Sunday, February 19, 2012

Politically Naive



A      L      O      H      A   !


Whats Goin On by Marvin Gaye on Grooveshark


" If you see the world
 in black and white,
 you're missing important
 grey matter. "


Jack Fyock













" Eventually you realize
 that not all opposing viewpoints
 come from people
 who oppose you. "


Robert Brault














" What we see 
depends
 mainly on what 
we look for. "

John Lubbock














" The reverse side
 also has 
a reverse side. "

Japanese Proverb













" Without the aid of
 prejudice and custom,
 I should not be able 
to find my way
 across the room.  "


William Hazlitt



  > < } } ( ° >




Silly  SILLY me !

I made the same mistake
that economists always made
till now.

It was always assumed
that we make reasoned
decisions,
and then act
in our own 
best interests.



Now we know that decisions
are made/taken
for all sorts of
non-reasoning,
subconscious
factors.

I always assumed
that political conversation
was about discovering
the best ideas
through reasoning
competition.

I really have no excuse.

With a degree in psychology
and 2/3 of a lifetime
 on this planet
I should have
known better.

As Humans,
politics is all about
WHO we feel
comfortable with.
Our Tribe.


That's it!

Either you "get"
why my side is right,
or you are 
"wrong"

Worse!
You are one of 
THEM,
the idiots causing
ALL the problems.

If only
THEY
would listen to
US!

We listen to sources
that reinforce
the view we hold.
Our friends all agree!

We accuse other sources
of bias.

Silly me!

I SEEK out
opinions different from 
my own.

Please explain to me
why I am  wrong.

Explaining, discussing
is NOT:

Being loud,
angry,
dismissive,
and belittling of my 
reasoned opinions;
refusing to listen
to WHY I think
like I do-
sloganeering-

That only makes me lose
respect for you
as a reasonable adult.

When I try to befriend
(like on FaceBook)
those with different politics,
they usually end up
un-friending me.

"You're trying to turn me!"
One person accused.

So Up with OUR SIDE
and down
with the other.

Meanwhile,
under the rhetoric,
a very small circle
is stealing the rest of us 
blind.

Have you noticed?


As long as we speechify
about Values,
and Paying our Way,
we ignore the unrelenting
strategic
erosion
of the Public Realm
Morally,
 in Fair Regulation,
Financially,
Physically.


It's been going on
for decades.

So far,
'They've' done a good,
well-financed
job of confusing
many of us.

Their specialty:
turning us
against those who 
really want to,
and know how to,
 help restore sanity.
Yeah. Our 'Socialist'
President.
(He's black,
from Chicago,
AND a 
Democrat
you know!)


Up from modest roots,
on to the best university,
effective in his community
elected by his neighbors.
How DARE HE?

Folks who were BORN
with Wealthy
Connected/Elected
Daddies
are calling
Barak
ELITE!


And who should we listen to?
Sarah
who couldn't stick 
at a college
or a Gov's office,
or finish
a coherent sentence?
Now THERE's
a LEADER!

Ya just gotta
L A U G H

So stay angry
idiots.

(Of course I mean
THEM,
not
US!)


Meanwhile
political discourse 
is chest-beating
tub-thumping
"We're # 1"
Noise.


Hey.

What's REALLY
going on?

Those clever, 
well-financed interests
are already developing
today's Fox, er FOG
of confusion.



And now
(thanks Supreme Court)
Shadowy Billionaires
control 90%
of "Political Speech"
through airtime,
house pundits,
publishing,
radio.

Corporations
are persons.

You & me?
We're not persons
LIKE THAT! 

I don't hate
the haters-
and their
confused, misdirected
 minions-

I actually really 
feel bad for them,
so disconnected,
fearful.


They're missing the chance 
to be a part
of the progress
of humanity.
What will our great
grandchildren
think
from the perspective
of tomorrow?


Because my God
is not all about
who I'm supposed to
hate.


And is bigger
than anything
scary out there.



We'll laugh about all this 
over drinks
in Heaven;
Know what I'm sayin?

Thanks for listening
to my rant.

<>

Desiderata

" Go placidly amidst the noise and haste,
 and remember what peace
 there may be in silence.

 As far as possible 
without surrender 
be on good terms with all persons.
 Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
 and listen to others,
 even the dull and the ignorant;
 they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
 they are vexations to the spirit. "
 Max Ehrmann 
1927 
Desiderata means 
"desired things"
in Latin.
Thank You Wikipedia



Max is one of
US  :-)

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        fondly, cloudia