Bipartisan Senate group proposes ‘no fly, no buy’ gun measure

[Bob Butler 54]

(11-26-2018, 09:09 PM)pbrower2a Wrote: Whatever our political philosophies and economic positions, we all need to promote a more life-affirming culture. That is a rational but not heartless culture, a culture that respects learning and thought, cherishes individuality and achievement, honors human rights, and that recognizes the public welfare  as an objective instead of an option. Wherever one is on the continuum between economic libertarianism and democratic socialism (the latter Marxist economics without the terror and dictatorship of Commie states), we need this lest the rest of what we believe in become a nightmare.

Let us start with an assumption that you have stated a blue value fairly well.

Let us further say that you have not stated a red value very well at all.  Let us assume many red will disagree firmly, that this is a big difference between red and blue.  You are stating your personal values not a Universal Truth.

In the Industrial Age, the positive steps, including the progressive Whig ones, were achieved by violence.  The reduction in power of the kings and nobles, the freedom of the slaves, the defeat of major autocratic powers including fascism and communism, all happened by war and threat of war.  The red acknowledge it.  They see no need to change.  They wish to continue the possibility of violence, if as a last resort if nothing else.  

Ironically, what we saw through the Industrial Age was that the more industrialized blue culture with superior manufacturing was able to regularly defeat the militaristic Agricultural Age power with the glorification of force.  We often saw progress triumph while the older values pressed force.  The autocratic and military cultures lost and died.

Now, I have been pushing recently that this dynamic has changed.  Nukes ended war between fully technological civilizations.  Awakenings and votes of Congress may have replaced crises and war for changing domestic culture.  Democracy may have become reliable enough to replace violence as a way of transforming cultures in some places.  Things may be very different since WW II and the Consciousness Revolution.

If so, the red do not see it yet.  They are still proud that the red do more than their share of maintaining military readiness.  They see value in keeping the government honest by maintaining an armed populace.  They honor the concept of self defense, that the good guys outnumber the bad guys if only they are trained, equipped and ready.

And in the Industrial Age, they were absolutely correct.  Without doubt.  Period.  I still see it as prudent to be stronger than our international autocratic rivals.  Violence remains the ultimate resolution.  It may become obsolete, a true last resort,  to be avoided if possible, but it does remain even in the new age.

Not that I am sure if the red are right anymore.  I have my doubts.  Letting go of the violent trump card and trusting softer forms of power may be risky. Knowing you are morally superior to the armed burger as you bleed out might not be the ideal resolution.

But they are values locked, many of them, in their beliefs.  Asking them to change is unlikely, futile, and unthinkable.  You might be better off considering what changes you demand of them.  It makes some sense to pick your battles and wait for the next crisis awakening.