The way to destroy a free and productive society: Politicize EVERYthing.

It wasn’t too many years ago that people really didn’t give much attention to politics until elections rolled around. And a few months after they were over, it was hard to remember who ran against the winner (and sometimes who the winner was, too) or what the major issues of that particular election were.

Have you noticed the new phenomenon that’s infecting our nation today? Nowadays everything – and I do mean every stinking thing – is political. For example;

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear you’ve been home sick with the flu.” WELL! If it weren’t for the greedy corporations trying to screw the workers by working them like slaves and not buying them health insurance -. OH! And health insurance? Well, if it weren’t for the greedy doctors and politicians (Republicans only, of course) trying to deny access to health care to keep their prices up so they and the greedy insurance companies could just get rich killing off the poor why; my god it’s a wonder they don’t just leave you to die in the streets when the ambulance comes anymore and blahblahblahblahblah.

“My, it sure is some lovely streak of weather we’ve been having lately.” WELL! Enjoy it while you can because those damned greedy corporations just keep on increasing their carbon footprints all they can (well, the ones favoring the GOP and anything conservative, I mean) - and what do they care? – which has caused this whole global warming thing and why, the human race won’t even exist in another 20 years because those greedy corporations and rich Republicans they all have in their hip pockets don’t give a damn if they kill all the rest of us off – along with the rain forests, ya know!” Blahblahblahblahblah.

“I’ve got great tickets for tonight’s [you pick the sport] game, and –“ WELL! Obviously you’re one of those racist pigs who like to insult Native Americans with mascots that look like cheesy toothy Native American warriors. And I think it’s insulting to Native Americans – and America stole this land from them, you know – but it’s just infuriating to see them depicted as violent savages in those insulting mascots and blahblahblahblahblah.”

See what I mean? You pick whatever part of American daily life and culture – healthcare, putting out the garbage, sports team mascots, religion, what foods you eat, going to college, getting a job, what kind of car you drive, the weather, potholes in the roads, your home mortgage, and on and on and on – and in the 21^st Century, it’s a political issue. 

This is the kind of crap that Karl Marx and Mao Tse Tung built entire political systems and entire dysfunctional societal attitudes out of – resentment, depression, class warfare, “spread the wealth” and handout mentalities. Usually it’s liberals spending their lives pissed off about some kind of “injustice” and “inequality” somewhere in the world. And when the majority of people are still happy, well-fed and “hangin’ in there” they still ain’t happy. Instead they’re out there not spreading any wealth but damned sure spreading hate and discontent anywhere and everywhere they can – doctor’s offices, sporting events, or even mowing or watering your yard.

ENOUGH ALREADY! Here’s a great idea, America. Stop listening to all the whining about how bad things are – usually contrived way out of proportion compared to reality by the likes of these idiots like “Occupy Wall Street” and the “mainstream” media – and start realizing how good damned near most of us have it in this country (and have had it so good for a long time now.) Ask yourself; why do people from Canada come to America to get their healthcare if the Canadian system is supposed to be so superb? Why is it that in socialist economies like Britain where the govt taxes anything and everything possible to pay for their handout mentality systems that the creative types in those countries come to America to invent their devices, write their songs, perform their research and yes, invest their money or even retire? Why is it that everywhere in the world where Marxist, social democratic programs like Socialized Medicine, handout mentalities and so on are the rule, why is it that their costs of living are so preventatively high and those nations have failed to become leading producing nations of products or services?

And to the permanently ticked off, embittered and envious members of the “Blame America First” crowd, made up largely of liberals and Democrats, I say; stop spreading the discontent amongst the masses by trying to breed infighting and jealousy amongst the generations or occupations or income levels. Stop trying to enslave entire populations cradle-to-grave with handout programs that since the Great Depression have only grown in size and scope and budget yet produce an ever smaller of people that have actually “gotten on their own two feet” through such programs. I say instead, why don’t you try encouraging people to dig deep inside themselves to discover their own greatness, take advantage of the freedoms and liberties and opportunities that – despite your gloomy rhetoric to the contrary – still do exist in this nation. In other words, try to motivate the masses into becoming something rather than de-motivate them into becoming unproductive, embittered and envious little drones subjugated into a life of indentured servitude to a government handout program.

