Politics and Religion Incoming – Run for Your Life
The one thing we all know is that we should not discuss politics or religion with anyone whose beliefs we do not already know. It is a lose-lose scenario. So, I try very hard not to engage casual relationships with either. What would be the point? It is difficult enough to find friends, so why take the chance on ruining what could be a great relationship?
Being a writer does complicate things. I write what I believe. My Revolution series was about a global collapse when governments are controlled by power-hungry lunatics. The Carl Prescott series allowed me to explore my spiritual beliefs. Of course, I did my best to fill those stories with heroes, villains, familial relationships, and lots of action. After all, it is not my goal to convince anyone of anything. If you loved the Harry Potter books and movies, that does not mean you believe in witchcraft and wizardry. It only means that you liked the novels and films. I hope my readers feel the same about my books.
In my opinion, the current super-partisan nature of many countries is making things worse. When our leaders began to talk down and denigrate the people in their own countries, those leaders have lost their mandate to lead. Frankly, if you research most of them, you will find how they have enriched themselves at our expense. They suck us dry with taxes and other mandates, and then tell us how terrible WE are. Sounds like an abusive relationship to me.
It is sometimes difficult to remember, but things were not always this bad. There was a time when political parties were not diametrically opposed on every issue. Remember when President Bill Clinton reached across the aisle to Speaker Newt Gingrich? The government accomplished great things for the following years. Something important was lost between then and now.
Some would like to put all the blame on President Obama or President Trump, depending on their party affiliations. To me, that is too simplistic. It happened before them, probably before Clinton too.
In my humble opinion, it began before President Eisenhower left office in 1960. In his final address, he reminded us to beware the military-industrial complex. Bingo!
From that moment, we all knew there was something going awry. Eisenhower and Kennedy did not feed that beast knowingly. From that point, certain politicians on both sides were sucked into the circle of that complex that fed the war machine ever since.
While World War 2 was inevitable given Hitler’s Holocaust and Japan bombing Pearl Harbor, I am not so certain after that. Some of you may remember better than I about the Korean War and Vietnam. Did our engagement really solve anything? Yes, I can see that South Korea is a great nation. How about Vietnam? Or Afghanistan? Or Iraq? Or Syria? Or even Ukraine today?
Is the United States really fixing anything in those most recent efforts? I do not know, but I do not see much progress, especially in Afghanistan, where Russia and the USA lost much blood and treasure on that foreign land.
I am not saying I have any answers. Dwight Eisenhower was a great military leader and a good president. I do not think he said those words for nothing. What do you think?
I totally agree with you, Karl. It seems the divisiveness has gotten worse with each subsequent administration. Only the Lord knows where we’re going with all this, but from my limited perspective, it does not look pretty. Thanks for sharing!
Blessings,
Patty
Patty, the discourse will change. As power in Washington moves from one party to the other, those who whined will be whined at. Perhaps they will realize that negative banter is a two-way street, I hope they will back off. Time will tell.
The divisiveness is out of control. I feel reality TV show and social media has infiltrated our government and made those elected to serve believe they are performing instead of serving. It’s sad, really.
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
Very true, Yvette. Politics is becoming a performance art in many places. Politicians who do what they say are a rare breed.
I agree with Yvette. I might add that the twenty-four-hour news cycle on TV is also a factor. The same news, over and over again, with groups of “talking heads” analyzing (i.e., giving their opinions) repeatedly, no matter which side of the political spectrum they’re on, doesn’t help, either.
When I was very young, I walked through my neighborhood, passing out “I Like Ike” buttons. I always admired and respected him and still do. I didn’t know that he was a Republican or a Democrat. I just knew he was a leader. (We used to give a toast to the president–with a glass of milk–every day at lunch time when we watched “Big Brother Bob Emery” in Boston. They played the theme “Here’s to the President” and we raised our glasses. It was a way to show respect.) Respect is lacking in so many places, on so many levels, today.
Wanda, very well put. I think social media is a major culprit. It seems many “reporters” rely on Twitter posts for their news stories. I remember when reporters would embed with soldiers and question the politicians. Now, they sit in their offices (or homes) scanning for tidbits to opine about on the air. Ike was a Republican, but mostly, he was a leader who defeated Hitler. Back then, politicians worked hard. Too many now just bloviate hard and call it a day. Hopefully that will change… eventually.
Hi Karl,
With our current technology, we see war right in our living rooms, and that is sad. But why do nations fight against one another. I believe it is a hunger for power and to dominate. These kinds of leader believe they are better than others. I also believe that this didn’t start with today or with any president of a country. It has been around for a very long time. Look at the Babylonian Empire, Hannibal, Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire and any other empire that has ever existed. People were herded together, moved to other countries because some greater power decided to conquer them. This need to dominate others has always been there and until love and respect for the essence of being a human moves up to the forefront of our thinking, people will be considered as cargo to be sold, imprisoned, or killed by men and women who think they have the right to dominate.
Shalom aleichem
Pat, I wish I could argue with you, but you are exactly right. Most leaders let the power go to their heads. They think their position shows how superior they are to the regular folks. They make sweet promises to us that are never fulfilled. They start wars to grow their power and prove to other leaders they are superior. In truth, they are all a bunch of clowns. Jesus talked about loving your enemies, and look how he was treated. Only one of his apostles died of old age. They rest were murdered. So much for the common decency of humanity. We are being led by idiots, all over the world. In our lives, we need to be wolves and not sheep.
I don’t know so much about U.S. politics,but I do know what is happening in the U.K. we currently have more strikes than I can ever recall.Teachers,nurses,ambulance personel,Train drivers and the Doctors are threatening to also strike. All wanting higher pay. The National Debt is higher than it has ever been.Where is it all going to lead I ask.The Government say there is no money to spare and they do not wish to borrow more to increase the debt.
What is happening in our world ?
I hope the UK is not like the States in that matter. Here, our government throws money at everything, including other countries that despise us. They fund startup companies that comply with their woke agenda, but have no chance of success. Handouts to people are massive and under the table. I still recall the homelessness program that was set up in New York by Mayor DeBlasio. It was run by his wife, oddly. I believe the state paid her $400 million for that program, which seemed to have zero impact on homelessness. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
I never speak or share anything concerning religion or politics. I’m usually careful except for the day I joked about Trump in the swimming pool. The woman screamed and gave me an earful of her rhetoric. So now I’m careful never to joke about politics. I’ll never be a George Carlin but I do love a good joke.
Susanne, discussing politics with those you do not know well is a time-bomb. Too many people take everything SO seriously. The truth is that no president is perfect or Superman. They are all just people with their own quirks, attitudes, and beliefs. Of course, most hide their true selves until they get in power. Then we all know their motivation, and it is almost never altruistic. We all need to realize we have one vote. Our opinions are ours, and no one else likely wants to hear about them. I was a huge Carlin fan when I was a young man. Funny is my life. I love good comedy.
I have no thoughts to add Karl. I’m not familiar enough with the topic to state an opinion. So, I’ll leave you with your last words. You have a right to them.