I can't help but shake my head when I look around at the fallacies that the majority of Americans overlook on a daily basis. Now call it what you want, blind faith, convenient truths, brainwashing but the fact of the matter is we live in one of the most hypocritical countries on earth. Now before you start telling me to move to Iran, let me say, I love my country and there is no greater place to live on earth but I am also grounded enough to know that nothing, besides God, is perfect and there is always room for improvement.
Now, improvement can only begin when people start to think, to question, to open their eyes to what is going on around them. In today's society you would think that would be a fairly easy task but the reality is we are not the free thinkers that we'd like to believe we are. We have become a society accepting of being manipulated by the media and too often we allow them to dictate to us what we think is right and what we should think we want.
As an example I have two good friends and a brother that lean to the far right in their politics, and as such I love to push their buttons from the middle or left perspective. We often discuss or debate a variety of current event topics regarding politics and more often than not they, all three, will use the "exact" same verbiage or phrase to express "their" opinion. To chide them I will say "oh, I see someone has been listening to Rush or Beck again" and they go into this state of denial. "No, I don't pay attention to that guy" they'll say and then all three will say did you notice they, the media, never talks about the movie made about assassinating George Bush?
Now, I've never heard of this movie and I have randomly asked several of my non political friends about it and they haven't either. But three different guys, from three different generations, in two different regions of the country, all have the same "original" point of view? Gee, I kind of doubt it. And the same can be said about you that live on the far left, you too are just as brainwashed so don't go getting all self righteous because you are just as bad.
Now with the prelude written, the table set, and my intent identified, let me warn you that I am about to write some things that are bound to piss people off. Because I am going to step out of that cozy, little box we live our lives in and make you think about different topics. I will also say that not everything I write may be what I believe but I say it because it needs to be factored into the equation if you are going to look at the big picture. So, it's your choice at this point. Open your mind for a few minutes, read, think, formulate your own opinions and go make others think, or leave now and enjoy your weekend.
LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD
America, the greatest country on earth. The hallmark of democracy, an example for all to strive for, or are we?
In your lifetime how many promises has our country broken to others? Can you name one? Two? Several? I want you to think about it honestly and write one down. If you cannot write one down you are lying to yourself and you really shouldn't be reading this. I can think of a few, we don't torture people, we believe in the due process of law not just for our citizens but as a covenant in the basic laws that govern mankind, just to name a couple.
How many allies have we kicked to the curb? Most recently it's Mubarak in Egypt. Here is a staunch supporter of U. S. Middle East policy for the last 30 years, a country with a stable government that we hailed as our friend and ally. Then one week's worth of protests happen and President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have all but told this guy to step down. Do you call that loyalty? You're our friend until there is a hiccup in your country and we'll turn our back on you?
Now before you Republicans and Tea Totalers start yappin' about "See, it's that Commie Obama" let me refresh your memory with a few names; Noriega, Marcos, The Shah of Iran, and if I needed to I could recite a dozen more. All allies until there was unrest in their countries, then we turned on them. During each instance there were sitting Presidents representing both the left and the right, so nobody gets off scott free in this argument.
You may recall an event in our history called 9/11 and shortly afterwards we decided to invade a sovereign nation, Iraq, with no cause and a few of our allies, think Germany and France, objected. To hear the average American tell it Germany and France were communist, pinko, scum sucking traitors for not supporting our President in his quest for justice (revenge?). After all we support all of your governments and countries through thick and thin, or until there is a week of protesting, right? Can you say hypocritical? I think you can. If you think I'm saying this due to leftist leanings you couldn't be more wrong.
Now do you understand why the rest of the world doesn't think we are as wonderful, as we think we are? We are a legend in our own minds because our actions betray what were our principles. My opinion, I think Obama needs to butt out and keep quiet and let Egypt determine their own destiny.
For an eye opening point of view on 9/11 read Donald Rumsfelds new memoir "Known and Unknown", here is an excerpt;
"Just 15 days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, President George W. Bush invited his defense secretary, Donald H. Rumsfeld, to meet with him alone in the Oval Office. According to Mr. Rumsfeld’s new memoir, the president leaned back in his leather chair and ordered a review and revision of war plans — but not for Afghanistan, where the Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington had been planned and where American retaliation was imminent.
