Full or Blank Mind?

In the middle of the night you awake. No particular reason is evident. Health is fine. Mind is at rest, no pressing problems begging for solutions. Interpersonal relationships appear in order; nothing upsetting current or about to emerge as far as you know.

So what’s on your mind? Is it blank? Or filled with ideas, thoughts, logic strings whizzing past at furious pace?

Usually I sense for the time. Then for the sounds if any that may have awakened me. If nothing apparent, I wonder about the weather; is the moon full up in a clear sky? Or is it cloudy, rainy, stormy or whatever?

Nothing seems amiss so the mind fills almost instantly with thoughts. Random most of the time. But they connect quickly with what I last was working on before going to bed. Maybe it was the latest edition of the newspaper and what needs to be completed before publishing and distribution. Perhaps it is an idea niggling away in the back of the mind for a future column? A burning issue I dearly would like to see properly addressed. Or maybe an idea freshly proffered to readers, something that would move them to act on something.

Oh well. Nothing much on the idea list at present. Just the same old, same old.

One of the biggest concerns on my mind these days is what is perceived by the general public as motivation of other people to do, say or be whatever emerges. Motivation. Do people assign a motivation to another person for what they say or do? I think they do.

And that may be the crux of many problems we experience as a society. Think about it. If someone says or writes something you think you don’t agree with, do you question the logic or factual basis of those comments expressed? Or do you wonder why the person said them in the first place? Do you wonder if he/she has an agenda? Is there an intention to manipulate perception of others? And why? Is there a power motive or profit desire? Or perhaps it is merely a desire for influence over someone or something?

Complicated business, this. Not wanting to be made a fool of, we have suspicions about the motivations of others. That is part of human nature. But it is also a negative nature. It can hold us back. It can cause us to distrust immediately rather than maintain and openness to new ideas and opinions.

What someone thinks about an issue is not wrong automatically if it differs from our own view. It is just another view. No; the difference is not what unsettles us. I think it is the suspicion of intent that unsettles us.

Karl Rove clearly said he questioned Hillary Clinton’s candidacy based on her being brain damaged by an illness she suffered a year or so ago. Whether he actually meant that or intended to cause doubt in the minds of others and thus influence the possible candidacy of Hillary running for President in 2016 is now the bone of contention. Of course his intention was and is to roil the political waters. That is his perceived job for the republican party.

However, such intentions are likely counterproductive. Why? Because the American public is sick to death of personal attacks and frivolous nastiness based solely on political aims.

And well we should. I like to think that most of us have good ideas to share for the common good of our community, region, family or nation. Good ideas are not the sole province of a select few. The human mind is fertile and richly productive if we let it be so. And if we encourage everyone to freely give of their views and ideas we should be the better for it.

Nasty social environments shut down such natural sharing. Good ideas from good people are discouraged in the sharing pool. Good people move on to more fruitful fields of pursuit.

When this happens the body politic is stripped of some of its assets. Karl Rove knows this. Most political managers know this. Their job is to know these things and to frame the public discussion in favorable light of their assigned power blocs. And thus the ideological struggles continue to their illogical positions of calamity.

Yes calamity. Rather than invent a crisis over Benghazi, why not take the Benghazi tragedy and craft a way to avoid all such future possibilities of that sort of tragedy? Isn’t that what we should be doing? The Benghazi ‘issue’ is made up for political reasons. Congress budgets funds for foreign diplomatic stations around the globe. They have oversight for security for those stations. If something goes wrong, it is process that should be examined, not political motives. The latter is certain to derail all logical progress in solving problems. But it will certainly create a maelstrom of ill will that will produce a wholly different result; hideously, an intended result.

Twisted is the term that comes to my mind. Why do people waste time, talent and other resources in this manner? Because they wish to minimize someone’s influence or power and build power and influence for another competing power base. Problem is this: we are all supposed to be working for the same thing, the success and effectiveness of our own nation in keeping peace in the world.

Instead it appears some are working diligently to create dissension and chaos for their own personal gain. Senator John McCain is one of those. He has an opinion on nearly every military and foreign affairs subject as long as it pertains to finding fault with another American’s position on the same matter. Trouble is he is woefully out of step with understanding many of those same issues. How many times did aides and Senator Lindsay Graham have to whisper in McCain’s ear a correction on a factual issue when he was campaigning in foreign lands in his presidential bid to beat Obama? Embarrassing. He did this many times. The result diminished him but also the American reputation abroad. He was campaigning outside our borders; a large no-no. One refrains from such behavior.

So why did he do it? Because he felt certain people viewed him as an expert in military and foreign affairs. But he is not that kind of expert. It is a perceived expertise with a false surround.

So his motivation can only be political: to gain power and influence over another; weaken another while strengthen the self.

This is most likely why most Americans detest politics. They see so much energy and money expended on non-productive behavior that could be better used solving actual problems.

Let’s face one crystal clear fact: elected officials form the board of directors for our governance agencies. They are there to have oversight for the public in public matters that are managed by professional personnel hired by government to implement programs and services. If the ‘board’s’ attention and energy is spent on power balance efforts then the real work of the agencies are being ignored, perverted or mismanaged by the board itself.

Does this sound like your state legislature? Or Congress?

Of course it does! They have lost their way in the main. And it is we – the voters – who have to correct the situation. We have the power. We have the duty. Will we do the homework to know who is serving long term public goals or personal ones?

That is the crux of the question. Motivation indeed! What is our motivation as voters?

Seems to me the blank mind needs a disciplined ‘filling’.

May 15, 2014