I really enjoy your writings. They provoke thought.
I hope, at some point, you touch upon education and how the changes in it have helped perpetuate our current situation. Civics is no longer taught in schools and that alone seems to have helped to produce a couple of generations that are either ignorant of their constitutional rights or vaguely aware they have rights, but interpret them however they want to. History is whitewashed to the point that the lessons there are no longer fact based interpretations, but rather one sided glorification of misplaced exceptionalism. Words like fascism, socialism, communism, etc, are tossed around in hyperbolic rhetoric with an alarming lack of knowledge of what they truly mean, in efforts to score ridiculous political points. Outrage is the new discourse and seems to have replaced critical thinking.
I'm older than lots of folks. What really shocks me to my core, in terms of the back and forth of the last couple of decades, is the reprehensible lack of regard for truth and knowledge on the part of the most vociferous. I'm deeply saddened by parents who withhold knowledge and indoctrinate children. These children don't stand a chance because they have fewer means to fight unproductive, biased policy and societal changes.
I think it's society's responsibility to let young people loose in today's world with the best arsenal of knowledge, truth and means to access both, that we can. We're failing as a country in that regard and doing future generations a vast disservice. It is only serving to destroy us.
At the very least, I would enjoy reading your opinions on the matter.
Did I miss any mention of Antifa / radical left groups in this essay? It’s got a lot of thought provoking ideas, but to establish balance in the discussion of possible violent upheaval, all the major parts should be included shouldn’t they?
"Radical left" is a myth. BLM demonstrations are 95% peaceful, and the violence-vandalism that does occur is being augmented by some RW elements like the so-called "Boogaloo Boys", "Proud Boys" and other groups, including folks like the notorious "Umbrella Man". Such folks have long confessed to being ready for any opportunity to start a race war in America.
Any true equivalence between left and right in this instance is a myth that some will nonetheless adhere to, no matter what, to support their distorted view.
Dredging up an older one here, but still topical. For transparency, I'm a National Guardsman. So, I was on the military side of the civil unrest. That colors my opinions. But I try to be conscious of how my perspective limits my understanding.
You talk about this in later posts and there is a consideration for is this the end of our national experiment. No governmental structure is permanent. So, with that thought in mind, is this the beginning of the end? My question really goes to your very important, but incredibly boring point. I say boring because I believe it is overlooked by people in these discussions. A major driver of the Ottoman empire was the strength of their bureaucracy.
Bureaucracy binds the military and police, a group that may very well perform operations in contrast to their personal beliefs, even en-masse. This is similar to federal law enforcement. Or corporate groups, forced to act outside of their belief system because the challenge of breaking outside those bureaucratic limitations is too great. Or just not worth it. How far can these bureaucratic limits stretch against the values of the individuals participating within them?
I don't mean how long will the National guard who may lean toward Trump, battle protesters that support Trump. I mean systemically, what cracks will start to emerge across the country where the various interconnected civilian, and governmental ties no longer hold people against their own personal belief systems?
I would add one critical thing that is both "tribes" are being manipulated by people who want to see various outcomes and these people do not have good intent but it is a fact that even if some people feel that the person that voted differently than they did is somehow an enemy I don't think the vast majority of Americans believe that at nor do they believe when somebody from CNN say is a protest is mostly peaceful as he's standing with a background of cars and buildings burning in the background.
Hi Patrick, I sent you a Facebook message that I’d like your opinion on because I’d like to have a discussion with you on some of your viewpoints. I’d really appreciate a response. Thanks!
I guess the author thought it was good when 44 said “We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.” in Columbia, Missouri on October 30, 2008, on the cusp of his presidential election. We didn’t.
I really enjoy your writings. They provoke thought.
I hope, at some point, you touch upon education and how the changes in it have helped perpetuate our current situation. Civics is no longer taught in schools and that alone seems to have helped to produce a couple of generations that are either ignorant of their constitutional rights or vaguely aware they have rights, but interpret them however they want to. History is whitewashed to the point that the lessons there are no longer fact based interpretations, but rather one sided glorification of misplaced exceptionalism. Words like fascism, socialism, communism, etc, are tossed around in hyperbolic rhetoric with an alarming lack of knowledge of what they truly mean, in efforts to score ridiculous political points. Outrage is the new discourse and seems to have replaced critical thinking.
I'm older than lots of folks. What really shocks me to my core, in terms of the back and forth of the last couple of decades, is the reprehensible lack of regard for truth and knowledge on the part of the most vociferous. I'm deeply saddened by parents who withhold knowledge and indoctrinate children. These children don't stand a chance because they have fewer means to fight unproductive, biased policy and societal changes.
I think it's society's responsibility to let young people loose in today's world with the best arsenal of knowledge, truth and means to access both, that we can. We're failing as a country in that regard and doing future generations a vast disservice. It is only serving to destroy us.
At the very least, I would enjoy reading your opinions on the matter.
I agree. At this point, we are given strictly controlled doses of "freedom" and no more. Feels like a color revolution to me.
Did I miss any mention of Antifa / radical left groups in this essay? It’s got a lot of thought provoking ideas, but to establish balance in the discussion of possible violent upheaval, all the major parts should be included shouldn’t they?
"Radical left" is a myth. BLM demonstrations are 95% peaceful, and the violence-vandalism that does occur is being augmented by some RW elements like the so-called "Boogaloo Boys", "Proud Boys" and other groups, including folks like the notorious "Umbrella Man". Such folks have long confessed to being ready for any opportunity to start a race war in America.
Any true equivalence between left and right in this instance is a myth that some will nonetheless adhere to, no matter what, to support their distorted view.
An old story in America.
Both Team D And Team R use law to attack their enemies, whilst ignoring or encouraging violations of those same laws by their respective supporters.
Dredging up an older one here, but still topical. For transparency, I'm a National Guardsman. So, I was on the military side of the civil unrest. That colors my opinions. But I try to be conscious of how my perspective limits my understanding.
You talk about this in later posts and there is a consideration for is this the end of our national experiment. No governmental structure is permanent. So, with that thought in mind, is this the beginning of the end? My question really goes to your very important, but incredibly boring point. I say boring because I believe it is overlooked by people in these discussions. A major driver of the Ottoman empire was the strength of their bureaucracy.
Bureaucracy binds the military and police, a group that may very well perform operations in contrast to their personal beliefs, even en-masse. This is similar to federal law enforcement. Or corporate groups, forced to act outside of their belief system because the challenge of breaking outside those bureaucratic limitations is too great. Or just not worth it. How far can these bureaucratic limits stretch against the values of the individuals participating within them?
I don't mean how long will the National guard who may lean toward Trump, battle protesters that support Trump. I mean systemically, what cracks will start to emerge across the country where the various interconnected civilian, and governmental ties no longer hold people against their own personal belief systems?
I would add one critical thing that is both "tribes" are being manipulated by people who want to see various outcomes and these people do not have good intent but it is a fact that even if some people feel that the person that voted differently than they did is somehow an enemy I don't think the vast majority of Americans believe that at nor do they believe when somebody from CNN say is a protest is mostly peaceful as he's standing with a background of cars and buildings burning in the background.
Hi Patrick, I sent you a Facebook message that I’d like your opinion on because I’d like to have a discussion with you on some of your viewpoints. I’d really appreciate a response. Thanks!
I guess the author thought it was good when 44 said “We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.” in Columbia, Missouri on October 30, 2008, on the cusp of his presidential election. We didn’t.