Is America Capable of Finding American Values Again and Renewing the Moral Authority It Once Had?...
We are living in strange and interesting times. Whether they are more interesting than strange is, of course, up to the individual to determine for themselves.
It has been told (by the media and think tanks etc.), and generally accepted, that America is a center-right nation. Which is very plausible because we are a pragmatic bunch and usually prefer the go slow and show me approach. As opposed to the lets change it because change in and of itself is good approach. Moderate/conservative -vs- Liberal/progressive might be an apt grouping.
What has occurred over the prior 40 years in American politics is interesting as well as strange. Over the preceding 40 years our nation has morphed into essentially two armed political camps. Camps that have solidified around core ideologies of extreme right-wing thought and extreme left-wing thought. Leaving the more moderate and independent thinks in both camps to sort out realities and remained tethered to the same all by themselves.
While the internet and modern communication technologies (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) have brought many improvements they have also unleased a very dark and sinister force all across the globe. It is quite possible the dark and sinister forces may very well overshadow any good the internet and its technology unleased.
It is now possible for anyone with a creative streak and excellent communication/argumentative skills to design and develop blogs, websites, and misinformation sites that skew the truth and spread falsehoods and conspiracy theories 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It is the high speed highway on which disinformation that can destroy reputations and change the legitimate outcome of elections can occur as a result.
Unfortunately, as much as we might like to believe otherwise, American politicians and government officials (elected as well as appointed) are somehow above soliciting or using such nefarious misinformation to advance personal agendas such is not the case. Even an American president has learned and effective utilized Twitter to spread misleading or false information about his opponents and those he perceives as his enemies.
While politics has always been a rough and tumble sport of competing ideas, both practical and ideological, the modern political environment is unique. Unique in that over the preceding 40 years our political parties have gradually and steadily placed party and party ideology above country and SOLVING problems affecting ALL Americans. For this our nation and its people, ALL of its people, have suffered. Suffered the loss of the moral and ethical high ground.
President Donald J. Trump MUST be given due credit for our expanding economy. The jobs it has created. The declining level of unemployment. As well as any and all trappings that accrue as a result of his stewardship of the economy.
But there is more, much more , to good and proper governance in our Democratic Republic than just stewarding a strong economy. America was great in part BECAUSE of its moral and ethical superiority over authoritarian and dictatorial regimes of the world. Our moral and ethical leadership was a guiding light for many across the globe. For those who wrongly believe that morals and ethics are trumped by economics and winning at any and all costs all we can say is YOU are WRONG.
A special shout out to Silverfiddle. Hope this answers the baited question you tossed out over on that right-wing trumper site you co-author on.
More later folks.
It has been told (by the media and think tanks etc.), and generally accepted, that America is a center-right nation. Which is very plausible because we are a pragmatic bunch and usually prefer the go slow and show me approach. As opposed to the lets change it because change in and of itself is good approach. Moderate/conservative -vs- Liberal/progressive might be an apt grouping.
What has occurred over the prior 40 years in American politics is interesting as well as strange. Over the preceding 40 years our nation has morphed into essentially two armed political camps. Camps that have solidified around core ideologies of extreme right-wing thought and extreme left-wing thought. Leaving the more moderate and independent thinks in both camps to sort out realities and remained tethered to the same all by themselves.
While the internet and modern communication technologies (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) have brought many improvements they have also unleased a very dark and sinister force all across the globe. It is quite possible the dark and sinister forces may very well overshadow any good the internet and its technology unleased.
It is now possible for anyone with a creative streak and excellent communication/argumentative skills to design and develop blogs, websites, and misinformation sites that skew the truth and spread falsehoods and conspiracy theories 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It is the high speed highway on which disinformation that can destroy reputations and change the legitimate outcome of elections can occur as a result.
Unfortunately, as much as we might like to believe otherwise, American politicians and government officials (elected as well as appointed) are somehow above soliciting or using such nefarious misinformation to advance personal agendas such is not the case. Even an American president has learned and effective utilized Twitter to spread misleading or false information about his opponents and those he perceives as his enemies.
While politics has always been a rough and tumble sport of competing ideas, both practical and ideological, the modern political environment is unique. Unique in that over the preceding 40 years our political parties have gradually and steadily placed party and party ideology above country and SOLVING problems affecting ALL Americans. For this our nation and its people, ALL of its people, have suffered. Suffered the loss of the moral and ethical high ground.
