The Blindness Of Politics

 

Day in day out I hear/read/watch Republicans saying that the Affordable Care Act (ACA/Obamacare/Pelosicare etc) must be repealed. They never give a good reason, or any reason for that matter, why it should be so and it seems to come down to  a prejudice against people who need help in life.

 

Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans alike are being attacked on both sides for being pro-choice or pro-abortion. The argument is that a foetus is a life ergo it must be persevered for to kill it is murder. However, what no one seems to realise is that people are alive too and the ramifications of the appeal of the ACA is that many more people will die, many suffering for a long time unable to access help or relief.

 

Here there seems to be an obvious disparity between what is considered life and what is considered life. Immanuel Kant said that we have no obligation towards the welfare of animals except how they mirror our own lives and our own selves- if a child kills a worm then he may grow up to commit mass genocide. Obviously Kant’s theory is deeply problematic, if not completely wrong, as it excludes the nature of humans (such as mental health problems) and creates a rather a questionable notion of causality yet one thing seems to be true, how we treat others reflects who we are (do unto others and so forth).

 

Life is something that is taken for granted by most, as is health both physical and mental. I was speaking to a lady from China and I was telling her of the atrocities that China has done to people (such as minorities such as the Uyghurs, a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia) and animals and are still doing. Whilst she conceded my rather heavy handed approach she rather interestingly said that she understood what I was saying but was scared to know too much for if she knew too much then she would not be happy once back in China. Another lady I spoke to on the matter was blunter ‘I don’t care, it does not affect me’. To both I pointed out how it does affect them for it is through knowledge that one grows and that we have to care about what happens to people, stand up for those oppressed and so forth.

 

More often than not people decide their political allegiances and then go along with whatever their party thinks, most mindlessly going hammer and tong on a policy they may not even agree with, as, amusingly shown in one of Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant TV shows, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

 

 [Stuck on the roof with Danny, Jordan can’t understand why he’s so upset about Harriet’s premature “funny voice” promo.]

Jordan: It’s not the end of the world!

Danny: No, it’s not. But it’s a continuation of the one-sheet world.

Jordan: What’s a one-sheet world?

Danny: You know, a movie poster, a one-sheet. “I think we’ll do the Green Lantern — I can see the one-sheet now. Don’t worry that we don’t have a story — we’re gonna make all our money before word-of-mouth can kill us, anyway.” We elect Presidents the same way. “He’s got a big name, he’ll raise money, he’ll get the nomination! We’ll teach him how to be President later!”

 

Yeah, ‘cos that could never end badly…

 

‘till next time!

Love Is All There Is

 

In the Gospel of St John, it is written ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ Herein lies the central premise of Christianity- sacrifice and salvation, both only possible through love.

 

However, love is often scorned and, even ignored.

 

‘Isn’t it awful, Eryximachus, that hymns and paeans have been made by the poets for other gods, but for Eros, who is so great and important a god, not one of the many poets there have been has ever made even a eulogy? And if you want, consider, in their turn, the good Sophists, they write up in prose praises of Heracles and others, as the excellent Prodicus does. Though you need not wonder at this, for I have even come across a volume of a wise man in which salt got a marvellous puff for its usefulness, and you might find many other things of the kind with eulogies. So they employ much zeal in things like that, yet to this day not one human being has dared to hymn Eros in a worthy manner; but so great a god lies in neglect (Plato)

 

It seems in a world so full of hatred and fear that people would be turning to love for comfort and salvation, yet there seems to be a conflict between human nature and love for to love is to be seen to be weak, ignoring the fact that to truly love and to be loved is the most courageous thing one can do with one’s life and, with all truly great things, although they are everywhere one must seek to find (seek and ye shall find, ask and ye shall receive)

 

 

This is a promise with a catch

Only if you’re looking can it find you

‘Cause true love is searching too

But how can it recognize you

Unless you step out into the light

 

(Daniel Johnston)

 

One might argue that the truest form of love is dedication to another’s wellbeing. However, as with many relationships, marriage is not only scorned but entered into for the wrong reasons

 

‘Niles: I resent that! I did not marry Maris for the money. It was just a delightful bonus.’

The search for God is the search for truth and both God and truth find their purest forms in love. It can be suggested that the work of the great novelists, poets, philosophers, scientists and so forth is simply the search for the higher truth, that of love. It is often said that one does not know what one has until it is gone, Proust said ‘the only paradise is paradise lost’ however, this does not need to be true, this does not need to apply to love- cherish those whom you love and live a life in service to others. Be humble and ye shalt be blessed, but just remember, dear reader

 

Well, I see you got a new boyfriend

You know, I never seen him before

Well, I saw him

Makin’ love to you

You forgot to close the garage door

You might think he loves you for your money…

 

 

But I know what he really loves you for…

 

 

It’s your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat   

(Dylan)

 

Whaaaaaaat?

 

‘till next time

What To Worry About

We live in strange times, that is not to say times of consequence for there have been more terrible men than Trump through history and the human race has survived, but strange none the less.