“He asked that I take a look at the shape of our military plans on Iraq,” Mr. Rumsfeld writes.
Think about that for a bit.
Now, improvement can only begin when people start to think, to question, to open their eyes to what is going on around them. In today's society you would think that would be a fairly easy task but the reality is we are not the free thinkers that we'd like to believe we are. We have become a society accepting of being manipulated by the media and too often we allow them to dictate to us what we think is right and what we should think we want.
As an example I have two good friends and a brother that lean to the far right in their politics, and as such I love to push their buttons from the middle or left perspective. We often discuss or debate a variety of current event topics regarding politics and more often than not they, all three, will use the "exact" same verbiage or phrase to express "their" opinion. To chide them I will say "oh, I see someone has been listening to Rush or Beck again" and they go into this state of denial. "No, I don't pay attention to that guy" they'll say and then all three will say did you notice they, the media, never talks about the movie made about assassinating George Bush?
Now, I've never heard of this movie and I have randomly asked several of my non political friends about it and they haven't either. But three different guys, from three different generations, in two different regions of the country, all have the same "original" point of view? Gee, I kind of doubt it. And the same can be said about you that live on the far left, you too are just as brainwashed so don't go getting all self righteous because you are just as bad.
Now with the prelude written, the table set, and my intent identified, let me warn you that I am about to write some things that are bound to piss people off. Because I am going to step out of that cozy, little box we live our lives in and make you think about different topics. I will also say that not everything I write may be what I believe but I say it because it needs to be factored into the equation if you are going to look at the big picture. So, it's your choice at this point. Open your mind for a few minutes, read, think, formulate your own opinions and go make others think, or leave now and enjoy your weekend.
LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD
America, the greatest country on earth. The hallmark of democracy, an example for all to strive for, or are we?
In your lifetime how many promises has our country broken to others? Can you name one? Two? Several? I want you to think about it honestly and write one down. If you cannot write one down you are lying to yourself and you really shouldn't be reading this. I can think of a few, we don't torture people, we believe in the due process of law not just for our citizens but as a covenant in the basic laws that govern mankind, just to name a couple.
How many allies have we kicked to the curb? Most recently it's Mubarak in Egypt. Here is a staunch supporter of U. S. Middle East policy for the last 30 years, a country with a stable government that we hailed as our friend and ally. Then one week's worth of protests happen and President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have all but told this guy to step down. Do you call that loyalty? You're our friend until there is a hiccup in your country and we'll turn our back on you?
Now before you Republicans and Tea Totalers start yappin' about "See, it's that Commie Obama" let me refresh your memory with a few names; Noriega, Marcos, The Shah of Iran, and if I needed to I could recite a dozen more. All allies until there was unrest in their countries, then we turned on them. During each instance there were sitting Presidents representing both the left and the right, so nobody gets off scott free in this argument.
You may recall an event in our history called 9/11 and shortly afterwards we decided to invade a sovereign nation, Iraq, with no cause and a few of our allies, think Germany and France, objected. To hear the average American tell it Germany and France were communist, pinko, scum sucking traitors for not supporting our President in his quest for justice (revenge?). After all we support all of your governments and countries through thick and thin, or until there is a week of protesting, right? Can you say hypocritical? I think you can. If you think I'm saying this due to leftist leanings you couldn't be more wrong.
Now do you understand why the rest of the world doesn't think we are as wonderful, as we think we are? We are a legend in our own minds because our actions betray what were our principles. My opinion, I think Obama needs to butt out and keep quiet and let Egypt determine their own destiny.
For an eye opening point of view on 9/11 read Donald Rumsfelds new memoir "Known and Unknown", here is an excerpt;
"Just 15 days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, President George W. Bush invited his defense secretary, Donald H. Rumsfeld, to meet with him alone in the Oval Office. According to Mr. Rumsfeld’s new memoir, the president leaned back in his leather chair and ordered a review and revision of war plans — but not for Afghanistan, where the Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington had been planned and where American retaliation was imminent.
“He asked that I take a look at the shape of our military plans on Iraq,” Mr. Rumsfeld writes.
Think about that for a bit.
