Francisco looked at me before he ran. Had he not, the immigration officials never would have looked twice. He came back to work later under another name. When he came to the United States, he worked hard. He rode a bicycle everywhere. I learned a lot of culture and language from Francisco.
After he ran, I went to the back docks were immigration officials were zip-tying people I knew in a refrigerated trailer. I had left my identification in my locker and diligently tried to be detained with the rest of my coworkers. I demanded in Spanish that the people I knew be moved out of the cold trailer. I refused to identify myself or provide identification. While I was not eloquent, I had to remind immigration that these were people being needlessly scared and put in discomfort for no reason.
I watched some of the agents half-heartedly perform their duties. They knew that the problem wasn’t the immigrants. It was the system and companies that relied on their labor. There were also agents who relished doing their jobs.
Later, I looked out at the back acres adjacent to Bethel Heights. At the work smocks hanging from the fence, left there by human beings fleeing.
It’s impossible to describe the people who didn’t experience it. Or to those who don’t speak the language and understand the need and drive to have a better life.
What a f mess.
I forget these experiences until I am required to remember. Every person rounded up or diminished by political grandstanding is still a person. And needed by the demands of our economy.
I did countless interviews and I-9 forms. The law required me to take a cursory look at identification prior to employment. If their identification was rectangular, it was good enough for me. Because anyone who wanted a job could have one. We constantly had unlimited positions available.
As immigrants become targeted, you can of course nod or applaud. But in so doing, you’re ignoring the bigger problem of economic necessity. Removing workers is a harsh solution that does not address the shadow economy or why we need so many additional workers.
Each time I see raids, I see Francisco. He was a hard-working man brought here by the fact that countless companies need workers. I think of that look of desperation on his face as he stood there zip-tied, knowing he faced a trip to Brownsville.
The raids were pointless. One man came to work with his suitcase. Instead of fleeing from immigration, he came to work ready for a free trip back to Mexico. He understood the economic reality that a job would be waiting for him when he came back across the border. And that it would likely always be this way.
Raids don’t address the problem.
They amplify it.
Companies who need labor anywhere they can get it will continue to do so.
Even if only 10% of undocumented immigrants disappear, it will have a devastating impact to our economy. Even if you’re unconcerned about the fact that these are people just like us, you probably won’t consider it to be an issue until prices rise and the reality of your choices results in discomfort for you.
We are not a nation of laws. We’re a nation of economics. Current events consistently prove this to be true.
You’re wrong. It should be written this way: “Innocent people DIDN’T need a pardon.”
When a convicted felon with a penchant for felonious misconduct threatens you, you protect the innocent ones around you. Doubly so if the felon in question actively attempted to violently overthrow the government – and proceed to threaten anyone trying to hold him accountable.
Trump is the embodiment of what’s wrong with politics. He’s broken so many of the expectations and requirements of a President.
He’s the only president who wanted to pardon himself.
But I digress.
Using the logic of the above quote, Trump pardoned 1600+ people. If “innocent people don’t need a pardon,” it follows that these 1600+ people were guilty. Anyone citing the quote suffers from massive cognitive dissonance.
You can’t have it both ways.
Let’s not forget that 47 insists that the Central Park 5 were guilty, even after DNA and a confession freed them. Trump wanted them to be executed. They are suing him for defamation; Trump tells so many lies that it’s hard to hold him accountable for it. These same lies and disinformation erode our collective confidence in our government. It benefits him, but we will suffer the consequences long after he’s gone from the world stage.
Trump himself declares that he’s always innocent. Even though juries, grand juries, and judges said otherwise. Afterward, he argues that although he’s guilty, it was protected behavior.
Trump is a convicted felon with a long history of fraud, bankruptcies, and legal issues – not to mention the issue of sexual misbehavior.
In my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined that people would look to him for moral guidance, much less directions to Walmart. That the Bibles he touches don’t burst into flames is sufficient evidence that God is no interventionist.
I don’t have a problem with a convicted felon holding office, as shocking as that may be for some people. I believe felons should retain the right to vote. Even Trump. I do have a serious problem with so many overlooking Trump’s ridiculously long list of misdeeds, both personal and political.
He is an embarrassment and a literal threat to our system of governance.
Assuming our democracy survives this experiment with lunacy, history will not be kind to those who enabled it.
I would ask anyone who agrees with me to raise their hands, but Elon ruined that gesture for all of us.
Innocent people do need preemptive pardons. It’s not been a necessity prior to the arrival of 47.
I’m shaking my head at people defending salutes, insurrection, and rebukes toward people such as Reverend Mariann Budde. She spoke the essence of the message Christians claim to follow. When adorational politics lead people to demonize spiritual voices such as hers, the warning bells should be sounding universally.