 

We live in a time of prosperity, a time when going to the moon is repeating ourselves, a time when we dream of realistically walking and living on Mars.

 

However, what is it that people focus on, what is it that people worry about? People worry about their status, their popularity, their neighbour’s private lives. Human beings are reduced to one dimensional caricatures based on their gender or sexuality or ethnicity or religious beliefs and it is this one component that we judged them on. The whole notion of a human being reduced to, for example, if they are a capitalist or if they want unelected people to tell unelected people that people don’t want to be governed by unelected people. The whole thing is absurd and, although it seems humorous in its absurdity, we should be concerned.

 

People often say wouldn’t it be terrible if everyone was the same and everyone agrees with them (unless they want the contempt of those who say it would be boring if everyone agreed with one another) and treat those who are slightly different as though they are abominations.

 

People are so concerned with fitting in, with finding the societal perfection in love, career and friends.

 

In a letter to his daughter, at summer camp, F Scott Fitzgerald allays Scotties fears and concerns of life and lays out a simple plan of what one should worry about

 

 

Halfwit, I will conclude.

 

Things to worry about:

 

Worry about courage

Worry about Cleanliness

Worry about efficiency

Worry about horsemanship

 

Things not to worry about:

 

Don’t worry about popular opinion

Don’t worry about dolls

Don’t worry about the past

Don’t worry about the future

Don’t worry about growing up

Don’t worry about anybody getting ahead of you

Don’t worry about triumph

Don’t worry about failure unless it comes through your own fault

Don’t worry about mosquitoes

Don’t worry about flies

Don’t worry about insects in general

Don’t worry about parents

Don’t worry about boys

Don’t worry about disappointments

Don’t worry about pleasures

Don’t worry about satisfactions

 

Things to think about:

 

What am I really aiming at?

How good am I really in comparison to my contemporaries in regard to:

 

(a) Scholarship

(b) Do I really understand about people and am I able to get along with them?

(c) Am I trying to make my body a useful instrument or am I neglecting it?  

 

These are the kind of things that should be taught in school. Be gentle, be kind, be loving, be forgiving, be compassionate and, by a miracle, the other concerns one has will evaporate as one will have more friends than one knows what to do with and more friends who will be true friends, there when times are hard as well as good for those who act without thought of reward will find more reward than those who strive after such things for, although life will be hard, the rewards people seek will be handed to you by those without resentment but for whom it will be a genuine pleasure. Now tell me, aren’t these the only things worth worrying about?

 

‘till next time

The Problem With Liberals

 

 

Ok, before I start I think I should lay my cards on the table. In various UK elections I have voted for all three parties. My leanings are closer to the left than the right, I believe in free health care, welfare, free education and so forth but, also, I believe in the rule of law, government, regulation, I am a fiscal conservative and I (probably) buy into the cult of the individual too much (any person smarter than me who can teach me something).

 

The majority of the people whom I speak to are also liberals who believe in women’s rights, homosexual rights and so forth but one topic that always seems (emphasis on seems as I have a small model to work with) to bring about a strong response is theology.

 

I was recently involved in an online (I know) group conversation about the current Trump administration. I am as angry and hurt as the next person by the victory and am fearful of the next few years (if not weeks) (Einstein once said ‘Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.’) but the conversation that I was involved in took a turn which was unexpected. Apparently Mike Pence (Vice-President) is a creationist and wants people to be taught about it. Here is where I start to fail to see the problem. A) it should be taught but not as a science but as theology- theology and religions should be taught in school as they have important things to teach us and with a wider knowledge of the world hatred from fear and ignorance will be decreased. And B) what has Mr Pence’s personal beliefs got to do with policy? If he brings in health care, equal rights etc. so what if he believes in literal translation of the bible?

 

In saying this I was inundated with abuse by liberals who didn’t seem willing to accept my perspective fitting with the liberal notion that, to paraphrase George Orwell, all opinions are equal but some are more equal than others. The likelihood that Mr Pence will not bring about equality but will increase the opposite seems high but what has that got to do with his theology?

 

The answer given was that ‘HE IGNORES SCIENTIFIC FACTS!’ a sign that he cannot be trusted to be reasonable.

 

Hmm, scientific fact…

 

I am not here to say my opinion on the notion of facts rather I am here to speak of another scientific fact. Tobacco and alcohol cause serious health problems. This is a fact. However, how many people find out this fact and cease drinking and smoking? How many go this is a scientific, verified fact, ergo I shall follow it? And if people continue to do such things should we question their ability to govern or hold opinions for these people are ignoring and, in some cases, denying facts.

 

We on the left are arrogant, smug and so lazy. All of the protesters around the world against Trump, where were you when the election was happening? Why try to close the barn door after a wall has been built before it?

 

What we need to do is educate our children about theology, about compassion and all of the other principles therein and remove ourselves from our dogmas and accept this very simple and, highly possible, thought. We may be wrong.

 

‘till next time