Thursday, August 28, 2014

Getting Personal


I get to vent my frustrations here in my blog. There are those who read it faithfully every day and those that don’t. There are those who visit once and disappear forever. And then there are those who visit infrequently but read a lot of past posts. And then come back for more.

I fully admit to venting my irritation with political vampires in America. There are many who irritate everyone. That seems to be their job! How on earth can they be happy people?

At any rate pointing out a truth or fact that should matter in our life-long struggle to make sense of a chaotic world, should be a simple matter of communication. Trying to keep the language neutral is not always easy but it is necessary for good communication. Neutrality of emotion keeps the conversation open and functioning.

Taking sides isn't a problem as long as the emotion is reduced or eliminated.  Saying someone is stupid for thinking one way or another is such an emotion to be eliminated from conversation. That seems elemental to me.

I try to keep personality out of my writing when dealing with facts or arguments for one position as opposed to another. The logic should be the focus of the exchange of ideas.  Not the personalities.

There are personalities in the world and in politics that are nothing but personal. Putin is one such character. Obama is not. He is cool, calm, historically based, and mindful of finding solutions to problems and disagreements. He will not be bamboozled.  That’s what makes Putin transparent in his demeanor. He is a person of intentional power rather than peace.  Only his point of view is the one that matters.

That is not how the globe works when seeking justice and peace.

John McCain is another. He switches from personable to personal all the time. He has tried to solve big problems, but when he has not succeeded, he makes the problem a personal one and attacks other people who he views as enemies.  That doesn't work. That is why he is not President.

Sarah Palin is another politician built on the model of personal attack only. I wonder if she every truly governed?  I wonder if she every truly solved a social problem? I doubt it. Alaska is a state in a world of economic trouble and she quit when the going got tough. She tried to be a political mouthpiece and succeeded in that role but lost election after election. She truly needs to shut up. She no longer has credibility other than her nice smile.

When we think of how some presidents performed in their job, and how much time and effort went into countless things the public has no knowledge of, it amazes me that some did so well.

Clinton comes to mind. He was a short term performer in long-term problems and succeeded. Later, his short term performance turned into long term performance when his policy solutions worked better than anyone could have imagined.

Same is true with the first George Bush, (HW). He was a man of history, diplomacy and seasoned social policy. He was successful at it for his lifelong career until he made the fatal mistake of allowing right wing Christian conservatives to take over his republican party. That was doomsday for the party. It’s when I left it.

True to my prediction the republicans have not performed well with the exception of being naysayers and obstructionists in the houses of congress. A pitiful sight. And not one of historical significance in solving problems for this age or the future. And that does not even address global concerns!

Today the pundits fault Obama for everything they gave cause to. The deficit. The wars. The failure of world diplomacy. Chaos in economic markets. Education systems that are turning out too few critical thinkers who can and need to solve problems.

When I was in high school, then in college, I ached for the chance to get an opportunity to solve the world’s problems. Then when I was doing what I thought was right, I learned that others were making matters worse elsewhere.

I had hoped our generation would leave the world in a much better position of sustainable peace and harmony. Obviously that has failed. We now have larger problems than when I was young.  This means today’s younger generation has a lot of work to do.

It is not to be a personal attack on anyone. It is to be a selfless effort to make the world peaceful and a better place for all to live in. This is not a world of, for and by America, or Russia, or France, or any other country. This is a world where every country takes responsibility for doing the right thing for their people and the peoples of the world at the same time. If imbalances develop they need to be addressed.

I have been accused of being an idealist, utopianist, nerd and geek. I’d rather be called a visionary, a person who sees past the cluttered chaos of the present to what ought to be our goals. That requires us to think outside ‘the box’ and be creative. It also allows for sharing the problem, the resources and the credit for getting something done. Something that is worthwhile for us all.

Who will lead mankind out of this mess?  Surely not the republicans; they prefer war and dominance in all that they do. Not the democrats, either. They simply keep their eyes on their own voting districts. They need to focus on global needs and how America can help with those needs.

And diplomacy needs to be returned to its fine arts status. Under George W. Bush (much to his father’s consternation!) the diplomatic corps was decimated. Intentionally, I think, but possibly not. Bad policy drives good people out of organizations and careers. Even then, congress refuses to act responsibly and protect diplomatic missions with proper security. No, they prefer to make politics not solutions.

A fine mess we are in. Won’t someone with talent and credibility please step up and help us all out here?  We have such a person in Obama, but he is opposed at every turn by pure politics. It’s a shame, but the truth.  Who’s next, then?

We have a leadership problem and a vision problem in our nation. And in the world.

When will we get serious and live our principles rather than our ideologies?

A good question!

August 28, 2014


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