Dixie - In Memoriam
New member
Each day, we have the same contingent of poli-wonks coming here to post their thoughts and propaganda, in an attempt to fight for whatever they believe in. Hours are spent in the den, basement, computer room, or iPhone, tapping away for whatever we personally think is important, sharing our opinions and wisdom, mocking those we disagree with, challenging, demanding, and outright hating the opposition. Hundreds of assorted web sites exist for the sole purpose of fueling our passion, giving us the needed precious "links" and "cites" to back up whatever we are claiming. Dozens of polling sites compile data that we can use as ammunition in our own personal jihads, and the Internet is rife with special interest propaganda outlets, to thoroughly muddy the waters. But what does it all mean?
Have we completely lost who we are as a nation? Has politics so divided us, that we simply can't ever return to normalcy? For a while, it seemed the left and right could disagree vehemently on various topics, yet still coexist, finding commonality in things like music and sports, but as time goes by, there is less and less of that. We become ever more polarized and distant from one another, with each passing day. Moron and idiot have now been replaced with racist and sociopath. Legitimate argument has been distilled down to outright regurgitation of lies and constant condemnation over the most petty of details. We used to see neighbors not speak to each other, now we see brothers and sisters disowning each other over politics. Is it all really THAT important?
Sometimes I wonder, if some cataclysmic event happened, say an asteroid hit the planet and wiped out all the infrastructure and most of the population, and we were left to roam an inhospitable planet for the next thousand years or more, would there be women out there making 'binder' halloween costumes, or complaining about government funding for their birth control? Would free health care be as important of an issue? Would the president be used as a tool to foster and foment more race-hate? Would it even be a concern that wealthy people get to keep a larger percentage of their income? Would ANY of this shit really matter?
We hear people say this election is important and will determine which direction the nation goes forward, either as a capitalist free enterprise system, or a socialist Marxist system, but the reality of the matter is, not much will ultimately change. After the election, one of the two major parties will have control and the other will still bring the fight against them. It doesn't matter who wins. Liberals are not going away, and neither are Conservatives, we'll still have to deal with each other, the issues will still be the same, and nothing will be different except perhaps the people who control the majority. At what point do we begin a healing process? Or can we even do that at this point? Will it take some cataclysm to render our differences unimportant?
Regardless of which side you are on, I encourage you, after this election, do some soul searching. Begin to try and reach out to the other side, start with your family and friends you've perhaps disassociated with. Learn to accept the truth, that we are all part of this nation and we don't have to always agree on everything, but we don't accomplish anything through hate. We can find reasonable solutions to problems if we work together. Things do not have to remain polarized, it's entirely up to us, as individuals, but it isn't going to happen magically.
Have we completely lost who we are as a nation? Has politics so divided us, that we simply can't ever return to normalcy? For a while, it seemed the left and right could disagree vehemently on various topics, yet still coexist, finding commonality in things like music and sports, but as time goes by, there is less and less of that. We become ever more polarized and distant from one another, with each passing day. Moron and idiot have now been replaced with racist and sociopath. Legitimate argument has been distilled down to outright regurgitation of lies and constant condemnation over the most petty of details. We used to see neighbors not speak to each other, now we see brothers and sisters disowning each other over politics. Is it all really THAT important?
Sometimes I wonder, if some cataclysmic event happened, say an asteroid hit the planet and wiped out all the infrastructure and most of the population, and we were left to roam an inhospitable planet for the next thousand years or more, would there be women out there making 'binder' halloween costumes, or complaining about government funding for their birth control? Would free health care be as important of an issue? Would the president be used as a tool to foster and foment more race-hate? Would it even be a concern that wealthy people get to keep a larger percentage of their income? Would ANY of this shit really matter?
We hear people say this election is important and will determine which direction the nation goes forward, either as a capitalist free enterprise system, or a socialist Marxist system, but the reality of the matter is, not much will ultimately change. After the election, one of the two major parties will have control and the other will still bring the fight against them. It doesn't matter who wins. Liberals are not going away, and neither are Conservatives, we'll still have to deal with each other, the issues will still be the same, and nothing will be different except perhaps the people who control the majority. At what point do we begin a healing process? Or can we even do that at this point? Will it take some cataclysm to render our differences unimportant?
Regardless of which side you are on, I encourage you, after this election, do some soul searching. Begin to try and reach out to the other side, start with your family and friends you've perhaps disassociated with. Learn to accept the truth, that we are all part of this nation and we don't have to always agree on everything, but we don't accomplish anything through hate. We can find reasonable solutions to problems if we work together. Things do not have to remain polarized, it's entirely up to us, as individuals, but it isn't going to happen magically.