01-02-2022, 02:07 PM
(01-02-2022, 10:42 AM)David Horn Wrote:(01-02-2022, 02:05 AM)Classic-Xer Wrote: My mother listened to your (actually mine -- pbrower2a -- which is classical) music. She was American to the core. Musical taste or preference has nothing to do with whether one is American or not. Whether you are aware or not, there is a natural process that is taking place right now. Americans are leaving Democratic controlled areas by the thousands which is good for America in my opinion. I have no love for the Progressives and they have no love for me or Americans in general. You should know that by now. You're on their side, you're working for them and you should know what that means too. I've spent the last two decades reminding Progressives about the American country and showing them what Americans have the freedom to do and the power to do as well. 4 vs 1 only matters here that's all. Right now in real life, its about 6 vs 4 which means you're done. If it takes a fight to prove its done then so be it. To be honest, I don't know a Democrat who is a Democrat these days. YOU ARE GOING to learn that elections have consequences. Every fucking one of you is going to learn it by the time. Welcome to the Real World boy. I wish you luck and Godspeed.
If people are leaving one area for another, that doesn't imply that their philosophy is being left behind. I moved to Red America 50 years ago. I'm sitll a liberal/progressive. As people move, they rebalance the politics of the area they adopt. Right now, the most targetted area is Texas, with expat Californians providing the anchor votes. Why do you think the Texas Republicans are going so far overboard with voter suppression? It may take a few cycles for the demographics to become undeniable, but they will at some point. The real queston: can you Red Americans tolerate being a more-or-less permanent minority?
Values generally don't change much in people from a certain point in time. If they do change then such results from a traumatic experience or from someone redefining points. I used to think of homosexuality as absurd and unnatural and accepted the common view that they were predators upon boys. I have been threatened with gay-bashing, and I came to recognize that the problem isn't so much that I can't convince some hateful person how masculine I am (I'm a sissy) but instead that homophobia is a danger to all of us, at least through loved ones and personal friends. I still abhor the sexual predators, but those gays and lesbians who cannot love outside of their own gender are no threat to me. Law and order is of course necessary for making civil liberties and human rights meaningful, so whatever puts the bulk of homosexuals in the civil mainstream makes my life safer. That means the right to same-sex marriage, non-discrimination in the workplace and commerce, and adoptions by same-sex couples. Homophobic violence? Go to prison, violent offender!
A high level of formal education, especially liberal arts, does not go well with demagogues of any kind. (One solution to our political malaise is to ensure that anyone who wants it and has adequate grades can get two years of liberal-arts education free of charge, with the stipulation that it will include some critical courses that make one more aware of some realities essential to full participation in a social order as complex as ours.
Freshman composition -- so that one can write coherent reports
economics -- there's no free lunch, but some things create prosperity even if they are given away
psychology -- so that one can understand and reject manipulation
philosophy -- formal logic, ethics, and seeking meaning in life
probability and statistics -- so that one understands numerical reality as applied to human phenomena
comparative political systems -- democracy is flawed, but fascism, Marxism-Leninism, and theocracy all suck
music appreciation -- there is more than pop music, especially folk, jazz, and classical
art appreciation -- one needs something to do with spare time, and art is enriching
leisure sports -- weight control! It's hard to eat chips and drink beer while swimming, golfing, or playing tennis
world literature -- readers are happier people
comparative religion -- dispel some bigoted myths
geography -- the natural environment and how it affects life and economic circumstances and local culture
If one knows that Jews, Christians, and Muslims worship the same god, then one is less likely to be a religious bigot. There is more to life than what I much disparage as "sex&drugs&rock-n-roll" because it is so d@mned empty. No, I do not mean only wealth, comfort, and bureaucratic power which are themselves primitive desires. To be good, people must be willing to sacrifice some personal comforts and economic certainty.
Empathy also makes one less likely to stand for extremist ideologies.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.