CONSERVATIVE VALUES
Another fallacy in today's political arena is the purported conservative values of the Republicans and the, so called, Tea Party. How's that for pokin' 'em with a stick? Before you start to monitor my email and phone without a warrant let's look at a few facts.
The Conservative Right, the Moral Majority, the Tea Party, all champions of smaller government, less welfare, morality, self determination, family values and the right to life, correct? Can you agree with that statement? I think we can but a few questions needs to be asked.
All of the aforementioned traits are admirable if they were consistent but there are gaping holes in their philosophy that they refuse to address when asked. If you dare question them you are part of the far left media conspiracy trying to make them look bad. In reality no, I'm not, I'm just an average guy that can see things at face value. And when I look at the Conservative movement in this country I see the following contradictions:
MORAL ISSUES
We are for smaller government except in matters of personal choice like abortion, interpersonal relationships, and basically any moral and/or personal choice issue. Now, before you get all worked up, I do not believe in abortion but I also do not believe that I have the right to tell a woman what to do with her body, unless I am willing to stand in line to take that unwanted child and raise it in a safe environment. The right says "Why should I have to raise that child?" and my response is you took on that responsibility the moment you decided what was best for it. The truth is that the choice of life is a choice that needs to be judged by the Lord God, and not by man. To think you have that right is as contrary to the teachings in the Bible as the act itself.
GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS
Why is it that the right thinks Unions are the cause of all failures in business? It's ok for a company to go bankrupt, deny it's obligations to it's workers all in the name of profits? Now you can say they have never said that directly and maybe they haven't, but they haven't said it is wrong either, have they? In some circles that is known as implied consent.
Can you imagine the uproar there would be if the Conservative applied their philosophy evenly across the board? Why should military personnel receive lifetime health care, educational benefits, preferred mortgage rates, and shopping privileges at the PX? "Because they served their Country", you say? It was their choice. just like it is the choice of a auto worker, factory worker, salesperson, it was the vocation that they chose. "It was dangerous", you say? So is window washing on a high rise, putting your arms in a press machine, deiceing a jet plane, again it was their choice? "Because they were injured", you say? Well, what is wrong with them drawing social security benefits? Using local health facilities? Just like others that made a career choice and have to live with the consequences?
Sounds absurd, doesn't it? But in a true conservative society that should be the way things are. After all society doesn't owe you anything. Life is about personal choices and living with the consequences, right? But you'll never hear that from the right, especially not in an election year.
LIBERAL LEFT
The party of the people, bastion of the worker, the downtrodden and the average man. Really? In the last half century the Legislative branch of our government has been controlled by the Left for about 80% of the time. During that time we have seen countless deregulation of businesses, lopsided trade agreements, and an overall decline in the quality of life for the average worker in this country. How'd you let that happen?
We asked you for a program to ensure that no American is denied the ability to receive basic health care and you gave us a 2,500 page document that convoluted the entire health system.
We asked you for some assistance when we fall upon hard times in our life and you instituted a system that rewards multi-generational welfare recipients.
We asked you for a decent education and got money instead of programs, money instead of guidelines, and money our children's, children will have to repay.
We got incompetent teachers locked into iron clad jobs. We got a society that has forgotten the value of failure because it has been legislated away.
You took the simplest sentence and turned it into a novel. You allowed those with money determine our destiny.
The fallacy of the party of the people is that you have been, and always will be, the party of the extreme. More is not always better and less is not always a bad thing.
There was a time in my youth when this was the greatest nation on the face of the earth but we have allowed that time to slip away. Look around and actually see what is happening. The attributes that made us the most powerful, desirable country in the world have been traded away by those entrusted with our welfare.
We are no longer an economy growing but we are an economy in decline. Why, because we no longer build anything. We were the place to come with "streets paved in gold" because you could come to this country and find work. Now, if you don't have a degree you're useless. And we have allowed it to happen.
The next time we have to save the world who is going to provide our weapons? Our fuel? Our Vehicles? Our Computers? What work force will we mobilize to protect our country, provide for our common defense? We no longer have one?
Can we recapture what we once were? Yes, I believe so but only if we the people start to use our heads for something other than a convenient place to keep our hair. We need to demand some changes, we need to be willing to pay a few dollars more for items, and do without a few things for the overall benefit of "our" society.
At least that is my opinion, what do you think?
