I have never been able to understand the mindset of those who push their beliefs down the throats of others. From telling people who to love and marry, to telling people how to worship, to policing what people eat and telling them what to weigh, MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS! If you were working on yourselves, you would not have time to obsess on what other people are doing! And those "heart warming" family public service nags by the Mormons annoy me too. While overtly they are just promoting family time, they are subtly paving the way for more moralizing.
There's a long history for this sort of thing, and it shows up in and out of both major political parties. During this past election, the word "populism" popped up again as a PC synonym for "red-necked racism." I miss Molly Ivins, for she wouldn't stood for it. This labeling of the opponent, this casual demonization, has been in the American psyche since the literal witch hunts. In the 1930's Father Conklin, among others, was known for it. Most pastors have at least one "joke" (teaching story/parable) about St. Peter conducting a tour of heaven, where each church believes they are the only one there. We can no longer afford to "shoot ourselves in the foot" (or our friends in the head or trunk, if we are Cheney).
Viral email is just the modern version of gossip: it actually isn't all that much faster, it just increases in level and period of repetition. What is needed is to resume teaching critical thinking instead of passive consumption in school. That is, if we want to have an educated populace and a democracy, TRUE populism. We don't have to like everybody, but if we can't play well with others, we really are not going to get very far. Nor as long as logic, any belief but our own, and community organizing are labeled as evil, demonic, communist or whatever divisive word is currently in vogue to divide and conquer the American people. Our enemy - is ourselves, but only if we allow it.
I recommend reading Howard Zinn's "People's History of the U.S." or seeing the new PBS series of that name, and the reading of "Naming Names" about the McCarthy period.
I know its "preaching to the converted" but there were probably 100's of liberals who saw action between WWII and now. One that comes to mind is Eddie Albert, who fought in the Pacific. Among the Hollywood conservatives who did not go to war, John Wayne was the most prominent.
I have never been able to understand the mindset of those who push their beliefs down the throats of others. From telling people who to love and marry, to telling people how to worship, to policing what people eat and telling them what to weigh, MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS! If you were working on yourselves, you would not have time to obsess on what other people are doing! And those "heart warming" family public service nags by the Mormons annoy me too. While overtly they are just promoting family time, they are subtly paving the way for more moralizing.
The Incredible Shrinking Packaging indeed...
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Stephane MOT -
blogules and other Weapons of Mass Disinformation
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[[Leipzig Declaration on Global Climate Change]]
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