“Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength” Eric Hoffer
In the almost “sandbox” atmosphere of what passes for political discourse and discussion these days, a rather disturbing trend has emerged over the last few years. Name calling has become de riguer. So-called grown-ups have started calling each other names, almost as if they must have the ability to categorise the person they are talking to, to be able to pigeon-hole and thereby be able to pull out the whole arsenal of statements, talking points, and other bits of nonsense. I wonder what the aforementioned Mr. Hoffer would have thought of this development. In the interest of full disclosure, let me first say that one the one hand, I have had it up to here (my hand is under my chin) with political correctness and the like. Not that people should run around flinging epithets hither and yon, but I do think certain proprieties should be observed. But I do also think that some folks need to lighten up just a wee bit. So that paradoxical opening notwithstanding, I give you the following.
I was reading and joining in on the comments made on a friend’s political post on a certain social networking site. One of the commenters referred to me as a “libtard”, mainly I think because I committed the most unpardonable of sins…I disagreed with him and used facts and reason to support my assertions. And you know, some people can’t let that kind of thing get in the way of their narrative, so I was it appeared, consigned to the political short bus in his esteemed opinion. I then got to thinking in that way I have after something sticks in my head, and began to look at other political posts, and to my surprise, (not!) I saw the same type of thing…everywhere…and harsh names too, things not fit for polite society. I also noticed that the more certain folks were disagreed with, the more the invective flew out. To me, it is a rather sad comment on society… but it also a telling one.
It is no great stretch to say that outside of The Civil War, our legislators have never been so polarised. Both sides have become so wrapped up in merely beating the other side, that they have absolutely dispensed with any pretence of compromise…indeed, that has become a dirty word in D.C., and some might say any charade of ‘doing the people’s business”, (a phrase they ADORE in Washington, but never seem to follow). But you know what, if our “representatives” are behaving like this, then I guess they are doing the people’s business…because they are acting just like the constituents. And yet, we the people complain about the “dysfunction in Washington” (it’s real) and “throw the bums out” (not always a valid answer) even though they are doing just what the citizenry are doing, they just do it on camera. Psychologists and Psychiatrists say that when we see our own bad traits in someone else, it magnifies them and we are appalled even more. So maybe part of the answer is the ballot box….and part is in the mirror…
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May peace come to us all.