They gave Barak Hussein Obama the Nobel Peace Prize for doing God only knows what. Try coaching and encouraging people to peacefully, honorably and productively achieve on their own and that would be an effort truly worthy of world acclaim. And something that would really make a difference.

Whatever happened to the rules about "polite mixed company?"

When I was growing up and getting worldly enough to be able to converse about such things, it was drummed into me that one didn't discuss sensitive subjects like politics, sex or religion in polite mixed company. This was to avoid any potential conflicts with those whose opinions might differ and therefore avoid any arguments and resulting hard feelings.

But recently, I've been noticing an interesting but disquieting behavioral trend. I've been noticing the differences in conversation "manners" and how they seem to differ between those of political conservatives compared to those of liberals. Before I get too far into this, perhaps I should mention that several liberal friends of mine have told me over the years that they think I'm more of a moderate. Perhaps that will allow me a little wiggleroom here in terms of what I'm about to say.

With all the political intensity of the past several years, I've been witness to many a conversation about politics and world affairs. Very few of these started out to be such or were held at events or venues that could be considered political. And very few of these conversations were amongst people who were known to have similar political leanings - in fact, either quite the opposite was true or the potential for such was high. Yet most of these conversations have shared a common characteristic; they were initiated by individuals of the liberal persuasion making a rather loud and often very out-of-context political statement.

What is interesting about this is that in all of these occasions, these potentially-inflammatory comments were made with no regard for the possibility that anyone in earshot could have a differing opinion or could feel outright offended by what was said.

So, my question is this; what ever happened to avoiding such sensitive topics in gatherings where there could be resulting tensions, hard feelings and whatnot? When did our society become so divided politically that we ceased focusing on the things that bind us to a common culture, or brought us together as friends in the first place, or our common interests in the activities of a club or group and so on? When instead did cramming one's political opinions down everyone else's throats in the vicinity become a more noble goal?

Whatever happened to keeping our opinions to ourselves unless we're asked for them first? And what's wrong with if we do have to oblige and actually give an opinion, doing so in more hushed tones and finish by saying, "but this really isn't the time or place to discuss politics, so why don't we change the subject?"

Perhaps in the interests of conflict resolution we should revisit the rules of polite society and avoid the conflict before it ever starts by just keeping our opinions on sensitive topics to ourselves unless we're in a venue where open political debate is truly welcome. Perhaps in this way, we all could instead focus on those things that bind us together.

Scare tactics?

With all the protests against socialized medicine going on these days at the townhall meetings, we're hearing about those opposing Obamacare using "scare tactics." Scare tactics? Since when is using common sense, asking for fiscal responsibility, respect for the will of the people and so on considered a scare tactic? Have we sunk that far in our national intellect as to link the request for prudent, efficient government to fearmongering?

Govt run healthcare has no success story anywhere in the world. Rather it has histories of rationing, increased taxation and poor quality. Wanting to avoid that is a scare tactic?

The govt screws up darn near every program it tries to run. Look at Medicare, the IRS and "Cash For Clunkers" just to name a few. The people have spoken and apparently THE PEOPLE DON'T WANT GOVT-RUN HEALTHCARE. Why is that so hard for Obama and the Democrat congresspeople to understand that? They aren't listening to the will of the people so the people's voices have to get louder and have to shout things like "YOU STILL WORK FOR US" to remind them this is still a democracy, not a dictatorship or an elitist form of rule.

Fights have broken out, divorces have occurred and nations have gone to war all because one or both sides of an argument stop listening to each other.

Where were these people back during Bob Dole's '96 run for president when Democrats were saying that Dole - himself an elderly gentlemen at the time - would eventually have the elderly so down and out they'd have to eat dog food if he got elected president? Now that was using scare tactics.