Trump is a masterful showman and has played multiple groups to rise to power, none more so that Evangelicals and the lower class.
He’s not a ‘good’ person or one I look to for insight, inspiration, or authority. The bulk of his words reek of threats, bullying, and authoritarianism. It’s particularly telling that he rarely displays a positive attitude, acknowledges his own mistakes, and seeks to use political power to insult, harm, or threaten those who don’t agree with his words or behavior.
That he’s my President is beyond my control.
I, of course, hope that our deomcracy can erase this craziness at some point. I didn’t put in my quarters for this circus.
Our government runs at all is due to power being disbursed among the branches and entities of government. While the system is corrupt, it used to protect us from any group or person from subverting the collective mess of groups and interests within it. Trump has broken this compact we share among ourselves.
Trump is the four-year root canal surgery that the rest of us must endure.
The FAFO stage will affect all of us.
I legitimately have a concern that the Gulf of Mexico won’t be the last large part of our current United States to have a new name.
PSA For people who haven’t used TikTok, it has an invaluable feature that the competitors do not. You can separate your information feed to exclusively show content you specifically follow. Bluesky does the same. TikTok also has a STEM feed if you’re interested in the sciences. Can you imagine the difference your Facebook or Instagram experience would be if you saw only content you chose to follow? Community building is also another feature that’s intrinsic to TikTok. It’s one of the features that threatens the competitors. I’ve been a TikTok fan for years. The advantages of its simple tools are incalculable. Not to mention that it provides a means to earn money for your content. The notion that it is a security risk compared to Google, Meta, Truth Social, or other social media platforms is illogical.
Because I have many acquaintances across the world, I get to observe how they perceive our political and economic systems. We are not held in high regard nor as a standard for governance. The consensus is that our political process is corrupt, possibly beyond repair. Inequitable and corrupt forces aligned to target TikTok. Money wins, of course.
Unfortunately for me, I know a considerable amount about the technology and tracking that allows for some companies to data track us all. It’s why it’s not a concern for me. Even if you choose not to use Facebook or a particular company’s services, these companies still maintain an extensive dossier on you and your interests and activities. Most of our phones default to allowing companies to use our private content to make money.
Five major telecoms were infiltrated last year by hackers. These hacks were not limited to a singular app. I’m surprised by the number of people who are unaware that their private conversations across a variety of apps were compromised.
Finally, I’ll add that the ban currently in effect for TikTok has exemptions for certain government officials. While the app is used predominantly for entertainment for the United States populace, it’s interesting that our government specified an exemption for what could only be described as a propaganda outlet. Which is precisely what our misguided leaders accused TikTok of being guilty of.
Meanwhile, more than 13 million Americans downloaded RedNote. You can’t make this lunacy up.
I voted against him for the 6th time in my adult life. It’s amusing that his presence in the political arena pushed such a blatant liberal as me into the conservative primaries.
He’s not even the problem.
The problem is now that many of us realize that no matter how many gains we make, such a person ill-suited for political office can subvert the political process.
It’s not my job to convince anyone that he’s dangerous. If his closest allies and advisors, combined with his encyclopedic list of flaws can’t present the clear and present danger he is to our democracy, there’s certainly nothing I can add.
When I left the voting center, I’m certain I experienced one of the most beautiful views possible.
Above me, the blue sky.
Behind me? Hopefully the last populist narcissist.
But I know he can’t be. Because the people who will overlook the kind of character and behavior he represents will still be voting.
I’m a big believer in expressing myself directly. If I share a meme, I made it. Disinformation converts my brain to cottage cheese. Ad hominem attacks or personal derision, especially on social media, is not my cup of tea. It convinces no one and just bounces around in the echo chambers of the people who follow such content. I’m not sharing my thoughts because I expect anyone’s opinion to change. I’m sharing them because it exposes the things I believe and the frustration I see all around me.
It’s interesting that when most of us grew up, family members would warn us not to hang out with people who misbehaved. They would admonish us that it invited danger. And that people would judge us based on the people around us. Personally, this isn’t true in my case. My parents and some of the people they associated with tended to be the actual bad example I’ve struggled to unlearn my entire life.
Being in a group of people in no way automatically defines you. If you are in a crowd of people and all of them have a top hat on except you, people will assume you forgot your hat, not that you’re the odd man out.
This is one of the things that people struggle with regarding their family and friends. You might be kind. You might be open to diversity. Your views on sexual identity might be universal.
If you are under an orange flag, the tendency to fairly or unfairly attribute affiliation with those holding the orange flag increases.
