StrangeCaptain
Jedi Council Member
bjorn said:
I see this "hysteria" coloring discourse on both "sides." The complete disconnect of Democrats from how evil Clinton's foreign policy direction would have been is pathetic. On the other hand, anything a Democrat says or does is now typical leftist whining, etc. I think the real divide in the States is between those who can accept, for example, the US has been capable of throwing all of Syria to the wolves (oops... Sorry, wolves! I don't mean to be insulting by comparing you to ISIS!!!) for some perceived geopolitical gain and those who cannot.
This article on Zerohedge is a pretty good summary of a reality that so many Americans are unaware of and maybe could not accept even if they were aware: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-25/americas-putin-derangement-syndrome?page=1#comment-8874687
It even has video links to Biden essentially admitting to what has happened over there.
There is some group of Trump supporters who don't care and will hysterically clap like seals so long as Trump burps out a Tweet and an executive order about jobs or walls every once in a while no matter how divorced from reality it is. Example: Trump's questioning of why Chevrolets aren't sold in Europe. Well, GM doesn't sell Chevrolets in Europe because it has a brand called Opel.
And then there is some group of Democrats who will hysterically flock around anyone who gives lip service to identity causes no matter how war-mongering that politician is...
While the fact that Trump University existed is enough for me to doubt Trump's intentions, I, like many here, think he will be better for the world than Hillary was if he can manage to change the direction of US foreign policy. However, the profound lack of awareness of so many on both the Trump and Clinton sides makes me doubt that real change can happen except for if, almost accidentally, Trump can walk the tightrope that is framing these changes in language that his base can understand.
It makes me sad that the Standing Rock Lakota people fall between the cracks in what stands for discourse in the States. Now, their cause is just more "social justice nonsense" for the Trump seals and the Clinton seals can appropriate their cause to add credibility to their agenda because Native Americans from many tribes are truly marginalized and could really use some well thought out and concrete support from the nation as a whole.
With respect to this appropriation of their cause, I think of an anecdote. I went to an AIM-sponsored Sun Dance once (AIM = American Indian Movement). Some activists brought a mobile kitchen to support the event. They weren't participating directly, and I imagine it was a way to build relationship between the AIM activists and the largely white environmental activists. However, they cooked vegan food for people from Great Plains tribes. Would a true spirit of service and hospitality not necessitate serving meat to an ethnic group that is nearly carnivorous when left to its own devices? No... Let's take a moment to evangelize the savages to our super special, environmentally friendly diet.
Having said all of that, I am still hopeful that some interesting changes can happen if some concrete steps towards reversing the US' interventionist policies can be enacted, but this American tendency of hysterical reactions towards anything not properly framed in the language of one's peer group is, I think, a big impediment.
Also, I think complexity is rearing its intimidating head. I think all of the problems faced by the world at the moment have reached some sort of critical point of complexity that easily digestible narratives will basically be incorrect. No -ism out there may be capable of explaining and proposing meaningful solutions to the problems we face. We can however follow the basic organizational model of deciding on a basic mission and basic values and planning according to them. But how can this be done in say the US when the "2 sides" are incapable of seeing where their values overlap?
The "snowflakes" can't allow themselves to have a conversation with the "bigots" and vice versa. And even worse, they allow themselves to be corralled into increasingly incomprehensible stances.
It all makes me think of the Tower of Babel. Everyone is speaking, and no person can understand another. All the while, the construction of the tower has stopped. No progress is possible.
Let me be clear. I do not advocate seeking middle ground to the exclusion of truth. I guess I am pointing out that despite some reasons to hope that Trump may challenge the Cold War status quo, I fear too many of his followers don't understand how destructive the Deep State has been throughout the world, and too many Democrats are also ignorant of this. This ignorance, so efficiently cultivated by mainstream press and education, essentially cloaks the middle ground that the "2 sides" could have.
So so sooooooo Tower of Babel right now...
:P
