Procrustes Stretched
"intuition and imagination and intelligence"
Why is this in the Religion and Ethics Forum and not the Political Forum? Because the sub heading of the forum title is Religion, Philosophy and the discussion of right and wrong.
Being a Liberal and an American Liberal, it pains me to see other Americans view each other as enemies and not merely as neighbors and fellow Americans they disagree with on some things, or simply as ideological opponents. What are the causes of such dis-ease in America? Did it always exist because of the melting pot nature of America?
I know some of the most heated anti Socialist and anti Marxist nonsense on the right came over from eastern Europe and Asia. Many of the immigrants from those areas lived under repressive systems of government and they emigrated and barely escaped with life and limb in many cases from their homelands, so they come with the reactionary mindset of a wingnut extraordinaire.
The same can be said for the more virile form of anti Capitalist moonbat-ism on the left. The systems of government some of the immigrants who started American Socialist and Marxist groups lived under were horrific in nature. Right wing Authoritarianism and Fascism kept many people in the shadows of their own countries. These people came here and wanted things for the people...the collective goodwill as opposed to the goodwill of the ruling elites.
Fine. But they hated their fellow countrymen and countrywomen with good reason. What is not fine is they have come here and hijacked the goodwill of the American spirit.
that is part of my two cents on this subject. there is more, but I'll save it for later.
What I see happening in American political and cultural life today is unethical and immoral; demonizing of neighbors for having or expressing different ideas on how we all want our nation run. Respect and civility do not bring what one would expect from the haters---anger and hostility, no...they bring contempt and silence. People who deal with others with respect and civility get ignored and brushed aside as clueless, pollyannaish, naive and more.
Was America always this way? Is this what happens in politics---the art of compromise's children are to be wingnut and moonbat? Something is not right. Maybe it was always this way and we live in a world populated with myth and fairy tale.
can people disagree and not always be so disagreeable? is it possible to be disagreeable sometimes when the stakes are very high but agreeable or just plain upset over differences when the stakes are anything less than very high?
Being a Liberal and an American Liberal, it pains me to see other Americans view each other as enemies and not merely as neighbors and fellow Americans they disagree with on some things, or simply as ideological opponents. What are the causes of such dis-ease in America? Did it always exist because of the melting pot nature of America?
I know some of the most heated anti Socialist and anti Marxist nonsense on the right came over from eastern Europe and Asia. Many of the immigrants from those areas lived under repressive systems of government and they emigrated and barely escaped with life and limb in many cases from their homelands, so they come with the reactionary mindset of a wingnut extraordinaire.
The same can be said for the more virile form of anti Capitalist moonbat-ism on the left. The systems of government some of the immigrants who started American Socialist and Marxist groups lived under were horrific in nature. Right wing Authoritarianism and Fascism kept many people in the shadows of their own countries. These people came here and wanted things for the people...the collective goodwill as opposed to the goodwill of the ruling elites.
Fine. But they hated their fellow countrymen and countrywomen with good reason. What is not fine is they have come here and hijacked the goodwill of the American spirit.
that is part of my two cents on this subject. there is more, but I'll save it for later.
What I see happening in American political and cultural life today is unethical and immoral; demonizing of neighbors for having or expressing different ideas on how we all want our nation run. Respect and civility do not bring what one would expect from the haters---anger and hostility, no...they bring contempt and silence. People who deal with others with respect and civility get ignored and brushed aside as clueless, pollyannaish, naive and more.
Was America always this way? Is this what happens in politics---the art of compromise's children are to be wingnut and moonbat? Something is not right. Maybe it was always this way and we live in a world populated with myth and fairy tale.
can people disagree and not always be so disagreeable? is it possible to be disagreeable sometimes when the stakes are very high but agreeable or just plain upset over differences when the stakes are anything less than very high?
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