Our modern method of politics reminds me of the people dancing on the roof to welcome the aliens bent on destroying us in the movie Independence Day. Denying truth or inventing lies to further partisan aspirations can only lead to ruin. Our nation will either ruin the aspirations of those committed to these methods, or those politicians will ruin our nation. Demand truth. Do not so want to believe in your prejudices you will support lies and delusion. August 20, 2021
Debate your case with rational positions and factual data
When I pointed out the latest scurrilous meme I had seen on Facebook, my wife said, “I just block people who post false memes.”
I have never blocked anyone. I am more like an unkempt hermit whose stench simply drives decent folk away. I can allow them to leave on their own. Usually what drives them away is my correcting a historically inaccurate or factually inaccurate post. If it states such obvious falseness even a decently educated fifth grader would identify it as untrue, I cannot contain myself at times. Also, if it drips with racism, xenophobia, or sexism I sometimes punch back in a rhetorical flourish. I found many today actually do not care about accuracy, historical or otherwise. If a meme supports their prejudices or attacks their bogeymen, they inflict it onto social media. They do not want truth. They believe wanting it to be true is basis enough to post it.
I am troubled if my post is erroneous. If a photo is manipulated, I am embarrassed and make apologies. Our current practice of trading cartoon bumper stickers is all the discourse we have in our society. I try never to post something untrue. My post may illustrate my underlying beliefs. It may be satire, but I do not post satire believing it to be true. If I did, I would be properly chastised by my self-judgement voice for many years. Why are there semi-loads of false, misleading, inaccurate, deceitful, and libelous information floating around? I have a few stray thoughts I will try to herd up. My corral is small, but my open range is vast. It may take another roundup. Even if you are one of the mavericks, I round up who traffic in erroneousness, I am not trying to brand, castrate, or preg check you once you are corralled and roped. No, I hope we all can take a moment and capture the beauty of our existence. It is time to simply catch an odd moment of self-awareness. Let us live in the pavilion of grace together, at least for the length of this essay.
Most of us feel that we have no control over looming life events. We feel the bridge of life over which we are ambling may crumble at any minute. As with all life and death things this may be true. We could be hit by a car, even in our own home. A jet engine or meteorite could fall through our roof in homes away from roads. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, the phrase often thrown in over life and death discussions. In truth we are not guaranteed this afternoon. We often compound our natural anxieties by all the stupid things we do. Our woes can grow when we fall back on addictive habits. Our false desires often lead us to make it worse. Most of us are filled with anxiety. When a container is continually filled by fear it must find escape. We want to feel safe. We may try pretense, we may try anger, we may try false hope. Whatever we try we all know we are at the mercy of the whims of the gods or fate or government. Any vaguely defined entity that we can foist our fears upon.
People flare up most when identified correctly. You are an out of touch leftist. You are a racist. Your fervently stated belief is simply false. You are a hypocrite. There are many true things people do not want to believe about themselves. People are especially frightened by the possibility they have a belief structure built on falsehoods. Their principles are far more attitude than carefully studied history. Underlying the bravado is the fear their assertions of truth are a farcical play. It is easier to dismiss all of what someone says when you can other them. “OK Boomer” was one example a short retort dismissive of an opponent based on their age. It lumps all together easily discards them. Many Boomers have earned their dismissal by having turned off a reasoning brain, years ago. To other someone is a ploy used by every political side.
Those who profit from our current feckless politics are paid not to solve our problems. It was easier to pretend about Afghanistan than to confront our failings. Obstruction in Congress keeps profits to the contractors strong. Not analyzing destructive features of our economy keeps people well paid not to admit what they know to be true. The harm caused from our jaded system harms both Trumpers and Bernies, but if kept at each other’s throats those making the profits are kept secure.
We have different natures. We react to our anxieties by latching on to different ways of processing our world. Our filters are so innate to our daily existence we do not even think. Most people rarely think. It is far easier to act out of habit. How easy it is to cheer for a player who was booed with intensity if they join our team. A star immediately becomes our hero without a second thought. People now perceive the news and real events as supporting or undermining their team. Our teams have become a cultural identity. I have now observed Trumpers and coastal elites sharing the same memes as statements of their own identity. This is an indication our filters have so bent reality even agreement is a partisan divide. The lone wolf Trump loving, pick-up truck sort of bomber, rambled on a Facebook stream about lack of access to healthcare. He should be threatening McConnell and McCarthy not Biden and Pelosi. Fox News in six hours switched from saving our Afghan allies to railing against bringing those dirty Muslim immigrants to our America. We are so jaundiced we can view the same event and see two different things. It is like watching last year’s Bears Packers game on Nov. 29 and half of America saying the Bears won. The Bears did score first, but the Packers won 41 to 25. Our political realities are not a sports event often news coverage acts as if they were. We need to pause and reflect as to what steps would build a better America. It is not adequate to scream socialism or think simply spending will be effective. Tax cuts allow the large incomes and corporate entities to walk away from societal obligations. Appeasing greed is not good for the economy. Many things should not be all or nothing, but the power chasers require the aggrievement.
We no longer have two parties where one side is about the same as the other. Those type of Republicans are not in control. The desire for power has forged a new type of politician who would allow lies to harm the good of the nation. There were always a few. We now use any event to demonize an opponent. Afghanistan has ended much as Vietnam, but our politics are very different. One of the differences is truth and the ability of our information sources to purport and compound lies. People can always go deeper down the rabbit hole. All people of conscience must demand truth. Covid should never have been weaponized by partisanship. People are dying still claiming it is a hoax. The Delta variant is raging in Red States and Republican governors are still playing games over masks. It is all nonsense. Republicans are trying to deny citizens the right to vote by gaming the system. How could they not support democracy? It is simply because they will lose power. The majority of Americans do not support the polices corporate America would choose. These politicians seek only power, power is all. Any lie that supports the retention of power is acceptable. We must insist on truth, not a different point of view, not an alternative fact, not a slight exaggeration, and not an outright lie. If we cannot agree to truth as the standard, how can we fix a bridge or improve the electric grid. We will certainly not be able to reform our corrupt contractor system, our healthcare system, or our ability to respond to emergencies.
Some men worship rank, some worship heroes, some worship power, some worship God, & over these ideals they dispute & cannot unite–but they all worship money. – Mark Twain
Forgottonia -- Shire Tales 