I just read someone's right-wing blog about the terrible state we are in, blaming it on the democrats. I don't disagree that we are in crisis mode in the US; however, I am mind-boggled at the repetitive, thoughtless rhetoric of political party loyalists.
You don't have to be right-wing to be mindless. We have plenty of mindless left-wingers, too! (We are an equal opportunity country--for better or worse. I find extremists in any field generally too motivated by their emotions, rather than their logic. Their vision is usually clouded.
The following is the comment I left on his blog in answer to his rant on the state of the Union. I wanted to shed some light on how peoples' psychology makes them believe and act. It's always best to look at the bigger picture and not get trapped into mimicking rhetoric.
"And what do you offer as options or alternatives to the government we have?I agree that there exists much hypocrisy in America that makes me want to pull my hair out. Even overseas (where I lived for a long time), America is known for its hypocrisy. But that could be a result of having more freedoms, thus having more polarization. It is always more fun and easier to point at the negatives. It’s what sells.
I think that, in most cases, if you are on the right or left politically it is a result of the information you are exposed to, starting from the family. If you choose to believe one way, you will generally read literature that supports your belief, thereby continuing to strengthen your beliefs, even in the face of opposing facts. That’s how our brains work.
Politics, like religion, is so emotionally loaded. So it becomes difficult to think critically.
Personally, while I don’t like to be legally obligated to pay taxes to help the poor, etc., I would rather the system was more socialistic than to experience the mayhem, the suffering, the craziness we have these days. Having lived overseas, I am not as afraid of socialism as most in America. I have seen the quality of life and people’s happiness in Europe, for example, to be much higher than ours!
Some people blame the religious right, some the religious left, some the non-religious. Religious people cannot be put in one basket. They are as polarized as the US! On one extreme, they feel that people’s bad fortune is due to some moral failing; on the other, they are extremely supportive of anyone who is a democrat, regardless of unsavory facts about the candidate.
We are under the thumb of higher powers (and I don’t mean God). It has less to do with right and left than it has to do with money and power, banks and the elite. Republicans seem to be different than democrats--but we are just looking at their masks. They are ultimately after the same thing: money and power.
These people in power are very sick, narcissistic sociopaths, for the most part. It’s a very scary situation.
Life, politics, religion--nothing is black and white. It is easy to criticize--and I support constructive criticism--however, I would like to hear more ideas about what we need to change to live better, freer lives.
We need, as a people, to unite, rebel, and get our power BACK! Otherwise, our citizens will just continue in ignorance, complaining, and unwittingly giving their power to "those who pull the strings behind the curtain!"
12 comments:
I am not into politics very much so I usually don't involve in politics debate (The fighting between Right and Left also sounds nonsense to me), but your analysis makes so much sense to me.
I too, don't afraid of the name "socialism" that much, even though I come from China, a country we Chinese call "socialist". Look how different it is between the "socialism" in China and in Europe. It is something deeper than systems ("greed", or in your words, "money and power" in yours) that really drives a society into disaster.
Thanks for your share again! It was an easy reading to me (consider my poor English reading skill). Concise, that's what it is.:-)
I also am not into politics very much at all. I am interested in it, however, as it impacts social issues. (I agree. It's so difficult to make sense of all the confusing messages, news, and conflicting reports in politics. Who can keep up with it?)
You and I seem to agree about the politics "mess."
You also make a very good point about the difference between socialistic countries. Socialism in Greece, where I lived, is very poorly managed and corrupt. However, in Scandinavia and Germany....mmmm, much better, I think.
I think your word sums up the world condition better than mine: Greed! Right on the mark!
Thank you for taking a look and sharing your opinions and perspectives. I found it valuable. And thanks for your kind words...
By the way, I have no difficulty understanding your writing. You do very well! (Understanding a foreign language is a challenge, but speaking and writing it--so much harder!)
Thanks PSACHNO for encouragement on my English writing! I found English as a language is much better to express our thoughts.
I am trying to follow your blog but did see the gadget of followers. I will follow your blog through google reader, which is easier for me to capture new posts.
Nice post, I agree with pretty much everything you said.
I feel what America really needs to do is start supporting some of the other parties, a two pary system is not going to cut it. Both parties have demonized socialism in your country and that is why your country is the only one in the industrialized world without a major socialist party.
Although the US is very powerful, since the Patriot act, I think a lot of freedom these days is only an illusion, as your houses can now be searched without a warrant, even if you are not home, your phone tapped, and you can be detained indefinatly without a trial these days. Something to consider.
I don't think democrat or republican voting will change anything at all, the US needs to elect a third party.
I extend you a very warm welcome as a follower, Yun Yi.
