Post by Tzalaran on Oct 9, 2008 21:38:01 GMT -6
i initially tried to post this in an ABC blog thread about Obama where there was nothing but slander, but it didn't take. lol. i was inspired so i didn't want to lose it...
You know, the reality is that everyone posting on forums like this one on both sides really need to take a step back and take a long look in the mirror. Reflect on how you are speaking to fellow Americans.
You wonder why, and constantly complain about, this government not getting anything done, and cling so tightly to your ideological beliefs that you can't make a single rational argument, and fly off the handle demeaning anything you can of your 'enemies'. You have become so fanatical that you make yourself blind to reality. Fanaticism in all forms is evil, and the ancient proverb "evil eats itself" is a very apt statement at this point.
This is a time of crisis like we haven't seen since 2001, and what are we doing?
In 2001, we came together as a nation and worked for a better future. For the first time in my life i saw a country that looked beyond race, religion, and sexual preference because we all realized that when we are one, when we put the petty differences aside and look at each other as Americans, united for one purpose, there is nothing that we are unable to achieve.
That the timing of this crisis came during a presidential cycle is the largest tragedy, because the false dichotomy of American politics has hyper sensitized the electorate to a degree that has never been seen in America. You can feel the abject hatred through the words you read in the blogosphere, and i am only able to shake my head at how far this country has fallen. i think back to my history classes because i wasn't alive during the civil rights movement, and i feel like we are hurtling towards a rift that will swiftly consume us all, that we so narrowly missed back then. The stream of racial hatred that has trickled ignored underneath the surface of society is coalescing into a wave readying to crash into this nation, unleashing the evil that raged upon our fellow Americans back then. Will there ever come a time in this country that we realize that physical differences do not change the underlying thoughts, feelings, and desires that all humans share. All religions teach mutual respect for life, yet we continue to take the three step path into dehumanizing those who have ideological differences with us: "They really aren't like us", "They don't really feel things like we do", "They aren't really Humans", leading to "They don't deserve to live". We have followed this path for far too long, and it is time that we raised our consciousness past this petty dilemma, and began to work together with all humans who wish to move forward with peace and prosperity.
Massive problems that this country are facing will never be solved with Republicans and Democrats being incited to hatred. Throwing slime all over the candidates in this election is making already heightened nerves trigger the fight or flight response, where flight is not an option. We have nothing but words to use, and the safety of the internet creates what i call 'liquid courage'. We allow the darkest corners of our psyche to manifest and unleash scurrilous attacks on the 'enemy'. Going against our morals, we repeat lies in an attempt to justify the hatred that is boiling. We look for petty connections to discredit and dehumanize the 'enemy', while blinding ourselves to the faults that our chosen candidate, who is just a human, has themselves.
To the candidates (in the off chance this reaches them): Drop the personal attacks and focus on these issues: Economy, Energy, Iraq and Afghanistan, Russia, How to get North Korea back to the table, How to start negotiations with Iran and other unfriendly nations, Budget and the Deficit, What we need to do to restrengthen NATO and our weakened alliances and repair the perception of America in the world, Education, Health Care, and How important it is to address taking care of our environment so that we are a model for the rest of the world to follow. These are the things that we need to know our elected officials are going to be addressing, and drop the lies and distortions when explaining your proposals. They are no more useful than the far fetched character attacks that both of you have used on the other. Americans deserve leaders who tell us the truth, and anyone who can not live up to that will be removed from office as soon as possible. The times have changed, and a new millennium requires new politics that focus on the issues at hand, and your ideas to address these problems.
Notice that i said nothing about Taxes, and that is because everyone needs to know a few things so that our country can move forward.
Our government has been extremely irresponsible and we all know this. Blame at this point does no good, what we have to do is stop the bleeding that is swiftly becoming terminal. We have an $11 Trillion dollar national debt, and that is growing by $1 trillion every two years as it sits now. This is another chasm that is approaching fast and could easily swallow us whole.