It’s why people who might normally otherwise vote Republican usually react with silence when they watch Mr. Orange. He is the embodiment of what’s wrong with living a good life and suitability for the office of president. He did not serve as a beacon of reason and inclusiveness. Objective observers can only conclude that he oafishly and cleverly co-opted a specific brand of religion while simultaneously hijacking a political party to gain office. Politics and religion don’t mix well precisely because such systems invariably become autocratic and blur the line that is required for large groups of competing ideas and interests to coexist. Religion is personal and should not be favored or codified into our law. If you think otherwise, I’ll wager your opinion will shift if you find yourself in a particular religious group that loses favor to another.
Politics is never a question of intelligence. There are extraordinary intellects along the entire spectrum of politics. The same is true for those who succumb to the allure of tribalism with their respective ideologies, parties, and candidates. It is supremely difficult to argue someone out of a position they did not argue themselves into. One of the basic truths is that overwhelmingly people choose an idea and then avidly search for evidence to support it. Once entrenched, it is miraculous that someone will fundamentally shift their ideologies.
Fair or not, some watch their family and friends avidly support someone who has proven that he is not a man of character in his personal life. Sometimes, we draw erroneous conclusions. You might be a fan of disruption or economic issues. There could be myriad reasons for you to support such a candidate. But we can’t shy away from the fact that people around you are recoiling. They recoil because voting for such a candidate is a package deal. In his case, you can’t separate the consequences of your choice, regardless of the main reason he will be getting your vote. By endorsing him for a particular reason, you’re also dragging the rest of his damaging type of politics into power.
The problem comes because Mr Orange marginalizes and demeans groups. They just want to live their lives without interference. When we see support for a person demeaning us, our interests, or the people we are close to, some of us cannot find the right words to explain to his supporters that they are inadvertently or purposefully endorsing some of his ideas. Mr. Orange is a failed businessman who doesn’t attempt to conceal his contempt and prejudice. Bullies empower other bullies.
Good people don’t want to attack those around them. But so many wince in silence because they are personally insulted by your endorsement of such a candidate. Good people also eventually stand up. Part of the reason is that people they love or respect are being harmed or marginalized. The other realization is that if we remain silent long enough, it could easily be us in the bullseye in the future.
Things that people explain away as “just politics” aren’t politics at all. Politics is running the government efficiently with core principles. We all get an equal voice regarding the collective rules we are supposed to live by. Prejudice and discrimination of any kind are among the things which have no place in politics. Furthering the interests of a particular group in such a manner that they receive special privilege through law counters one of our most basic principles.
It’s not my job to ridicule Mr. Orange. His record of fraud, coercion of women, and obvious attempts to avoid accountability for his actions speak louder than any condemnation I could utter. Even absent all the other behaviors in his business and personal life, he actively encouraged literal insurrection after the last election.
And of course, we wouldn’t be dealing with him if our antiquated system of presidential selection wasn’t based on an anachronism resulting from the power struggle of those who wanted to preserve slavery. A popular vote such as that which governs every other candidacy historically would have resulted in several different presidents in the last few decades. The Constitution is a living document, one which is supposed to embody our collective goals and ideas. Abusing one of the branches of government in such a way as to skew the balance of the separate branches will lead to ruin because people will lose even more faith in the fair process of elections and decision-making.
It is a shame that we do not have several political parties. Or even none. That the best idea and plan will overcome, but all of us know that this is a daydream. People across the spectrum, unfortunately, strive to exert power when they should instead focus on governance for the collective mismatch of people and groups that we are.
In so many ways, we are still that same nation of divided priorities. And we always will be. One thing we could count on was that even though we were not happy about the person occupying the presidency, we at least maintained the illusion that they were qualified for the office. That any party would put forward a convicted felon for a race in which said candidate could not even legally vote, we have a serious problem. I’m conflicted because I have believed for years that a felony record should not take away your essential right to vote. Fomenting rebellion or insurrection to destabilize a government or overturn an election is one of the unforgivable acts of a citizen.
The premise of this post was supposed to be a reminder that the candidate you enthusiastically endorse also comes with the perceived reputation and behavior to whom it is attached. Your alliance with particularly pernicious candidates comes with a raised eyebrow and a profound feeling of disappointment. Each time your candidate disparages women, minorities, and people of different religious groups, people are watching, expecting you to acknowledge that some people are a danger to democracy.
I don’t say these things because I question your intelligence.
I say them because some supporters say they don’t understand why they are arguing with their loved ones over politics. These are not political arguments. They are attacks not only on people but also on our entire process.
When you encourage authoritarianism, you place yourself in the future invisible line of being the target and losing freedoms that you take for granted. Each country that has succumbed to it couldn’t fathom that it could happen to them. The riots of January 6th should have been an obvious wake-up call that a certain faction of our citizenry was willing to upend the entire political process.
Joe Biden stepped aside because it was the best thing to do to further his political ideology. Who among us could imagine Mr. Orange swallowing his ego to further his political party’s goals? A party is not one person and a single party is not a government. We require competing and conflicting interests to maintain balance.
