I am not a Republican, and even if I were, I am not the type to vote party lines. However, I find myself irritated by the strange stereotyping of Republicans as a bunch of old rich white dudes, overly zealous Christian white people, NASCAR fans, and Jingoists. This keeps showing up on websites, in magazines, sit-coms. It's as bad as the stereotype of Democrats as pot smoking, tree hugging, pro-choicers that feel bad when they say something politically incorrect. Both are the extreme versions of the party, and I have always felt that judging anything by its worst part is probably a really piss-poor way to understand anything.
This division amongst the general voting population is killing us, and distracting us.
As J. Billingston Bulworth once said, "Black people and white people have more in common than they have with rich people." Well I think, the average Republican has more in common with the average Democrat, than either has for a Rush Limbaugh, or a Nancy Pelosi.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Issue 1: Education
This may not be the most important today, but it is an important one regardless.
It's falling apart around here, and as far as I can tell from talking to teachers and friends, it is pretty much falling apart across the country. We still produce the occasional genius or bottom to top underdog story, but they are fewer than they used to be. As a whole we are developing poor work habits, study habits and eating habits from an early age.
This is not the fault of the educator, they are a product of a society that doesn't want to pay them, ties them down with restrictions and bureaucracy and does not have the resources to allow the children to compete in a global market. And increasingly seems to not want them to compete.
We still have school days that run on a farm calendar, despite the fact that we have passed through an agrarian society to a manufacturing one, and passed that into a service one. That isn't my biggest issue though. My largest concern is about subject matter.
There are two classes that need to be taught in schools; basic personal finance and basic nutrition. If your response is that these things are the responsibility of the parents, then look around you. We are all scrambling around because most adults do not understand these two very basic ideas. How many times did you have to talk to someone about what APR is? What is a 401k and how does it work? What is an HSA? How do you sign up for unemployment benefits if you need them? How do you get a car loan and whats a good rate? We have no idea until after the fact, or we have a parent who did their homework.
Nutrition is absolutely lacking, and it is having an effect on us and our image. We are suffering from obesity on an epic scale, heart disease and diabetes are rampant, basic body functions are failing, all because we want that laaaaaast slice of cake. For the arguement that there are people who suffer from thyroid or genetic issues that prevent them from being thin: yes there are, but because they feel they can never be thin they give up. I live in the midwest, where "husky" and "bigboned" or "big appetite" have been excuses for years.
Whole business empires have been created to cater to our failing to understand what is good for us, finacially or nutritionally. If nothng else, we need to learn to teach these things before we go through another credit crunch by a country unwilling to do an abdominal one.
It's falling apart around here, and as far as I can tell from talking to teachers and friends, it is pretty much falling apart across the country. We still produce the occasional genius or bottom to top underdog story, but they are fewer than they used to be. As a whole we are developing poor work habits, study habits and eating habits from an early age.
This is not the fault of the educator, they are a product of a society that doesn't want to pay them, ties them down with restrictions and bureaucracy and does not have the resources to allow the children to compete in a global market. And increasingly seems to not want them to compete.
We still have school days that run on a farm calendar, despite the fact that we have passed through an agrarian society to a manufacturing one, and passed that into a service one. That isn't my biggest issue though. My largest concern is about subject matter.
There are two classes that need to be taught in schools; basic personal finance and basic nutrition. If your response is that these things are the responsibility of the parents, then look around you. We are all scrambling around because most adults do not understand these two very basic ideas. How many times did you have to talk to someone about what APR is? What is a 401k and how does it work? What is an HSA? How do you sign up for unemployment benefits if you need them? How do you get a car loan and whats a good rate? We have no idea until after the fact, or we have a parent who did their homework.
Nutrition is absolutely lacking, and it is having an effect on us and our image. We are suffering from obesity on an epic scale, heart disease and diabetes are rampant, basic body functions are failing, all because we want that laaaaaast slice of cake. For the arguement that there are people who suffer from thyroid or genetic issues that prevent them from being thin: yes there are, but because they feel they can never be thin they give up. I live in the midwest, where "husky" and "bigboned" or "big appetite" have been excuses for years.
Whole business empires have been created to cater to our failing to understand what is good for us, finacially or nutritionally. If nothng else, we need to learn to teach these things before we go through another credit crunch by a country unwilling to do an abdominal one.
It Begins
I created this to write down my thoughts on modern day America, and obviously, how I feel about daily politics, the direction I think things are going in, and where I feel we would be better off going.
I am a Moderate, and I feel that the polarizations and self-absorptive behavior in present day America is disgusting. Strong words I know, but its true. It is Palin vs. Pelosi in a grudge match for the future of this country, and considering how much influence we still have, the world.
I want to put in my two cents, and if no one hears them, that is fine (not really). If you feel that this description follows yours, I ask that you join me in pursuit of dignity and progress. If you are reactionary or radical, you will find little you agree with here. I will admit that my opinions and ideas do have somethings in common with both, here or there. I am not "moderate" by being middle of the road on everything, but by being a mixture of everything. You will not find hemming and hawing here, but strong words and strong opinions.
But if you have been Missing Moderatism in this crazed quest for "winning America" then maybe you will find some things you agree with here. We will have differences of opinion on some things, but hopefully we can remain friends despite that.
I am a Moderate, and I feel that the polarizations and self-absorptive behavior in present day America is disgusting. Strong words I know, but its true. It is Palin vs. Pelosi in a grudge match for the future of this country, and considering how much influence we still have, the world.
I want to put in my two cents, and if no one hears them, that is fine (not really). If you feel that this description follows yours, I ask that you join me in pursuit of dignity and progress. If you are reactionary or radical, you will find little you agree with here. I will admit that my opinions and ideas do have somethings in common with both, here or there. I am not "moderate" by being middle of the road on everything, but by being a mixture of everything. You will not find hemming and hawing here, but strong words and strong opinions.
But if you have been Missing Moderatism in this crazed quest for "winning America" then maybe you will find some things you agree with here. We will have differences of opinion on some things, but hopefully we can remain friends despite that.
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