I’m Right and I Will Not Be Moved
September 27, 2010 by cloften
Filed under Family and Parenting, General Insanity, Silliness and Rants
As most people know or are coming to know, I enjoy reading and studying politics. I keep most of my political opinions and thoughts to myself. I have been saying more lately, but mostly just general rants about idiocy that spreads over everyone of all political stripes. I described my current political philosophy to a friend as cynical. This current philosophy has spanned Republican and Democrat administrations and different Congressional majorities.
Someone asked me based on my cynical comment, if I were a Libertarian. (I was going to make a legalize marijuana joke here, but it seemed too easy. Make your own if you like) While I certainly hold some Libertarian positions, it doesn’t really capture where I am right now. It doesn’t encapsulate all that is the cranky cynic. I think what frustrates me more than anything is that it seems that we have lost our ability to have rational, helpful, humble discussions about, well, just about anything. We all know whose fault that is, don’t we? That’s right! The other guys. I can’t stand them either.
Here are a couple of examples of what frustrates me. A couple of weeks ago, it came out that 1 in 7 people live below the poverty line. I read a couple of articles (I will not link to them, because you deserve better. If you want a recommended link, check this out.) on the topic. One suggested that this new information proved that the Bush tax cuts didn’t work. The second suggested that this proved that the Obama stimulus plan didn’t work. Both were riveting, and by riveting, I mean I wish someone would put a rivet through my foot. I wonder if the poverty news had been good would those same authors have suggested that “Wow, the Bush tax cuts did work” or “Thank goodness for that stimulus package?” Actually I do not wonder what would have happened.
Similarly, we recently marked the 6 mth anniversary of the Health Care Reform legislation. Seriously? Are we 14 yr olds in dating relationships that we mark month anniversaries of legislation? I didn’t have a party. Apparently two columnists did have a party, though one might be better described as a wake. One article said that it has been so much worse than we could have ever thought. The other, you guessed it, said that it has gone better than expected. Would anyone like to wager that both of those articles were written 6 months ago?
(Sudden topic shift) You know, my fear is that this attitude has crept into other areas of our life. We stake our position, we declare ourselves right, and nothing, NOTHING, will move us off of that position. I wonder what it would take sometimes to convince us that we are wrong. How angry and hurt does our spouse have to be before we apologize? How many times do we have to read what the Bible says before we change? Is it even possible?
At what point did these political commentators “figure it all out?” At what point did it no longer matter what happens, it proves them right? All bad stuff is “their” fault and all good stuff is because of what “we” did.
At what point did we “figure it all out?” At what point did it no longer matter what the Bible verse says, it proves what I already believe? At what point in this post did you start thinking, “I know some people that need to read this?” “They” have some ideas and beliefs that need to change.
My hope, for me (and you as well) is that my heart and mind will always be open. (I fall short on this often.) What have I missed? How does God need to change me, soften my heart? What part of God’s word am I ignoring or minimizing? What part of me is closed off to what God has to say to me? Let’s be open to what God has for us when His Spirit is talking to us, when we are reading the Bible.
You know I’m right. I always am. (Do I need a JK for stuff like this or have you figured it out by now? Oh, nevermind. Sorry.)
Maybe this will make you feel better.
There are many, many things that both political parties agree on, but since they are settled and we aren’t arguing about them anymore, we tend to take them for granted.
Like the fact that slavery is gone is pretty cool. And (pretty much) everybody agrees.
At one time, they didn’t.
Maybe we are gradually moving towards something better, or maybe its all about to come apart at the seams. Which drives ratings better? Which scenario sells more Pepsi?
Colin Cowherd said something intelligent the other day. He said that political news programs aren’t about “information” as much as they are about “affirmation”, as in, you pick your side, then watch or listen to the program that most closely aligns with your established beliefs.
I think thats true.
I also think life is simpler when you tune out most of the politics and listen to sports talk radio 12 hours a day.
As tough as Saturday’s game was, I’d rather sit through a thousand of those than listen to an hour of Keith Olberman or Sean Hannity.
Great post about a serious problem. Most people are so busy having set themselves up as God and having put themselves on the throne that other opinions and ideas are irrelevant. JK? Maybe….
Mark Twain once said that, “Common sense is our collection of prejudices acquired by age 18.” Politics seems to be about the same.
Oh – on the 6 month anniversary of the healthcare bill: the only reason it is coming up is that some of the minor provisions of the bill are taking effect at the 6 month mark, such as kids can stay on their parents policy until 26, etc. I saw a list somewhere…..