Yes, I hadn't thought about the convenience of being a follower directly on someone's blog. Thanks for that info!
PBScott, thanks for visiting!
You are from Canada, no? How do you like socialism there?
As you agree with my post, I also agree with your comments.
The Patriot Act is the most unpatriotic act this country has done lately!
Yes, I have seriously considered many of the repercussions and am sickened by it. This is not the America I grew up in.
But I think that there have been moments in America's past, after independence, that were also turning points in putting ourselves under the control of the "Big Guys". One that comes to mind is when we created the Federal Reserve as part of our system.
We owe trillions of dollars, but to what? To whom? Mostly a bank owned by a handful of rich elitists. Creepy.
There are machinations going on behind the scenes, for sure. I doubt that anyone knows it all, but increasingly more people know that it happens and is happening.
Have you read anything about David Icke?
...and yes, the 2 party system is ridiculous, especially for a country of our size. We have other parties, though. Why don't they have power? What do you think?
In Greece there are also 2 main parties, but many people are active in other parties as well and they carry more weight than our "outside" parties do in the US.
Hi Psachno,
I have not read anything by David Icke, but I will look though his website a bit. I do have my own collection on the federal reserve banking systems here:
http://tinyurl.com/6b7nnwy
How do I like socialism in Canada?
First off, I do not want to piss anyone off, the US is our Big Brother, they have an amazing history of innovation and halve of my very closest friends are American, as have been some of my greatest loves. I have lived and worked in the US for quite a few years, and grew up less that 200 ft from the US border, my family even owned property in Washington state that I spent halve my childhood at. I was schooled in Canada though.
If any of your readers can not take any sort of constructive criticism, just don't bother reading, some people feel the US is perfect and beyond improvement, and are happy to let the great country their grandparents built just rust away.
Canada has always been socialist all my life and it has always been fantastic. Capitalism is just so ruthless, our sick, poor, old, and in need are taken care of, we are all willing to give a little bit for the good of the country, desperate people often become desperate criminals, and make a nation dangerous. I am pretty sure the extra medical expenses we pay for the poor are made up by the lower amount needed for the our police force due to this. We actually pay much less for better medical than the US, and everyone has it. Don't believe your republican scare campaigns. Also we usually rate first or second place in education or overall living conditions, and socialism does not hurt innovation like some people seem to think for some obscure reason.
Socialism would help your country, but you have other issues, such as your military industrial complex, lobbyists, and two party systems that are playing only to the elite and not helping the majority. Socialism might help weaken all those problems considerably. People in the US don't seem to understand sometimes that if all your military suppliers, utilities, mines, schools and hospitals etc were all in the hands of the public, you then as a people have far more control over your country. You simply can not control a private company as well as a government one. Our government is very inefficient in its spending also, and they have more opportunities through more entities to overspend, but in the end the people that get the extra money are always the average Canadian, through contracts or employment. Trickle down does work, only if it comes from the average worker that spends 80% of his salary each month for food, lodging and entertainment etc. Big fat cats don't trickle down. Our debt is also not as out of control as the US is right now.
....continuing below
I was going to go on here about socialism a bit, but I decided not to, lets just say I understand capitalism, and know very much how to be a capitalist and take advantage of it, but I do not understand a country that actually understand it would chose it over socialism. So many US voters I worry might not even understand that Capitalism, Communism, and Socialism are only about money, I am sure you know but many don't. It is the last word in a nations description that states freedom.
Canada is a Socialist Democracy
USA is a Capitalist Democracy
Socialism does not equate Stalinist or Marxism, or dictatorships etc.
The federal reserve banking systems and fiat currency are interesting, risking bucking either of those could lead to Global Warfare in my opinion, as a Nation you are the toughest, but you can not survive a global war, you would need many allies before changing to that, most nations, including Canada would immediately be bankrupt if we broke away from those systems, North America would pretty much have to stop international trade. Thats my opinion anyhow. Your entire nation would be much better off just not bucking the system and adapting from other countries such as France, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, and Canada. If you want to find Utopia, instead of just trying to be Unique all the time.
By the way, I am of the opinion that all the stuff going on in the Stock markets is just a reshuffling of power, and that the US will maintain its lead on the world financial for quite a long time. Let hope the people at the top learn to share a bit more, somehow....like socialism or something. I was a fan of Ron Paul for quite a while, and I respect him, but a Gold standard is not a good idea. Getting rid of the fed might be, but not back to gold.
My first halve of that post did not go in, this was supposed to all go before the above.
Hi Psachno,
I have not read anything by David Icke, but I will look though his website a bit. I do have my own collection on the federal reserve banking systems here:
http://tinyurl.com/6b7nnwy
How do I like socialism in Canada?