As damaged and erratic as the process sometimes is, you need to stop and realize that the entire system was constructed with checks and balances to prevent the subversion of the goal of collective politics.
Mr. Orange co-opted religion, a party, and populism.
We’d be wise to be done with him so that the Republican party of old might regain its stability and reason.
This is a personal post. I avoided fancy vocabulary; it’s all over the place because I write with a shotgun. Expressing my feelings and opinions is what I do. I’m an imperfectionist, so I know I can’t explain everything sufficiently. I’m not happy with how I wrote all of these thoughts. I’m not happy with the slew of contradictions and hypocrisy I’m guilty of.
“Anything attributed to God as a consequence of intervention must also nod toward the responsibility of failing to correct everything else.” – X
Just as you must place commensurate value on both applause and dislike, so too must you place accountability and responsibility not only for singular acts that are favorable but also for those that bring pain and suffering. Choosing not to act is as culpable as acting negligently. If you create rainbows, you also accept ownership of deadly tornadoes ripping through churches – or of people being tortured, starved, or denied basic human necessities.
‘Unidentifiable’ and ‘unidentified’ are not synonymous. Neither are ‘unexplainable’ and ‘unexplained.’ If we survive the onslaught of existential threats, our ability to understand the universe will evolve. We didn’t develop intelligence (or be granted it) to sit in a dark corner of the universe. Truth always welcomes questioning. It is the essence of our advancement and the scientific method. It accepts being wrong by experimentation and adjustment. It is never a finished product. I look at religion and faith in the same way. Static belief holds no quarter for correction. Generally speaking, I observe people stagnating; they stop learning, listening to new music, or accepting that things they hold as true or high value might be wrong.
Whatever notion I have of a creator omits interventionism. We are participating in an escape room. We might have been given all the tools to get out, but we must use our intelligence and resources wisely and collectively. If I am correct about my personal opinions, we’re squandering the opportunity. In our society, we favor creators motivated by ‘do unto others’ and living lives that improve the situation for all of us. With a particular focus on those who need it. Although it might sting, it’s hard to make the argument that we are successfully following the doctrines we say we believe in. Even our economic system undeniably thrives on the perpetuation of interest and in its strictest sense, exploitation of advantage. Most of our religions disavow interest or the love of money, yet we proudly endorse a system that requires that singular pursuit as if it is the only way. Currently, we’re in another cycle wherein some are subverting both politics and religion to make decisions and interfere with our ability to live cooperatively yet independently. It won’t end well. Neither politics nor religion is the problem; the problem stems from the need to control other people.
People accuse me of being contradictory. They are correct. I see magic in things that a lot of people don’t. Equally true is that I see things we haven’t yet comprehended being attributed to miracles. Does the label for such magic matter? I love that people can see miracles. It’s optimism and whether it is rational or irrational, it’s the reality of all of us filtering the world.
History is filled with us committing atrocities toward one another. War. Slavery. Concentration camps. Were we to do those things as individuals, we would be vilified. Groupthink leads to us experiencing the Abilene Paradox in the worst way possible. We end up with a system in which no one is truly satisfied. Even though it stings to hear the bitter truth, abused religion tends to endorse this kind of craziness, as does perverted nationalism. Pride and love of faith and country do not absolve us of our need to constantly self-examine and adjust.
Since I’m already ruffling feathers, our constitution provided a means to modify our guidelines. While others hold our founders in esteem, mine is tempered drastically by the prevailing norms of their day. Their society was not founded on justice and freedom for all. Even our presidential election is perverted due to the necessity of bending to those shrieking that while a certain segment of our population was both owned and voteless, they should be counted as lesser among us. It is the very nature of recognizing defects and changing that merits praise. Our nation came from sedition and treason. That we prevailed is the reason we can attempt to form a more perfect republic absent corruption, special interests, or the subversion of the political and legal systems we enjoy. We don’t owe the people who wrote the constitution loyalty; they left us the roadmap to change course.
Religious nationalism, regardless of the religion or denomination, is immensely dangerous. It is the imperfect crucible that will only demonstrate its failure after splintering us further. Its rise is at the expense of our freedom to choose. When politics and religion intermingle, it inevitably results in increasing favoritism toward the alleged group consolidating power. And as happens with religions, the conflicting forces will fight for dominance. Those who have no religious beliefs or ones differing from the prevailing norm established by such an outcome will be restricted in their ability to choose. That is the opposite of the ideals of what we consider to be America.
In the same way that I don’t believe in ghosts, there are people who I love and respect who do. The same nod applies to their belief in miracles. It’s personal, based on perception. Who wouldn’t want to experience the joy of faith? I love that I know people whose faith is profound. I’m equally likely to grimace observing people using their religion of peace toward goals that are anything but.
