But you wouldn’t know it from the way we treat our countrymen.
Most of the debates I get into lately seem to be with people who share a common thread in their logic. The specter of “socialism” looms large and scary; redistribution of wealth (or anything that resembles it) is an abhorrent notion; the word “entitlement” is used with dripping disdain for the needy and/or infirm. Plus, they’re often Christian. But fuck that “brother’s keeper” shit.
We rule. America, FUCK YEAH! We kick ass, and freedom is the BEST! If you don’t agree with such-and-such, then you must hate FREEDOM! You point the finger at companies that make money, so you must hate capitalism! Go live in a socialist country, comrade.
Americans are the best people on Earth! But I don’t trust any of them to refrain from leeching off the system. Fuck those assholes. I’m not gonna let my tax dollars form a big teat for them to suck on. Eat shit, poor people. Get a job. DIAF and GTFO.
But yeah, America RULES! We kick ass, and we spread freedom to the countries who need it! But man, I sure don’t trust the government, those evil fucks are trying to steal all the power they can get their hands on, so they can create a permanent ruling class, and ultimately enslave us all. Michele Bachmann told me so.
For what purpose, I have no fucking idea. But that whole “free healthcare” stuff they do in Canada and England and France and every other industrialized nation sounds like evil just waiting to happen. Either that, or it’ll bankrupt us. Because I don’t trust our government to do anything right. But America IS THE BEST.
I never would have guessed that paranoia and jingoism would ever reach Joseph McCarthy levels again within my lifetime. I thought we had learned our lesson. But this shit has gotten way out of hand, and it’s gotten to the point where fear of the unknown, fear of the government, fear of the poor people getting handed your paycheck has turned the lunatic fringe into a much larger contingent than is healthy.
Honestly, my dream right now? Bring back the “lady” and the “gentleman.” Because really, the world of political discussion is taking on a decidedly “YouTube comments thread” patina, and it’s turning my fucking stomach. The only rational political discussions I ever have anymore are with people who already think like I do. That’s not good.
Wow! This is incredible. I’ve just recently lowered myself to a Facebook debate with some young, Southern moron and you’re absolutely right: It’s spewing out words like “communism” while talking about how great this country was during the previous administration. Ugh, I feel sick thinking about it.
I’d like to go on about this for paragraphs, but sadly I think like you. This choir preaching crap is getting old, eh?
I’d say that maybe taking the government’s hand out of all things would be fun experiment that would prove just how useful it can be in the right places, but I don’t think cutting off our nose is such a good idea. Plus, I LIKE getting mail.
The majority of my heated discussions happen when a left-leaning friend posts a link to a politically-charged story, with or without comment. Of course, this brings out their friends and/or family who lean more to the right. I comment, they comment, we engage each other in dialogue, and I try to take the high road while they often take the low. Now, clearly, my first mistake is in discussing this stuff with strangers on the internet. But this also happens amongst my own family members — we don’t all lean to the left. Which is fine, and we’re doing pretty well at being respectful of each other’s opinions…but it’s a hard balance to strike.
One thing I try not to get into, though, is a battle of statistics. Always a losing battle. As the saying goes, there are three kinds of lies — lies, damned lies, and statistics. I’d rather base a debate in logical assertions, and try to find cracks in the understanding of the thing. It’s the only way anyone has a chance of being heard.