President Donald J. Trump MUST be given due credit for our expanding economy. The jobs it has created. The declining level of unemployment. As well as any and all trappings that accrue as a result of his stewardship of the economy.
But there is more, much more , to good and proper governance in our Democratic Republic than just stewarding a strong economy. America was great in part BECAUSE of its moral and ethical superiority over authoritarian and dictatorial regimes of the world. Our moral and ethical leadership was a guiding light for many across the globe. For those who wrongly believe that morals and ethics are trumped by economics and winning at any and all costs all we can say is YOU are WRONG.
A special shout out to Silverfiddle. Hope this answers the baited question you tossed out over on that right-wing trumper site you co-author on.
More later folks.
I'm not so sure it's a lack of values we face, rather a lack of an ability to have an honest discussion.
ReplyDeleteWe've allowed ourselves to drop into a binary this way/that way thinking that essentially calls for "my way or the highway" rather than hard work and negotiation.
A good example is immigration. No, the Dems are not calling for open borders and the destruction of America. And no the GOP does not hate all immigrants and want to see them in cages. But until the GOP can accept that a lot of the ppl here illegally will in fact get amnesty and until the Dems openly say America has a right to control her borders, we will see no solutions.
Same thing on the budget. Until the Dems acknowledge that we need to pay down our debt and we cannot deficit spend, and until the GOP accepts that the people want government to spend money on a safety net and healthcare for out citizens, nothing will happen.
To your final thought, the economy has indeed improved immensely under Pres Trump. I give him about as much credit as the GOP gave Clinton for his boom years, but that's the system we have. You're in office, you get the credit and the blame. But like anything else, frequently there's a level of nuance that people leave off the table.
You Dave speak the truth. The truth, as we know, will set you free. And, again as we know all too well, a horse can be led to water but you can't make the horse drink.
ReplyDeleteBoth the GOP (cons) and Democrats (progressives) will die of thirst.
Without honesty, integrity, and empathy life can be a bitch. Cons and progressives are simply opposite sides of the same human coin.
As to the economy. Obama actually did the hard work and heavy lifting. Thus leaving Trump an already expanding economy. Trump greased it and it took off. I will give Trump credit for the continued good fortunes and the continues job growth.
BTW Dave, I know there are MANY good people with STERLING character and VALUES in both political tribes. Then there are the OTHERS... I'm sure you know who THEY are.
Thank you for your clear and honest insights Dave.
Years ago a young guy in Mexico asked me a question... Dave he said, do you think people who go into politics are corrupt, or do they become corrupted.
ReplyDeleteUnderstand he was asking from a perspective those of us in the US will never understand. The Mexican system is totally corrupt. But as I looked at him, a guy i'd known since he was a kid, I saw my answer. I told him I truly believed the great majority of ppl went into politics to help others and create a better world. And then some were corrupted. Or perhaps many.
But on that day when they made their decision where to spend their lives, I believed they wanted to do good for people.
Call me naive, myopic or an idiot, but I still believe that.
And then they get corrupted. Unless they work real hard against it. Like Pres Carter. Maybe Ike too.
I also note that blogs and blogging are, like most human endeavors, very tribal. I say this because in MOST cases blogs and their administrators are more interested in creating an echo chamber environment in which the commentators spend time validating the premise(s) of their mutually accepted ideology. Often without regard to the premises accuracy or validity.
ReplyDeleteAll one needs to do capture a snapshot of America's political warfare is to cruise the internet with an eye to political blogs and websites. Whole the right-wing sites generally (the majority) cast blame on liberal or left leaning sites they bear as much responsibility as those they continually deride as
Connie, Marxist, crypto-Marxist, or some other ad hominem invective (in my opinion the far right is actually more responsible).
I'm quite comfortable saying the above because my personal experience is most interesting. Many on the right, in their delusions, have stamped me as a progressive. Why? Simply because I strayed from the right-wing plantation they THOUGHT I lived on.
It matters not that I probably agree with much they hold true. But the moment any of their cherished beliefs were challenged on factual grounds I suddenly became a flaming progressive. So I guess it must be so.
Anyway, there is no common ground with the extremes in either party. It's as you noted it either my way or the highway with them.
So, it's the highway for this man of the highway of factual information and diverse ideas. And to hell with the hide bound extreme ideology if both conservatism and progressivism.