I started this post with the quote because it’s one of my fundamental problems with relying on a creator to step in on our behalf. I’ve avoided using complex terminology or arguments for a reason. You can’t praise if you also don’t question why horrible acts done or allowed to happen don’t result in intervention. Using the ‘mysterious ways’ argument doesn’t address the shortcoming. Because I come from violence, I can only picture children with leukemia, being beaten or worse, often at the hands of people who claim to love them or who are supposed to protect them. Failing to intervene is the opposite of any behavior I want to emulate. I don’t need to understand the motivation to see that the consequences of failing to act result in monstrous behavior and conditions.
And yes, I am holding any potential creator to the standard of behavior I expect of myself and other people. It’s not my fault to be granted intelligence. I can’t imagine having the power and ability to protect children and not using it. If we are expected to use our intelligence and solve our problems, it would be zero effort for our creator to intervene.
I’m not picking on one particular denomination or religion. We are all too familiar with the oldest church not only knowing that children were being abused, but that they decided to use their massive wealth and power to protect the abusers. When I catch myself glossing over their actions, I think of a small powerless child, frightened. It personalizes the problem and reminds me viscerally of the horrific sin of those who participated and also those who acted to protect those who engaged in the behavior. Anyone aware of child predators being protected cannot be on my list of moral authorities. Even though I’m sharing my opinion, I’ll add that I could never embrace a religion or denomination that prohibits half the population from occupying positions of moral authority.
Growing up, God was silent. He didn’t whisper to me when I had a literal gun pointed at me or when fists were hitting me. He didn’t intervene against the people hurting me. And he didn’t motivate to action the heart of his pious believers who witnessed it yet didn’t step in. I listened and watched the people around me closely. Their piety and righteousness allowed them to blithely justify what was going on. I no longer judge my dad harshly. Or my mom. But the family members who valued family honor and preached their version of religion? I consider them to be more monstrous due to their inaction. My parents were possessed by addiction and the echo chamber of inescapable trauma themselves. They did not preach the lessons of universal love. They preached their beliefs and demons through behavior, just as the rest of us do. Unlike most people’s version of our creator, they did not possess unlimited knowledge. They didn’t know better. And if they did? They couldn’t do better. It’s hard to judge them when it’s obvious I’m guilty of the same stupidity.
You can’t convince anyone of a spiritual belief using logic. It can’t be done, although many attempt it. Condemning people who don’t share your beliefs sends the message of arrogance. Whether it’s your intention or not, it sends the wrong message about a religion based on love and lovingkindness. That’s the difficulty of having religious writings that are contradictory and cherry-picked to suit individuals or denominations. Were it the literal word of the creator, there would be no division or disagreement. It’s a clear sign that men have cemented their agendas into what we are left with. I don’t attack anyone’s religious texts, although I do restrain myself when they are misinterpreting theirs, choosing which parts matter, or demanding that others defer to them. All the people I admire who have deep faith share an understanding that they must not yield to the temptation to dictate to others. Morality easily exists outside the boundaries of religion. Beware quoting a religious text that contains rules regarding slavery. And beware of a constitution that once needed laws to protect the same evil.
“Factually speaking, everyone is an atheist. It’s just that they choose one particular god to believe in to exclude all others.” This sort of quote upsets believers. It shouldn’t. It’s a recognition of the fact that humanity believes in several creators. Your religion should be your guidepost and beacon. Anyone observing you should be able to see the teachings you believe in come to life. Even when you fail. Secularism is not a declaration of war against religion; it’s a requirement that we meet in the middle with mutual respect.
Or as Dave Barry commented, “People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.” That lack of reciprocity inadvertently demonstrates intolerance or an inability to endorse the idea that religion is personal and never mandated.
What ties this all together is that the certainty of things unproven often leads people to collectively force what works for them onto other people. Politics and law are designed to bridge the gap toward collective safety and good. There should be no deference toward a particular group, especially if it is in the majority.
Truth does not need a hammer. If you find yourself willing and able to impose on others, you’ve inadvertently admitted that living your truth by example is failing.
A religion of love does not resort to force.
When politics and religion collide, you are fanning the flames of divisiveness and exclusion. Politics exists to efficiently govern all of us while respecting our freedoms. In its purest form, it is devoid of favoritism toward specific groups. In its worst form, it becomes polluted by one group subverting the rule of governance by substituting zealotry. History demonstrates the consequences of doing so. All of us watch as individuals manipulate religion into a tool for personal gain.
Because people bring their own filters and straw men to these sorts of posts, I want to point out that I don’t dislike religion. I despise dogma and contradiction. And more than that? The certainty some people bring to the table allows them to impose their personal beliefs on others who don’t share it. The best among the faithful to me are the ones who walk the tightrope of faith and intelligence. They live their lives full of hope, peace, and optimism. They reflect the religion they espouse.
