Politics
I hate politics. Actually, it’s a love/hate relationship. I used to love politics. Back in the college days, when I was first forming my own political opinions, I loved discussing different issues and listening to debates on different topics. It intrigued me not only to voice my thoughts and hear thoughts similar to mine being voiced, but I liked hearing how the opposition reached its conclusions. Debate was a way of feeling my way through a labyrinth of ideas.
I solidified, modified and altered my opinions accordingly, the more I learned. I loved learning about ideas and philosophies. I loved critiquing different epistemologies, including my own. I formed a core belief system that I still have and still continue to modify to this day. However, I hate politics.
In my more idealistic days, politics were a pure form of debating philosophy. I used to believe that we all sought the truth, but were at different stages at arriving there. I would get frustrated with my left-wing friends who just didn’t seem to see my point on issues such as why minimum wage laws are wrong or that progressive taxes are bad. I could site economic theories that supported these positions, but my discussion partner either didn’t understand or didn’t want to understand.
I didn’t realize until I was a seasoned old man that it was almost always the latter.
I always gave people the benefit of the doubt. I always blamed myself for not being able to explain my arguments in an understandable fashion. I would occasionally get frustrated when I thought I made a good point, but it fell on deaf ears. The frustration was mainly with me, for getting so close but not quite doing it perfectly.
I realize now that I never had a chance.
I gave up caring about politics when Bill Clinton won his second term. I was heavily into politics in 1992 and I knew Bill Clinton. Not many things that happened in the next 8 years surprised me. However, I understood how the voters in 1992 elected him. I helped elect him by voting for Ross Perot. I had had it with Bush Sr. after he surrendered to Colin Powell and Sadaam Hussein in Gulf War I and broke his promise on No New Taxes. I could see how Clinton won.
However, after 4 years everybody in the country pretty much knew Bill Clinton the way I did in 1992. There could be no excuse for him winning a second term. However, he received more votes in ‘96 than he did in ’92. After the election, I said screw it. This country is fucked and there is nothing I can do about it.
I absorbed myself in other things. I continued to learn, however, I stopped trying to instigate debates. I cancelled my subscriptions to Newsweek and National Review and started reading authors such as Ayn Rand and Thomas Sowell. I began my personal education, but left out the step of debating ideas with opponents. I no longer respected my opponents. I could tell that they were chanting bumper sticker slogans while I was trying to describe ideas such as the philosophy of death. I knew if I couldn’t convince them that minimum wage laws cause unemployment, I could never convince them that socialism was the greatest evil ever known to Man.
I lived happily in my own philosophical world, letting in those who showed signs of caring and slamming out those who didn’t. I was fine with this arrangement. Then September 11th happened. The War has brought me back to politics.
My frustrations are unchanged, except for the fact that I no longer blame myself when people don’t see my point of view. My disdain for my opponents may be greater than it was, because the stakes are higher. We are no longer debating minimum wage laws. We are discussing the future of America. My left-wing friends still take the wrong position. I can tolerate a higher than necessary unemployment rate, caused by an ill-conceived minimum wage law. I can not tolerate anyone who wants to see this country destroyed, caused by siding with the enemy. Although most anti-Americans don’t even realize who they are, this is because they refuse to think for themselves.
I now hate my left-wing friends. I absolutely hate politics.
I solidified, modified and altered my opinions accordingly, the more I learned. I loved learning about ideas and philosophies. I loved critiquing different epistemologies, including my own. I formed a core belief system that I still have and still continue to modify to this day. However, I hate politics.
In my more idealistic days, politics were a pure form of debating philosophy. I used to believe that we all sought the truth, but were at different stages at arriving there. I would get frustrated with my left-wing friends who just didn’t seem to see my point on issues such as why minimum wage laws are wrong or that progressive taxes are bad. I could site economic theories that supported these positions, but my discussion partner either didn’t understand or didn’t want to understand.
I didn’t realize until I was a seasoned old man that it was almost always the latter.
I always gave people the benefit of the doubt. I always blamed myself for not being able to explain my arguments in an understandable fashion. I would occasionally get frustrated when I thought I made a good point, but it fell on deaf ears. The frustration was mainly with me, for getting so close but not quite doing it perfectly.
I realize now that I never had a chance.
I gave up caring about politics when Bill Clinton won his second term. I was heavily into politics in 1992 and I knew Bill Clinton. Not many things that happened in the next 8 years surprised me. However, I understood how the voters in 1992 elected him. I helped elect him by voting for Ross Perot. I had had it with Bush Sr. after he surrendered to Colin Powell and Sadaam Hussein in Gulf War I and broke his promise on No New Taxes. I could see how Clinton won.
However, after 4 years everybody in the country pretty much knew Bill Clinton the way I did in 1992. There could be no excuse for him winning a second term. However, he received more votes in ‘96 than he did in ’92. After the election, I said screw it. This country is fucked and there is nothing I can do about it.
I absorbed myself in other things. I continued to learn, however, I stopped trying to instigate debates. I cancelled my subscriptions to Newsweek and National Review and started reading authors such as Ayn Rand and Thomas Sowell. I began my personal education, but left out the step of debating ideas with opponents. I no longer respected my opponents. I could tell that they were chanting bumper sticker slogans while I was trying to describe ideas such as the philosophy of death. I knew if I couldn’t convince them that minimum wage laws cause unemployment, I could never convince them that socialism was the greatest evil ever known to Man.
I lived happily in my own philosophical world, letting in those who showed signs of caring and slamming out those who didn’t. I was fine with this arrangement. Then September 11th happened. The War has brought me back to politics.
My frustrations are unchanged, except for the fact that I no longer blame myself when people don’t see my point of view. My disdain for my opponents may be greater than it was, because the stakes are higher. We are no longer debating minimum wage laws. We are discussing the future of America. My left-wing friends still take the wrong position. I can tolerate a higher than necessary unemployment rate, caused by an ill-conceived minimum wage law. I can not tolerate anyone who wants to see this country destroyed, caused by siding with the enemy. Although most anti-Americans don’t even realize who they are, this is because they refuse to think for themselves.
I now hate my left-wing friends. I absolutely hate politics.
posted by BoiseJag at 6:52 PM
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