The only methods that a Government has to create revenue under the capitalist economic system are Taxes and Tariffs. Tariffs were proven to only hurt the national economy as the world economy grew, so they are no longer a good way to provide income, but are used more to promote domestic products. That leaves the government taxes to provide income, and without taking over businesses it is the only option.
it is my belief that the primary reason Americans dislike paying taxes is because we feel the government does not manage that income very well. We as citizens must demand fiscal responsibility from all our representatives in government; local, state and federal. We have allowed ourselves to become complacent when it comes to voting in our local officials, senators and congresspeople, reelecting the same ones because of name recognition and the way the system works. It is our responsibility to get rid of those who go along with fiscal mismanagement like the current administration has done.
So from this election cycle forward, we have to demand fiscal responsibility from our senators and congressmen, and in return we must shoulder the burden of increased taxes in order to address both the deficit and the national debt. We must demand the repair of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans benefits for the brave men and women who carry out the orders of the president. We must demand that the health care system in this country is optimized and made so that no one who lives here ever stays home because they are afraid of bankruptcy if they go to the hospital. This is not socialism, this is something that a modern society should provide its citizens because it is the right thing to do. It is our responsibility to eliminate suffering in this world, and it starts at home.
We must demand that we stop all imports of foreign oil, and invest in sustainable development in addition to all alternative energy sources and give tax credits for next generation fuel research. We must demand that our teachers are paid a good living wage, and improve the schools for all our children, and make college affordable so that we stay on the cutting edge of technology. We must demand these things because we as Americans deserve this way of life.
We must demand that the spirit of the Constitution lives on, and that no administration ever places security above the freedom of its citizens, and that we treat everyone with the same rights that we cherish. This is vital because without promoting life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all on the earth we are not living up to the standard that the founding fathers, and all whom have given their life for those ideals, put forth from the inception of this Union.
After 5-10 years our government should be able to reduce taxes back to current levels, and if they aren't, we have every right to vote them out and elect people who will do their job.
This is the call to service that we need in this time of crisis, and we owe it to our forefathers to step up to that call. Put aside the hate, and remember back to how we put aside differences when the country we all love needed us most, because she is calling to us again now.
You know, the reality is that everyone posting on forums like this one on both sides really need to take a step back and take a long look in the mirror. Reflect on how you are speaking to fellow Americans.
You wonder why, and constantly complain about, this government not getting anything done, and cling so tightly to your ideological beliefs that you can't make a single rational argument, and fly off the handle demeaning anything you can of your 'enemies'. You have become so fanatical that you make yourself blind to reality. Fanaticism in all forms is evil, and the ancient proverb "evil eats itself" is a very apt statement at this point.
This is a time of crisis like we haven't seen since 2001, and what are we doing?
In 2001, we came together as a nation and worked for a better future. For the first time in my life i saw a country that looked beyond race, religion, and sexual preference because we all realized that when we are one, when we put the petty differences aside and look at each other as Americans, united for one purpose, there is nothing that we are unable to achieve.
That the timing of this crisis came during a presidential cycle is the largest tragedy, because the false dichotomy of American politics has hyper sensitized the electorate to a degree that has never been seen in America. You can feel the abject hatred through the words you read in the blogosphere, and i am only able to shake my head at how far this country has fallen. i think back to my history classes because i wasn't alive during the civil rights movement, and i feel like we are hurtling towards a rift that will swiftly consume us all, that we so narrowly missed back then. The stream of racial hatred that has trickled ignored underneath the surface of society is coalescing into a wave readying to crash into this nation, unleashing the evil that raged upon our fellow Americans back then. Will there ever come a time in this country that we realize that physical differences do not change the underlying thoughts, feelings, and desires that all humans share. All religions teach mutual respect for life, yet we continue to take the three step path into dehumanizing those who have ideological differences with us: "They really aren't like us", "They don't really feel things like we do", "They aren't really Humans", leading to "They don't deserve to live". We have followed this path for far too long, and it is time that we raised our consciousness past this petty dilemma, and began to work together with all humans who wish to move forward with peace and prosperity.