I don’t need to know what faith they possess. I can see and witness the consequences. The alignment of ideals results in the behavior you would expect from following the tenets of their particular faith.
If our creator is a creator of love, it follows that we can expect the universe and one another to behave per those ideals.
And because I don’t believe in a creator intervening in our affairs, the outcome of our sporting events is in no way affected by requests for intervention. The same is true for elections. The best prayer possible for me is an appeal to allow us to develop our intelligence. To expand our sense of collective empathy outwardly to everybody in the world. To desist from resorting to violence or dominance. We’re all stuck on this rock squabbling over resources and whether our respective ideologies are better than the rest. Anyone paying attention to history can see that this path has yielded unimaginable results. We do well when we cooperate – and poorly when we don’t. Go figure.
Regardless of how we feel about the words, in a way, it’s a good thing.
We don’t have enough authenticity in the world.
I grew up inundated with prejudice, alcoholism, and violence, but also love and respect. The traumatic parts become the focus because they’re our biggest challenges. It’s hard to admire the sunset when your face is bruised by someone who is supposed to protect you. You can’t love reading if you’re hungry or afraid.
It’s the same now. Our society is safer and smarter, and our arc is generally that of betterment.
You wouldn’t think so – and that’s because the outliers draw our attention. Despite statistics that clearly show that we’re safer and smarter, that’s not the consensus you get when you ask a large group of people whether life is better now than it was. The effect of people thinking in large groups is that we increasingly find it easier to lose sight of doing the right thing.
Tribalism and echo chambers dominate us. It isn’t worse now than it once was. It’s just that we have tools to make information instantaneous.
It should be obvious who among us is motivated by the things that represent what our ideals demand of us. It’s not a question of intelligence, no more than your argument about loading the dishwasher is really about something else. Smart people do dumb things so it is no surprise that when we band together, we behave even more stupidly.
To justify, we vilify. We do this even as we recognize that we’re mostly doing and saying the same things. Names and geography changes – but we largely do not.
“Why can’t we all get along?” The answer is simple. Because we are not logical creatures.
We’re supposed to love our neighbor, but easily justify all manner of destruction. We’re supposed to honor and cherish those we’re with, but all of us see friends and family choose infidelity. Humanity is supposed to drive us forward and yet most of us participate in a capitalist system that takes advantage of the disadvantaged and favors the rich. We choose leaders who openly lie, cheat, and work for special interests and themselves. We claim to collectively despise entertainment that denigrates; yet, statistics demonstrate that we are consuming such content behind closed doors and locked phones. We know that our friends, family, and coworkers are drinking excessively, using mind-altering substances, or choosing the wrong things on a large scale.
Regarding politics, people are nuts. Studies show that we draw our conclusions and then find the evidence to support it. It’s what we do in our personal lives, so it’s no shock that it follows us in our ideologies. The religions we choose often propel us into certainty and dogma. The good ones preach universal love and respect, yet too many of their followers splinter the message and focus on controlling others.
If you’re a good person, you live without harming others. You choose what helps others. You’re going to fail often.
Saying the quiet part aloud helps us. For better or worse, at least you’re letting the rest of us know what percolates in your secret heart and life, the one you don’t want to be exposed. I grew up with a couple of people who were, in my opinion, monstrous. Not because they acted, but because they kept their secrets locked inside a box of righteousness and self-certainty.
Words, words, and more words, a flood of them.
Meanwhile, your life is your sermon.
As for alleged leaders, I want people who have mostly lived their lives with efficiency and honor. If they haven’t managed to control their own lives in agreement with the ideals they quote, it is dissonance and folly to expect them to lead us anywhere other than the wrong place.
Whatever your ideology is, if you’re focused on control or the certainty that you’re right, you will be blinded to other options.
I’m old enough to have become fascinated by people and their lack of self-understanding. I see it in myself so I can say it without sounding like a hypocrite.
A friend showed me a meme with this clever turn of phrase. It was in reference to the coworker we all have no matter where we work, the one who acts as if they are in charge. If you work for an organization, it’s a 100% certainty that you have at least one such coworker. Just like you undoubtedly have one that is constantly telling you how busy they are as they stand nearby with a cup of coffee in their hand.
But like all clever phrases, this one started my mind churning. We’ve all heard of quiet quitting by now.
I get paid well for my job, given the requirements. It’s physically tough at times, but my wage is aligned with the principles of fairness. The benefits I enjoy go well beyond what many receive for doing really tough jobs.
But like most people, I know a lot of people who aren’t being paid for the amount of work they do. Many of them are hardwired to do good work and to go above and beyond regardless of the wage they are earning.
