailing for some time--and I think that part of that is the failure to recognize that we aren't in a debate over finding the perfect answer. We are in a debate about making the best decisions along the way. Best doesn't always mean right, and we aren't perfect.
The right takes a huge amount of its ideology (these days--it was not always so) from a document (the Bible) which they believe to be perfect in every way. I don't fault them for this because it is a tenant of their religion and they'd be hypocritical not to view it this way. That being said--those of us who do not believe they've got the ultimate answer need to be aware of the fact that it is their intention to transform America into one that reflects God's perfect plan for all of us.
Down to business. The problem we are facing is that the "left" shouldn't really be called the left anymore. It's not about finances at this point even. What we should be identifying ourselves as is ANYONE BUT THE DUDES DESCRIBED ABOVE. The right is very much united in their vision for the country--they are a force to be reckoned with. The "left" however is poorly organized and barely mobilized if at all. The right has the "perfect plan" that everyone can believe in--and so they do.
On the "left" we don't have that plan--because we know, or believe, one doesn't exist. We know that we can only do our best. That is much more difficult to believe in and get behind. The people who occupy the fringe of conspiracy theories and the like--who claim that all politicians are puppets or "its all the same", these people tend to fall in line ideologically more with people on the "left" than on the right. This is very damaging though--the cynicism and failure to choose the better option rather than the perfect one has sunk democrats more times than not.
What we need, once and for all, is for people to realize that you're either with us or you are helping them.Who seems crazier to you? What I offer is not something perfect, maybe not even something good--but it is something better. That much is certain.
We can't get to good until we go with better than bad--even if it still tastes a little bit like shit in our mouths.
I guess what I'm saying is--the country is going to fall the fuck in on us and all around us. Suck it the fuck up and do what's right. Do not let these people legislate the bible and install complicated financial instruments essentially accessible only to them by which they may leech off the economy of this great country so that they may re-route the funds to furthering "god's plan for America"--a vicious cycle to be sure. The "right" or the wrong as I usually feel like calling them, have been doing this for almost a century now--and it's about time they got their comeuppance.
If you don't want to see, in a future America (think distant future), the full realization of a Christianity-based version of Sharia law--then you really need to consider which way we should be attempting to steer the boat right now. It is clear by now which way the boat will be steered if we are unable to right it. The right is playing a long game--and we're sitting here bickering amongst ourselves and letting it happen.
We are letting them take it right out from under us--and that is a conspiracy theory which doesn't take all that much of a stretch to believe in, they'll tell you to your face if you ask them they think this is God's America and this country was founded for and by him. It's not much of a theory really. It's more just a legit conspiracy.
You either stand up against it or you are complicit with it. That's my view--I'm happy to hear yours. I can tell you one party that doesn't listen to views, though. The party who's already got all of their views figured out--the great and infallible GOP.
