Intro

It's time for a reality check ...

Maybe we’ve reached the point of diminishing astonishment.

But I suspect that much of what we’re hammered with every day really doesn’t make much of an impact on most of us anymore. We’ve heard the same stories too often. We’ve been exposed to the same issues for so long without any meaningful resolution. We recognize that reality is rapidly becoming malleable, primarily in the hands of whoever has the biggest microphone. How else can we explain a society where myth asserts itself as reality, based entirely how many hits it gets online?

We know that many of the “issues” as defined are pure crapola, hyped by politicians on both sides pandering to “the will of the people,” which is still more crapola. Inevitably, it’s not the will of all the people they reflect, but the will of relatively small groups of people with disproportionate political influence.

Nobody wants to face up to the realities of the issues. Nobody wants to say what’s right or wrong – even when it’s obvious and there are numbers to back it up. Most of us are afraid to bring up the realities for fear of being accused of being insensitive or downright mean.

So we say nothing. Until now.

It’s time for a reality check on the fundamentals – much of which is common knowledge to many of us, already. But it might be comforting to know you are not alone …

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Extreme conservatives and extreme liberals have a lot in common

The most media coverage focuses on strict social conservatives who take things to extremes.  When you cut through all the self-righteous posturing, and the tsk-tsk commentary by the media, what these extreme conservatives actually want is pretty clear.

They want time to stand still; they long for the days of Eisenhower and Reagan.  They want everything they don’t agree with banned – like sex outside of marriage, restrictions on public prayer, legal abortion, porn,  etc.  They want to interfere in everybody’s private life to enforce their own beliefs.   In truth, they’d like a theocracy – as long as it was their own in charge. 

Sound familiar?  Well it should … it’s Iran, but with priests and ministers instead of mullahs.

But extreme liberals are no better and no less intolerant. 

They also want time to stand still, only they long for the days of FDR, Johnson and the Kennedys.  They also want everything they don’t agree with banned, like smoking, fast food, sugar, and public displays of faith.  They also want to interfere in everybody’s private life to enforce their own beliefs.   In truth, they’d also like a theocracy – but with government as God, and them as its chosen disciples.  

Sounds like Europe …

The majority of Americans don’t like either extreme.  Go deep enough into their belief systems and you’ll find most are Libertarians by nature, if not by name. 

That means the thing they want most is to be left alone.  They don’t want to be told what to do, what to think, what to believe, what to drive, what to eat, who to hire, who to sleep with, and what jokes they can tell or find funny.  

They feel fully competent to make those decisions on their own, thank you very much.
It’s not that complicated.  They just want the American promise of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” on their own terms, not terms dictated to them. 

In short, they just want the more extreme folks to stop screwing with them.  And they are perfectly willing to leave other people alone in return.  Live and let live.    

It would be a far nicer -- and more enjoyable -- world if the extreme folks would return the favor.    
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