I often wonder what the capitalist system would look like if everyone suddenly realized that they should act their wage. The wage they are being paid should reflect their contribution and value. That’s the theory anyway.
I feel even more strongly about this regarding people who are paid the legal minimum. Or people in the service industry being taken advantage of. The tip wage is a nasty anachronism that needs to be eliminated.
Many people have misguided ideas about the effects of higher wages on consumer prices. Even so, it’s hard to reconcile justifying such low wages based on the alleged potential consequence of higher prices. I won’t cite the numerous examples and studies that prove it’s a myth. Because people only acknowledge what already aligns with their belief system. It’s one of the many reasons I prefer to use the term living wage. All of those difficult jobs that aren’t paid sufficiently are required to keep the businesses running. We all enjoy the consequences of lower prices. All too often we do it at the expense of the people at the bottom of the pay range. Many people never have to confront the struggle of those who work hard but know that they’ll likely never escape the endless cycle of indebtedness. If you say, well, they can improve their lives. Although that’s true, we are still going to need people working the positions that others move past in such a scenario.
I look at all of these issues from a liberal viewpoint. But also a practical one. At the center of all these ideas we have are people who deserve better opportunities. I despise the system that allows anything less than a living wage. What constitutes a living wage is up for debate. What’s not on the table for discussion is that it is unethical to me that we willingly look the other way for a big segment of society. I don’t look down on anyone working fast food or cleaning the floors. All of those jobs are necessary for us to enjoy the goods and services they help provide.
Several years ago, there was a movie titled A Day Without a Mexican. It comes to mind when I think about people working for less than a living wage. I imagine a world wherein everyone making less than what is required just to stay even wakes up and refuses to participate in the rigged system.
A famous comedian once said that minimum wage is proof that many businesses would pay you less if they could. And history rubber stamps this idea by demonstrating that people lose sight of the fact that we’re supposed to be our brother’s keeper even in the pursuit of commerce or profit. For those who follow history, even the way we elect our president is a result of a segment of society insisting that enslaving people was justified based on the economic outcome.
I wonder what it might be like if those who are not being paid a living wage followed the principle of Act Your Wage.
It’s not our imagination that doom spending and disengaging from the pursuit of our alleged American dream is accelerating.
I find it hard to judge anyone who resents working hard and being unable to stay caught up. And if you tell me that people will take advantage if we put our hand out to help, my answer is, so what. You don’t fail to reward those who work hard by punishing everyone. The system is rigged in favor of those who already have more than their share.
In the same way that we could feed everyone in the world if we focused our priorities and resources, we could also easily ensure everyone has a slice of the so-called American dream. It’s not a zero-sum game.
As a middle-aged white guy in the South, I would like to remind everyone that I am not what you see. Most of us aren’t. Most people aren’t even really the idea of them that we hold in our heads. If we have a fundamentally different worldview from someone else, we tend to vilify their beliefs or motives. We have to be on guard about that. It infects everything. There are a lot of evil people in the world, but most of us want the same things. No one likes other people interfering in their lives, yet so many do exactly that. People are surprised to discover how calcified their belief system becomes as they age.
I’m no Chicken Little. Despite the appearance of continuity, we’ve faced a lot of major upheavals as a society. I used my Handmaid’s Tale picture from years ago because it is a go-to symbol of a possible outcome if we don’t get our crap together. I made mine out of humor. It’s easy to see that we need a buttload more humor lately. It’s easy to succumb to cynicism and frustration.
Everyone’s social media is going to be flooded with opinions about social issues. Women who’ve had abortions, especially those who did so for their own reasons and often without others knowing, are going to learn a lot about their peers and loved ones. Some of those women did so for medical reasons or in cases of rape. Most of them didn’t choose abortion lightly. As I grew older and shared my personal life, I can’t tell you how many women told me stories that would shock you.
Most of the vocal celebrants of the supreme court decision are past the age when abortion is a viable concern for them individually. Old wounds will open and new ones will arise as people spew words. Unlike many of my contemporaries, I’m not worried about the next generation finding new ways to fix some of this. Old ideas don’t serve as well as many would like to think.
I have my own abortion story, one that tempers my interpretation of others’ opinions. Many of your friends and family members have them, too; most you’ll never know. Human sexuality is a constant drive, one that leads to consequences and turmoil. If we are going to limit other people’s ability to mitigate the consequences, we have to step up and provide a better social structure to support one another. It’s not about condemnation or judgment.
Women outnumber men.
I’m liberal, speak Spanish, and am in favor of just about every social program that helps people. Even if it reduces the defense budget, even if outliers take advantage – and even if the systems we put into place aren’t perfect. I’d start with universal health care, which, despite its flaws, would cost each of us less than our current system. Knowing that everyone around me could get at least basic health services anytime they are needed is something that seems stupidly right to me. For whatever reason, people disagree with me. My principal argument is that the rest of the modern world agrees with me. And universal health care is cheaper than our current system.
