Growing old is an adventure. Being old calls for staying right side up and either landing on your feet or in a soft place. Some of us, our parts wear out before they should while others keep on ticking after their warranty expires. I have lots of down time, time to ponder things that don’t really matter, old people do that. The ‘Good Old Days’ were good because we were young. I don’t know what led me to that (wisdom) but it was a no-brain conclusion. I made the connection without a prompt or an argument. Make up an analogy for taking care of your body and taking care of your car. The mechanic says, “Pay me now or pay me later.” and it will be a lot more expensive later. Once upon a time I was an adrenaline junkie but I outgrew that, now moderate in my habits and lucky as well. My adventure still has tread on its tires and gas in the tank. But times change and things happen much faster now.
With social media and fake news there is no way to cull out the BS before the next dose gives you either heartburn or diarrhea. I remember the presidential election of 1948, I was a 3rd grader, listened to my parents talk. Thomas Dewey, the popular (R) Governor of New York was strongly favored to beat then (D) President Harry Truman but Truman upset Dewey by the narrowest of margins. There were no cries of, “The election was rigged” and Dewey did not instigate an assault on the capitol to overturn the results. America was known and admired for a history of peaceful transition of power. Americans had not forgotten Hitler’s rise to power and how authoritarian rule can backfire. Republicans and Democrats found ways to negotiate, compromise and move the nation’s course forward.
Comedian Robin Williams used a clever if not insightful line in one of his monologues, talking about government, “Politics; poly = many, and ticks = blood sucking parasites: Politics” The comedian had pretty good instincts. With over 65 years as a legitimate adult, a good college education and decades at the school of hard knocks, I submit that I can reflect on politics in a responsible way. I realize that conservatives and liberals need each other to provide checks and balance. Without that give and take, if left unchecked conservatism would downgrade into tyranny and liberalism would descend into anarchy. One side relies on centralized, tight fisted control and the other can tolerate some chaos in order to serve the greater good. Someone famous said, “Democracy is like sausage. It’s wonderful but you don’t want to see it being made.” It takes too long and it costs way too much but it’s way better than what’s in 2nd place.
I think one current flaw is with the way the word, “Liberty” has been convoluted. The founding fathers demanded liberty against British oversight that treated the colonies like “Red-headed step children” neither wanted nor accepted. Regardless of how it began, how it was framed and made real in the 21st Century, Liberty has literally become; Taking what you want whether it belongs to you or not, by any means necessary, without any punitive consequence. If you can get away with murder, it must be God’s will. Both conservatives and liberals understand the new rules. They just use different arguments to validate their schemes. Both points of view use knee-jerk issues to keep a knee-jerk culture distracted while the (blood sucking parasites) scheme to stay in power, power is money and getting reelected is where the blood-sucking goes on. One school wants to maximize profit at the expense of the working class while the other wants to redistribute (bloody rich people’s) ill gained wealth to meet the needs of an oppressed underclass. Even the greatest democracy in existence has smelly arm pits.
My gut instincts lean left with the liberals but I understand it is not a rational decision. Respected researcher Jon Haidt (a moderate liberal) has done tones of research on how decisions are made and at the end of the day, every day, everybody is influenced by emotional (feelings) long before they consider logical rationale. It just is. The more important the decision the greater the probability the result was predetermined before you even knew the question. That part of the brain is not accessible, we can’t think our way around it. Cognitive therapy can help some people change the way they feel about knee-jerk issues but it doesn’t change how the brain works. So I work at considering what is so compelling for conservative thinkers. Keeping everything you earn sounds good (no programs for the disenfranchised) and it helps me see through the same lens they trust. I don’t think Jesus would carry an assault rifle and I suspect if men had ovaries there would be no abortion issue at all. I have to understand they are not stupid and their feelings are just as relevant as mine. So, If I can engage with an agreement to disagree, to listen seriously, taking notes if necessary, not to interrupt or change the subject when there is no other answer than how it makes you feel or what crafted propaganda has led either of us to believe, we can have a meaningful conversation. But probably not a good idea to share it with our own knee-jerk constituents.
