God damn it to hell. I am an alien in a country where a substantial fraction of the population supports the goverment for "moral" issues (being the code word for anti-abortion/anti-gay marriage). This is clearly democracy but I have no connection with the fundamentalist wave that has captured every organ of national goverment and most of the state.
I need to decompress and take a welcome vacation politics but I would like a visible sign of my grief. I have lost any hope of being represented by my government for at least 4 years and it's hard to see anything changing for much longer. Enough for now, GSH 2004-11-03
An interesting idea from my clever daughter (Amy's live journal, I don't know how to link to an entry) GSH 2004-11-05 Quotation begins:
Of course, it's really hard to figure out where that black/white line is - not because it's hidden, usually people will shout to the rooftops about whatever their particular line is, or at least will answer a direct question if you ask them. The problem is that we usually aren't asking. We're a politically and intellectually insular group (on LJ, in school, at our jobs, in 'real life'), humans are. We tend to associate with 'right thinking' people, that is, people who think like us, at least in some fashion. And when we do 'cross over' it is, sadly, rarely for honest debate or free exchange of ideas. More often than not there's a lot of vitriolic bile spewing, which, though it may be cathartic, isn't really terribly useful.
So, what am I suggesting? Cause it seems, well, lame to continue pointing out problems and not providing any solutions at all. But this one I have at least a small solution thingy to.
Go talk to someone.
Find someone, on LJ or elsewhere online, or IRL, whatever, who disagrees with you about something, and talk with them about it. Don't fight with them, but ask them, politely, why they think X and then discuss it. Chances are good neither of you will change the other's opinion, but it's the airing of ideas which gets people thinking and too many people in the world are apathetic and lazy about stuff. And, if nothing else, at the end of the exercise you will either be better at discussing your issues or know what arguments and debate styles need work.
End of quotation
I need to decompress and take a welcome vacation politics but I would like a visible sign of my grief. I have lost any hope of being represented by my government for at least 4 years and it's hard to see anything changing for much longer. Enough for now, GSH 2004-11-03
An interesting idea from my clever daughter (Amy's live journal, I don't know how to link to an entry) GSH 2004-11-05 Quotation begins:
Of course, it's really hard to figure out where that black/white line is - not because it's hidden, usually people will shout to the rooftops about whatever their particular line is, or at least will answer a direct question if you ask them. The problem is that we usually aren't asking. We're a politically and intellectually insular group (on LJ, in school, at our jobs, in 'real life'), humans are. We tend to associate with 'right thinking' people, that is, people who think like us, at least in some fashion. And when we do 'cross over' it is, sadly, rarely for honest debate or free exchange of ideas. More often than not there's a lot of vitriolic bile spewing, which, though it may be cathartic, isn't really terribly useful.
So, what am I suggesting? Cause it seems, well, lame to continue pointing out problems and not providing any solutions at all. But this one I have at least a small solution thingy to.
Go talk to someone.
Find someone, on LJ or elsewhere online, or IRL, whatever, who disagrees with you about something, and talk with them about it. Don't fight with them, but ask them, politely, why they think X and then discuss it. Chances are good neither of you will change the other's opinion, but it's the airing of ideas which gets people thinking and too many people in the world are apathetic and lazy about stuff. And, if nothing else, at the end of the exercise you will either be better at discussing your issues or know what arguments and debate styles need work.
End of quotation