People tend to have a really myopic perspective. Of everything. I’m just as guilty as the next guy. However, it’s important that we begin to dig deeper to really try to see the truth below the surface. The right/left paradigm always seems to get in the way. Both the right and left are guilty of it. The right cries “Socialism” at every turn while the left dismisses any opposition with accusations of using “right-wing talking points.” We all see problems, many times we agree on the preferred outcome but disagree on the path to get there.
Coming from the right (on most but not all issues) I would like to think that when I talk to people who come from a more progressive or liberal perspective, they truly do not understand that their methods to fix problems contribute to a totalitarian state– be it state, national or global in scope. I’m still stumped as to how one can champion the re-localization movement and yet still somehow look to bureaucracy to fix things. It’s usually bureaucracy that stifles growth and efficiency and because of that innovation.
The efforts to decentralize, re-localize and encourage more local consumption and spending are paramount to a healthy state. However this is no easy feat as our culture has so rapidly spiraled into “buy now, pay later” instant gratification, soul-sucking materialism. For whose benefit? And at whose expense?
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I agree, you do have a myopic perspective.
Here’s a closed mind classic: “they truly do not understand that their methods to fix problems contribute to a totalitarian state”
Sweet!
OK, look… I understand your disenchentment with bureaucracy, and that’s an area where I agree with you to some degree, and there are many, many poeple, including many working people who feel the same way you do. It’s probably the biggest factor that convinces masses of people to vote against Democrats. Government has not always done a good job running things. But there’s two problems with your level of blame on this. First, just because some bureaucracy is poorly run doesn’t condemn it all. And second, and most importantly, weakening government (which is the aim of the anti-bureaucracy movement) leads to an even worse alternative, as proven by recent events. So it turns out that what we actually need is a stronger, BETTER government bureaucracy, that will regulate to define the playing field and let competition work with well-structured boundaries for the betterment of us all, not run amok for the benefit of a few. 30 years and billions of PR dollars have been spent to convince you and the rest of the Republican voting base that government is their enemy, while a worse enemy takes them to the cleaners and weakens the very mechanism the poeple have to fight back (no, it’s not guns, but they are another nice distraction). And until Dems admit and address the serious problems of corruption and inefficiency within government, the opposition will continue to succesfully use this talking point because it does have enough resonance to be effective.
from reading the diaries you’ve been participating in I draw the conclusion most of people’s comments have been about you offering no supporting evidence for your statements.
I happen to think opinions are fine, and I agree (I’ve been down this road) not everybody here is necessarily open to wide expression of them, but opinions that are consistently expressed as nothing more than gratuitous assertions will rightfully be thoroughly questioned and generally rejected.
Your treatment here is much less about your train of thought. I read it as being much more about a lack of intellectual support for your statements.
Provide some support: instances, studies, or even state something as being life’s experience.
I do agree with you, Jessica, at least on the uselessness of the 1900’s “left/right” political paradigm.
For me progressives and libertarians have some very important concepts in common: both political movements are pushing for decentralized political power and decision making; both see an urgent need to protect civil liberties.
Libertarians (small ‘l’ type) fail my economic test however, and this is where I believe progressives and libertarians part ways.
Libertarians see our economy as civil liberties issue to be decided in favor of private property and owner of that property. Progressives see the economy as part of the commons and thus subject to rules and regulations to assure it works best for the most people regardless their ability to own a lot or even anything.
As a progressive I’ve pushed the concept that libertarians and progressives work together to decentralize political power and decision making with the full realization we’ll end up fighting like cats and dogs over the economic issues.
’nuff said for now.