I didn’t make up the Jon Haidt research stuff but I do trust it; and I’m still old, growing older. I have trouble believing Trump cares about anything other than his own (narcissist-demagogue) appetite. If his rhetoric had been left leaning enough to generate his base in the liberal camp he would be ranting to please left wing concerns. He can live with any ideology as long as he is all powerful. Liberals are less likely to fear loss of wealth and privilege they never actually had to begin with so his appeal gravitates to more aggressive conservatives. How do I get over that? I’m old enough, I grew up understanding Hitler’s plan to make Germany great again and how Jews were blamed for every problem and Germans sucked up his swill like it was cognac. I don’t know. I don’t know.
With social media and fake news there is no way to cull out the BS before the next dose gives you either heartburn or diarrhea. I remember the presidential election of 1948, I was a 3rd grader, listened to my parents talk. Thomas Dewey, the popular (R) Governor of New York was strongly favored to beat then (D) President Harry Truman but Truman upset Dewey by the narrowest of margins. There were no cries of, “The election was rigged” and Dewey did not instigate an assault on the capitol to overturn the results. America was known and admired for a history of peaceful transition of power. Americans had not forgotten Hitler’s rise to power and how authoritarian rule can backfire. Republicans and Democrats found ways to negotiate, compromise and move the nation’s course forward.
Comedian Robin Williams used a clever if not insightful line in one of his monologues, talking about government, “Politics; poly = many, and ticks = blood sucking parasites: Politics” The comedian had pretty good instincts. With over 65 years as a legitimate adult, a good college education and decades at the school of hard knocks, I submit that I can reflect on politics in a responsible way. I realize that conservatives and liberals need each other to provide checks and balance. Without that give and take, if left unchecked conservatism would downgrade into tyranny and liberalism would descend into anarchy. One side relies on centralized, tight fisted control and the other can tolerate some chaos in order to serve the greater good. Someone famous said, “Democracy is like sausage. It’s wonderful but you don’t want to see it being made.” It takes too long and it costs way too much but it’s way better than what’s in 2nd place.
I think one current flaw is with the way the word, “Liberty” has been convoluted. The founding fathers demanded liberty against British oversight that treated the colonies like “Red-headed step children” neither wanted nor accepted. Regardless of how it began, how it was framed and made real in the 21st Century, Liberty has literally become; Taking what you want whether it belongs to you or not, by any means necessary, without any punitive consequence. If you can get away with murder, it must be God’s will. Both conservatives and liberals understand the new rules. They just use different arguments to validate their schemes. Both points of view use knee-jerk issues to keep a knee-jerk culture distracted while the (blood sucking parasites) scheme to stay in power, power is money and getting reelected is where the blood-sucking goes on. One school wants to maximize profit at the expense of the working class while the other wants to redistribute (bloody rich people’s) ill gained wealth to meet the needs of an oppressed underclass. Even the greatest democracy in existence has smelly arm pits.
My gut instincts lean left with the liberals but I understand it is not a rational decision. Respected researcher Jon Haidt (a moderate liberal) has done tones of research on how decisions are made and at the end of the day, every day, everybody is influenced by emotional (feelings) long before they consider logical rationale. It just is. The more important the decision the greater the probability the result was predetermined before you even knew the question. That part of the brain is not accessible, we can’t think our way around it. Cognitive therapy can help some people change the way they feel about knee-jerk issues but it doesn’t change how the brain works. So I work at considering what is so compelling for conservative thinkers. Keeping everything you earn sounds good (no programs for the disenfranchised) and it helps me see through the same lens they trust. I don’t think Jesus would carry an assault rifle and I suspect if men had ovaries there would be no abortion issue at all. I have to understand they are not stupid and their feelings are just as relevant as mine. So, If I can engage with an agreement to disagree, to listen seriously, taking notes if necessary, not to interrupt or change the subject when there is no other answer than how it makes you feel or what crafted propaganda has led either of us to believe, we can have a meaningful conversation. But probably not a good idea to share it with our own knee-jerk constituents.
I didn’t make up the Jon Haidt research stuff but I do trust it; and I’m still old, growing older. I have trouble believing Trump cares about anything other than his own (narcissist-demagogue) appetite. If his rhetoric had been left leaning enough to generate his base in the liberal camp he would be ranting to please left wing concerns. He can live with any ideology as long as he is all powerful. Liberals are less likely to fear loss of wealth and privilege they never actually had to begin with so his appeal gravitates to more aggressive conservatives. How do I get over that? I’m old enough, I grew up understanding Hitler’s plan to make Germany great again and how Jews were blamed for every problem and Germans sucked up his swill like it was cognac. I don’t know. I don’t know.
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