The Divide?
The more I sit still, the more I wonder…
Why do I need to move, groove, and change the world? Is it possible? What do I believe?
I finished Matt Taibbi’s “The Great Derangement” and I’m left wondering what is the most effective way to create change. Our current government is corrupt- and has been for a long time. The Republicans screw the Democrats and the Democrats screw the Repulicnas all in the name of special interests and power.
Getting the best offices on Capitol Hill.
Our two party system is a joke. As Taibbi points out, it’s just one money grabbing group or the other in charge of a big ol’ checkbook we all pay for.
Nothing is that different in policies. Democrats are not always good guys, and Republicans not always bad guys, and the truth is, we are all pretty much in the middle.
And we’d rather think that there is a vast conspiracy created by right to end our way of life- all that personal liberty, justice and fairness. As the right think the same thing.
What if, as Taibbi suggests at the end of the book, we’re really not all that different? We’re really in the same boat, with the same general needs- life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, say. What if we focused on cleaning up the corruption instead of voting with our passions? Or what ends up being cooked up as us vs. them?
It would make for very boring television, that’s for sure.
Are we really a bunch of stupid ass sheep that sit in front of our televisions waiting for the next piece of news? And I include myself in that- maybe I don’t watch TV but I certainly take in my fair share of mainstream media on a daily basis.
When I’m far away from it, I wonder… is the wedge in our country, left vs. right, real or created for prime time entertainment?
Why do I need to move, groove, and change the world? Is it possible? What do I believe?
I finished Matt Taibbi’s “The Great Derangement” and I’m left wondering what is the most effective way to create change. Our current government is corrupt- and has been for a long time. The Republicans screw the Democrats and the Democrats screw the Repulicnas all in the name of special interests and power.
Getting the best offices on Capitol Hill.
Our two party system is a joke. As Taibbi points out, it’s just one money grabbing group or the other in charge of a big ol’ checkbook we all pay for.
Nothing is that different in policies. Democrats are not always good guys, and Republicans not always bad guys, and the truth is, we are all pretty much in the middle.
And we’d rather think that there is a vast conspiracy created by right to end our way of life- all that personal liberty, justice and fairness. As the right think the same thing.
What if, as Taibbi suggests at the end of the book, we’re really not all that different? We’re really in the same boat, with the same general needs- life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, say. What if we focused on cleaning up the corruption instead of voting with our passions? Or what ends up being cooked up as us vs. them?
It would make for very boring television, that’s for sure.
Are we really a bunch of stupid ass sheep that sit in front of our televisions waiting for the next piece of news? And I include myself in that- maybe I don’t watch TV but I certainly take in my fair share of mainstream media on a daily basis.
When I’m far away from it, I wonder… is the wedge in our country, left vs. right, real or created for prime time entertainment?
posted by Sara at 3:10 PM
6 Comments:
I think that humans love to create "us against them" divisions and there are so many ways to do it. It probably served us well when we were just finding our ways out of the trees but it's not as useful anymore. But how- how do we break through all the artificial divides?
Created for prime time entertainment is my vote. I'm on hiatus from T.V. again and do not miss it one bit.
And why not both?
Ever been to Gettysburg? there's an obelisk there with these words on one side:
"With firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right".
There are other words on the other sides from that same speech.
But that side's my side.
You know, when I was in Vermont I watched very little tv, and it was so refreshing. I think this current state of news 24/7 does nothing more than stir up prejudices and flame ignorance. People hear what they want to hear, and then it just gets reinforced by hearing it or reading it over and over again.
There was a candidate who was different, but he was never treated seriously by the media, and therefore never even considered by most Americans. His name was Dennis Kucinich.
news on the television is such a joke anymore. sensationalized, biased and spun to within an inch of reason. republicans and democrats want it that way. then there is no real debate about issues that really matter. it just keeps them both in power and they will go back and forth with that power, both being corrupt. i can no longer be a member of either party, and am holding out hope the independents will get their shuff together and provide a viable candidate one of these years.
well, there was an article in teh NYTimes two weekends ago- sorry, can't get to the link right now- but it showed that there is a bell curve-
duh
of opinions. and most of us are in the middle.
sure, there are people on the edges- thus the nutcase who walked into the UU church and started shooting (but when, I ask you, has a extreme left wing person ever gone in and shot people?)
we have our edges, no question. but most of us don't live there.
Post a Comment
<< Home