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Anytime a political argument is looming with someone I have a way of stopping them dead in their tracks: All arguments are juvenile, 2 people with their minds already made up, bashing their heads against one another.
And yes, I have to agree, it's fun, sometimes, to be a juvenile once again.
Anytime a political argument is looming with someone I have a way of stopping them dead in their tracks: All arguments are juvenile, 2 people with their minds already made up, bashing their heads against one another.
And yes, I have to agree, it's fun, sometimes, to be a juvenile once again.
It is possible for 2 people with different ideas to educate each other and realize they actually agree. But it depends on not feeling or expressing any anger. Anger and logic are not compatible.
Sometimes I hear someone going on "blahda blahda bla" on some kind of robotic boring rant. I pretend to listen silently until their battery finally runs down. I remind myself to not try and reason with them.
But there are times when I dare to inject my own opinion. They might actually hear it and think about it. I also try to be open-minded about their opinions.
I think we have several major political tribes in the US, and I think they influence all of us, although we might not be aware of it.
Our thoughts tend to congregate and form constellations based on these political tribes, making it hard to think logically.
For example -- someone says abortion should be illegal, and I start to argue against them, saying why it should be legal at least in some cases. The "liberal" tribe starts lighting up in my brain, and if the conversation goes on to other subjects, I might take the liberal perspective. I might start saying things I don't really believe, because my liberal tribalism has been activated.
I think the core issue is more and more people have made their political tribe part of their core identity. I think that's a serious and dangerous mistake. IMO, the corrupt elites on both sides have deliberately promoted this over the last 30-40 years preciscely because getting people to identify with their 'tribe' makes it easier to control and manipulate people and divide them against each other. They've got many of us right where they want us, unfortunately.
I think the core issue is more and more people have made their political tribe part of their core identity. I think that's a serious and dangerous mistake. IMO, the corrupt elites on both sides have deliberately promoted this over the last 30-40 years preciscely because getting people to identify with their 'tribe' makes it easier to control and manipulate people and divide them against each other. They've got many of us right where they want us, unfortunately.
I think that could be true. Americans are so busy hating each other, they don't notice how crooked our government has become. Both parties.
I think that's because the words we use as labels are only vague. We have a set of characteristics matched to a word based on our experience with the equivalent parties, but in truth people have different degrees of being liberal and it changes based on the subject.
You said it's hard to think logically sometimes, but I think the word that matches better in that sentence is objectively. Logic is not always objective. so you may think logically, but you are having difficulty being objective cause your "liberal" part lights up.
In the end it always ends up being a discussion of what words really mean. What is objective and what is not. Does the person I'm talking with have the same understanding of the words I am using as I am? That's why I find it useful to always take what someone is saying with a grain of salt.
Just some personal thoughts.^^
Perhaps one day we will have a "Darmok and Jilad at Tanagra" / "Shaka when the walls fell" moment
Everything is controlled narrative to sway and propagandize various constituencies to make themselves look best to whichever audience they engage. The news media is used to control and farm the populace.
Big money flows to those most controlled by money powers, so, as they move up the political hierarchy the more 'malleable' the candidates are to their 'funders'. Politicians get 174k to 400k in salary, yet end up making millions through inside information, legislation - regulation, insider trading (by family), payoff from funders for book deals and speaking engagements, etc...
I've become more apathetic. People are far too ingrained in their beliefs. I don't think it should be that way. You should leave room for an opportunity to change your mind. But sadly, that's not the way it is for most people. So if actual dialogue or intelligent discussion on a topic with normal give-and-take cannot happen, then I choose not to bother with it.
"The sky is green, the earth is flat, the doctors are trying to kill us, Trump will resume the presidency in August, oxygen is poison and you will never change my mind of that!"
Welcome to political dialogue in 2021! Nah, no thanks.
I want to add one more thing about being Roman Catholic. Here in the US, for many years Catholicism was looked down upon and even outlawed. Remember, this nation was founded in part by people who were leaving Europe to get away from Catholicism - it was founded with the Reformation and its ideas in full swing and at the heart of our Constitution. For many decades, Catholicism was seen as answering to the Pope, not to a particular government, and the founders of our nation didn't like that.
Yet another reason to remember that personhood and our inner beliefs often transcend political parties. Political parties come and go.
I think that could be true. Americans are so busy hating each other, they don't notice how crooked our government has become. Both parties.
Correct. That's the idea. Divert people's attention and divide them against each other in every way possible.
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Perhaps one day we will have a "Darmok and Jilad at Tanagra" / "Shaka when the walls fell" moment
