Posted: 9/22/2009 3:40:47 PM EDT
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My wife and I often find ourselves talking about politics. Luckily we have very similar political views so our conversations usually end in her getting frustrated about all the things that she feels are going wrong both in this country and with our government. She doesn't think that there is anything we can do to make things better. I disagree, I know there is at least one thing everyone can do to help make this country better and that is talk to people about it. So here is my challenge: Pick an issue that is important to you and talk to someone you know about. And don't just talk with someone who you know already agrees with you! The purpose of this challenge is to hopefully open some people's eyes.
Since I'm making the challenge I'll go first. Every day I hear all kinds of things about the health care reform plan that congress is currently wrestling with. It seems to me that very few people actually know what it is about. It is a beautiful piece of legislation, and if it passes I'm sure it will do what it is designed to do quite well. The problem is that its purpose has nothing to do with making health care better in the US and everything to do with making the American people more dependent on the Federal government. If you think that is a good thing, I encourage you to go talk to people about it. If you think that is a very bad thing, as I do, I encourage you to go talk to people about it. When I talk to people about politics I like to ask them what they think a politician's job is. Nobody has gotten the question right. The answer is that a politician's job is to acquire and retain power, plain and simple. Power for themselves, power for their friends, power for their parties. Some people think a politician's job is to serve the people or to work for what they think is best. While many politicians do do those things, especially early in their careers, their #1 priority will always be power since you can't work to make things better if you don't stay is power. Once you understand the motivation behind everything politicians do their actions become a lot clearer. It's through that lens that I look at the proposed health care reform. When you look at it that way you can see why it is such a beautiful thing for politicians. The sad fact is that if politicians REALLY wanted to improve out health care system they could do so pretty easily. However they won't because improving health care does very little to help them do their REAL job (which is what I stated above). The first step to solving any problem is identifying exactly what the problem is. The problem with our health care system is that it currently operates under a broken version of supply and demand. There is little or no competition. People don't have enough information to make informed decisions, and don't have enough choices to make decisions about. There are many ways that this issues could be resolved, which I won't go into here. None of these solutions are being discussed in D.C. because none of them will gain any politicians any power. If we want to see our health care system improved we are going to have to make it in their best interests to fix it (in other words, if you don't fix it we will take your power away). If what I have wrote makes anyone stop and think, or motivates anyone to go and talk to somebody about our nations problems, then I consider my mission accomplished. I imagine many of you on this site will mostly agree with what I've said. I imagine some of you will not. If you disagree I encourage you to tell me why and prove me wrong. Only through the careful scrutiny of our own beliefs can they be improved. |
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You can't talk to a liberal and expect a light to come on and all of sudden they wake up. They don't draw conclusions based on facts or empirical data. They operate on selfishness and emotion. And they are sure they are right and you are wrong. Ask the next Liberal you argue with what the three branches of Government are. 90 per cent won't answer. Most of those who do answer will be wrong. They don't even know how the Goverment is set up to run but they are damn sure they can pick the best people to run it. I would rather remove my own gall bladder with an oyster fork than argue with these idiots anymore. |
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Quoted:
You can't talk to a liberal and expect a light to come on and all of sudden they wake up. They don't draw conclusions based on facts or empirical data. They operate on selfishness and emotion. And they are sure they are right and you are wrong. Ask the next Liberal you argue with what the three branches of Government are. 90 per cent won't answer. Most of those who do answer will be wrong. They don't even know how the Goverment is set up to run but they are damn sure they can pick the best people to run it. I would rather remove my own gall bladder with an oyster fork than argue with these idiots anymore. i'll just plus 1 this instead of typing the same thing over... |
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I couldn't agree more, however I don't think most of this country is made of those types of liberals (at least I really hope not), they are just the ones we remember the most. I think a fair portion of the people in this country are the "swing voters" otherwise known as the people who don't really know what they want/believe in/agree with. These are the people that I am talking about and they are the ones and I think could be "shown the light".
Even if I don't make a bit a difference at least I know I've tried. |
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I think a fair portion of the people in this country are the "swing voters" otherwise known as the people who don't really know what they want/believe in/agree with. While there are a few people who haven't made up their minds and will genuinely look at the issues, it's not most. Sorry, but the other guys are right. The facts are available to anyone, it's just that most: A. Don't care to know the facts, so they don't go looking for 'em , and damn sure don't want you to force feed them. B. Are positive they know all the facts, not based on their exhaustive efforts to look at all the info available to them, but based on pride that their way must be best. And those folks are sure to disparage anything that they don't agree with. Sure, I try to talk to people that might actually listen, but it really comes down to the same thing missionaries and teachers face everyday: You can't teach someone who doesn't want to learn. It's not a politics issue, it's a society issue; we don't require much from people, so they keep getting stupider. 
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Quoted:
...Sure, I try to talk to people that might actually listen, but it really comes down to the same thing missionaries and teachers face everyday: You can't teach someone who doesn't want to learn. It's not a politics issue, it's a society issue; we don't require much from people, so they keep getting stupider. This is certainly true. But there are some people out there with open minds. I never said this is going to be easy or that the chances for success are high. Few problems are simple and easy. And while I've certainly done my fair share of complaining about the way things are not much has ever been accomplished by complaining or giving up. I know this probably isn't going to make a big difference or even much of a small difference. But a lot of small things can add up to a big thing and I think the chances for improvement are a lot better if people put forth an effort than not even trying at all. |