Francois Voltaire (1694 – 1778) was a French
writer/philosopher. One of his many quotes includes this one:
“It
is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.”
Regardless of the facts we stubbornly believe in what once
was a convenient truth; only now it lies in shambles. We tend to nestle in to
the familiar even when proven wrong. It is one of the realities of political
domestic life. That explains the success of cable network news programs. So
many people seeking their own truth so comfort may be restored. Never mind the
facts of the matter, or the science!
The same goes for intolerance and prejudice. We let go of
things so very slowly. That is part of the reason history changes slowly.
Eleanor Roosevelt had this to say (often quoted):
“Great minds discuss ideas;
average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
To discuss ideas great or small is harder to do. I can think
on them. But to discuss them takes other people. If they are obsessing on
events and other people it is very difficult to get them to switch over to
discussing ideas. Have you ever had that point come to mind in startling
clarity?
It did for me in the late 1960’s. I had been campaigning for
Republican candidates for nearly three years. That was the era where most
Republicans were clearly centrists and philosophy based. They were not narrowly
focused on people and power.
I had been attending political events, organizing some of
them, opening campaign headquarters in neighborhoods and distributing campaign
materials. We often followed such events with cocktail parties and receptions
where we had an opportunity to talk with other campaign staff and the
candidates as well. One night I was struck by the inane, empty talk at these
affairs. Silly and illogical. Petty and personal. Not policy and philosophy. I
declared it such and stomped back to my car never to return to another such
gathering. It was deflating and disillusioning. I was disappointed in my own
colleagues to say nothing of the candidates and the party.
It was then I saw the beginnings of the war conservatives
were to wage on the party itself. Despite my warnings they did take over the
party and it became what we observe today. Right wing nonsense so out of touch
with reality and the American people it cannot grasp the pathway back to
normal.
Oh they will find their way eventually. It may take another
generation. But they had better hurry or another party will form and take their
place, further relegating them to total obscurity and irrelevancy. That’s not
far fetched. There have been many parties in our nation’s history. They usually
form around two basic political philosophies – conservative and liberal. Those
two philosophies cover a lot of intellectual ground. There is no single idea
attached to the core of either philosophy. Rather each gathers around a family
of ideas that fit well together.
After that parties tend to shift over time embracing many
ideas. Central to both parties, however, is the center of the political
spectrum. Both parties are wedded to the center. However, to brand themselves
as different they indulge in word play – Republicans latched onto
‘conservative’ while Democrats married themselves to progressive or ‘liberal’
ideology. Still both begin at the center and then move direction to find a home
of identity.
Trouble is, to have any validity in their world they need
votes and that pushes them away from ideas and toward people. The circle is
complete and we return to admonishment of Eleanor Roosevelt.
Great ideas need more time in our lives.
A final quote mined from the internet:
“People
like their Constitution the way they like their Bible…
Cherry pick the parts they agree with while
ignoring or reinterpreting the parts
they don’t.” ~Anonymous
I’ll leave you with that thought.
February 13, 2013
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