Massive problems that this country are facing will never be solved with Republicans and Democrats being incited to hatred. Throwing slime all over the candidates in this election is making already heightened nerves trigger the fight or flight response, where flight is not an option. We have nothing but words to use, and the safety of the internet creates what i call 'liquid courage'. We allow the darkest corners of our psyche to manifest and unleash scurrilous attacks on the 'enemy'. Going against our morals, we repeat lies in an attempt to justify the hatred that is boiling. We look for petty connections to discredit and dehumanize the 'enemy', while blinding ourselves to the faults that our chosen candidate, who is just a human, has themselves.
To the candidates (in the off chance this reaches them): Drop the personal attacks and focus on these issues: Economy, Energy, Iraq and Afghanistan, Russia, How to get North Korea back to the table, How to start negotiations with Iran and other unfriendly nations, Budget and the Deficit, What we need to do to restrengthen NATO and our weakened alliances and repair the perception of America in the world, Education, Health Care, and How important it is to address taking care of our environment so that we are a model for the rest of the world to follow. These are the things that we need to know our elected officials are going to be addressing, and drop the lies and distortions when explaining your proposals. They are no more useful than the far fetched character attacks that both of you have used on the other. Americans deserve leaders who tell us the truth, and anyone who can not live up to that will be removed from office as soon as possible. The times have changed, and a new millennium requires new politics that focus on the issues at hand, and your ideas to address these problems.
Notice that i said nothing about Taxes, and that is because everyone needs to know a few things so that our country can move forward.
Our government has been extremely irresponsible and we all know this. Blame at this point does no good, what we have to do is stop the bleeding that is swiftly becoming terminal. We have an $11 Trillion dollar national debt, and that is growing by $1 trillion every two years as it sits now. This is another chasm that is approaching fast and could easily swallow us whole.
The only methods that a Government has to create revenue under the capitalist economic system are Taxes and Tariffs. Tariffs were proven to only hurt the national economy as the world economy grew, so they are no longer a good way to provide income, but are used more to promote domestic products. That leaves the government taxes to provide income, and without taking over businesses it is the only option.
it is my belief that the primary reason Americans dislike paying taxes is because we feel the government does not manage that income very well. We as citizens must demand fiscal responsibility from all our representatives in government; local, state and federal. We have allowed ourselves to become complacent when it comes to voting in our local officials, senators and congresspeople, reelecting the same ones because of name recognition and the way the system works. It is our responsibility to get rid of those who go along with fiscal mismanagement like the current administration has done.
So from this election cycle forward, we have to demand fiscal responsibility from our senators and congressmen, and in return we must shoulder the burden of increased taxes in order to address both the deficit and the national debt. We must demand the repair of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans benefits for the brave men and women who carry out the orders of the president. We must demand that the health care system in this country is optimized and made so that no one who lives here ever stays home because they are afraid of bankruptcy if they go to the hospital. This is not socialism, this is something that a modern society should provide its citizens because it is the right thing to do. It is our responsibility to eliminate suffering in this world, and it starts at home.
We must demand that we stop all imports of foreign oil, and invest in sustainable development in addition to all alternative energy sources and give tax credits for next generation fuel research. We must demand that our teachers are paid a good living wage, and improve the schools for all our children, and make college affordable so that we stay on the cutting edge of technology. We must demand these things because we as Americans deserve this way of life.
We must demand that the spirit of the Constitution lives on, and that no administration ever places security above the freedom of its citizens, and that we treat everyone with the same rights that we cherish. This is vital because without promoting life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all on the earth we are not living up to the standard that the founding fathers, and all whom have given their life for those ideals, put forth from the inception of this Union.
After 5-10 years our government should be able to reduce taxes back to current levels, and if they aren't, we have every right to vote them out and elect people who will do their job.
This is the call to service that we need in this time of crisis, and we owe it to our forefathers to step up to that call. Put aside the hate, and remember back to how we put aside differences when the country we all love needed us most, because she is calling to us again now.