First off, I do not want to piss anyone off, the US is our Big Brother, they have an amazing history of innovation and halve of my very closest friends are American, as have been some of my greatest loves. I have lived and worked in the US for quite a few years, and grew up less that 200 ft from the US border, my family even owned property in Washington state that I spent halve my childhood at. I was schooled in Canada though.
If any of your readers can not take any sort of constructive criticism, just don't bother reading, some people feel the US is perfect and beyond improvement, and are happy to let the great country their grandparents built just rust away.
Canada has always been socialist all my life and it has always been fantastic. Capitalism is just so ruthless, our sick, poor, old, and in need are taken care of, we are all willing to give a little bit for the good of the country, desperate people often become desperate criminals, and make a nation dangerous. I am pretty sure the extra medical expenses we pay for the poor are made up by the lower amount needed for the our police force due to this. We actually pay much less for better medical than the US, and everyone has it. Don't believe your republican scare campaigns. Also we usually rate first or second place in education or overall living conditions, and socialism does not hurt innovation like some people seem to think for some obscure reason.
Socialism would help your country, but you have other issues, such as your military industrial complex, lobbyists, and two party systems that are playing only to the elite and not helping the majority. Socialism might help weaken all those problems considerably. People in the US don't seem to understand sometimes that if all your military suppliers, utilities, mines, schools and hospitals etc were all in the hands of the public, you then as a people have far more control over your country. You simply can not control a private company as well as a government one. Our government is very inefficient in its spending also, and they have more opportunities through more entities to overspend, but in the end the people that get the extra money are always the average Canadian, through contracts or employment. Trickle down does work, only if it comes from the average worker that spends 80% of his salary each month for food, lodging and entertainment etc. Big fat cats don't trickle down. Our debt is also not as out of control as the US is right now.
PBScott, thank you for such an intelligent and detailed response. I really appreciate you taking the time and effort it probably took to write! I also am learning from you about politics and that is cool.
You and I seem to agree on many points: that people don’t know the difference between types of government; that Capitalism is ruthless and based on greed; that most Americans are blind to their own countries’ failings; that Americans think theirs is the best country in the world.
(BTW, America is a Capitalist Republic and is becoming more socialized as time goes on. Ironic…)
I was impressed hearing about life in Canada. Sounds very good.
I smiled when I read that Canadians think they have the better health treatment. We have always been told that, while Canadians all have insurance, when they want better treatments not available to them, they come to the US. However, many Americans go to Europe for treatments that are not available here, especially cancer treatments! ;0)
I understand that many people came to the US from horrible conditions. When they found life generally better for them here, they made blanket judgments about America being the best country in the world and, for them in their circumstances, it was. In addition, through propaganda, that belief continues. American also attracted individualists, eccentrics—and they don’t like going along with the masses. There’s some trickle down there. It has become the mentality of the people to protect at all costs sometimes, their individuality and freedom. But they don’t all know how to do this. As evidence, those freedoms and opportunities are dwindling rapidly. Maybe that info helps you to understand why we want to stay “Unique”.
People are waking up, however, because they are starting to suffer more. Even though change is difficult, it is possible. I just hope our citizens won’t wait until things get too horrible; or make changes for the worse.
I love my country and hate seeing what is being done to it. I despise the level of fear people are increasingly living under. I know Americans can be arrogant and feel superior about their country. That attitude disgusts me. There are many great failings in this Republic of ours; some that crucially need overhauling!
I think I agree that the Gold Standard system would be too radical; however, the Fed HAS to go! How? Change is difficult, rapid change can be horrific. Maybe we can begin setting up another system simultaneously so the changeover is smoother? I really don’t know.
However, I do know that whoever has the money has the power. And I don’t want to be under the power of those “forces behind the curtain”. As I believe America has been “manufacturing consent” (Chomsky), I fear they may also be manufacturing the depression and conditions that will bring people to their knees, ready to conform to some kind of one-world order system that “guarantees” peace and prosperity. I think the possibilities for corruption and evil in that system is the ultimate danger for the world. Some people even think the world is slowing becoming “corporatised”. It seems to me they might have grounds for this assertion.
Especially because of the corruption in the last elections, I would like to see the electoral college eliminated and let the people have more direct control over their lives (though I do have reservations about the possibilities of “mob” rule). I like your point about citizens being in charge of various organizations, and though it seems contradictory, these 2 aspects of government could work together. What do you think?
Isn’t it still democratic when citizens vote for a more socialized system? Some would say that it would take away the freedom of people who don’t want it; however, that situation is now present, with many people wanting a more socialized form of government. Does that make sense?
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