I anticipate a firestorm across the board.
Entropy is at play on a societal level. We are never going to be at a fixed point on any social issue. No matter which side of a particular issue you’re on, no issue is safe from review, even if you’ve achieved a momentary victory. If you galvanize a particular group, the system can be destabilized to such a degree that it no longer serves anyone. These issues are far from settled. They might even permanently rupture the system of government.
Politics is a dirty, specialized, and selfish game. If you play it correctly, you can achieve almost any objective, especially if money is involved.
So, I am a middle-aged white guy.
But I’m not responsible for the prevailing conservatism of my age group or those who look like me. We look alike but definitely don’t think alike. Despite that, we share a lot of the same ambitions, wants, needs, and desires. We have to learn to stay out of each other’s way as much as we can as we pursue our version of the dream. Conservatism in its purest form is sound; the evangelical version of it makes me cringe and shake my head.
So many of our problems result from those who “know” what is best for everyone else. Certainty breeds callousness. I try to think of all the things I once knew and believed, only to discover I was wrong. Which surely means that I’m mistaken about things now.
Railing about politics on social media is a fool’s errand unless you tell it as a personal story, one which reflects your life and who you are. You are not going to change anyone’s mind – nor should that be your goal.
Whichever side you’re on, remember that we are all human beings and got to our beliefs by inconsistent trial-and-error. Adding anger won’t change anything, even if it is justified. Like all of you, I admit that sometimes the burn of anger is a welcome relief, even as it short-circuits my humanity. It almost always makes me lesser.
I know that people are legitimately scared because the abortion ban will allow states to foolishly prevent abortions even in cases where it’s medically recommended, necessary, or a result of involuntary conception. That’s fiendishly diabolical and evil in my opinion. It ignores science and human decency.
No matter what changed, anything can be changed again.
Literally anything. With the right lever and effort.
Look for your lever and try to avoid adding to the woodpile of words. Find a way to convert your anger into action. Anger or fear is an immensely powerful motivator.
I know that being a middle-aged white guy contains a certain privilege of thought. I see that. But I can worry along with the rest of you, the ones who see a weird arc of conservative social ideology creeping into places that have little to do with fiscal policy or public health. Most of us think we have a singular plan and path for everyone else to live by. Imposing it only leads to no one having autonomy or happiness.
The time change is supposed to make it feel earlier in the afternoon. By some miracle, I was asleep at 9:07 last night. I woke up at 1:42 a.m. and listened to jokes on Alexa. I did the no-laugh challenge. By the second joke, I was laughing enough to annoy Güino, who attempted to remain motionless and quiet at my knees. His consternation with me was apparent.
My newish downstairs neighbors had visitors last night. I used the tried-and-true “turn the box fan even higher” method to drown them out. It was effective. Standing on the deck this morning at 2:30, I whispered down at a couple of people as they smoked and gossiped outside and below me. One of the two guys jumped. The other one laughed. “I hope we weren’t too loud last night,” he said. “Nah, the fumes from my batch of meth had me hallucinating,” I replied, being as serious as I could. Both of the guys looked at each other and then laughed. My only regret is that I didn’t have a chemistry beaker as a prop to add credibility to my joke.
It doesn’t feel like Monday, and it indeed doesn’t feel like it is March with Spring breathing down our necks. It’s Pi Day. That always strikes me as funny, given most adults’ aversion to math. To me, November 10th would be more fun for Pi Day, as it’s the 314th day of the year on the Julian calendar. Most people don’t know that the Julian calendar reigned supreme until the later 1500s. I love the idea of someone just deciding to add two extra months to a year, or arbitrarily opting to change the year. The effect of this is that many events we have learned that happened on a specific date didn’t transpire on the date we note. In 1582, much of the world simply skipped ten or eleven days entirely; some parts didn’t. While we think traveling across time zones is odd, can you imagine traveling across an area only to discover that TEN DAYS was suddenly missing? In England, Sept. 2nd was followed by Sept. 14th.
Myths about daylight savings time that won’t die: we didn’t adopt DST to help farmers. We’re already on DST for 8+ months a year, so what exactly is “standard time?” The ‘extra’ hour of daylight does not make us healthier or happier; it’s physically and emotionally disruptive to many people.
I left my backward clock an hour behind. It’s a good reminder that it annoys most normal people to look at a backward clock to begin with.
Time is indeed an artificial construct. Keep that in mind as you clock in to work today. If your manager asks why you were late for work, feel free to reply, “I’m taking back my time from 1582. And where’s my pie to celebrate the day?”
Party like it’s 1582. It’s the least you can do to celebrate this Monday.
P.S. Parenthetically Speaking 