The Guide To Using Anger As A Tool In Modern Politics To Resolve Elements Of Friction
May 3rd 2009 08:36
“In a controversy, the instant we feel anger, we have already ceased striving for truth and have begun striving for ourselves”
~ Abraham J. Heschel (Jewish theologian and philosopher, 1907-1972)
~ Abraham J. Heschel (Jewish theologian and philosopher, 1907-1972)
At a certain point when friction rears its head in any argument that concerns the greater good, there should always be a point where either side has to give up something to come to a place of compromise.
The problem with this statement as it concerns modern politics is within the fact that the bitter wars of partisanship have created a deep anger from both sides, that goes beyond anything that is healthy for a society, resulting in a great divide between the definition of compromise and appeasement.
Anger from a failed government has been molded into partisan political tools to suite varying political agenda’s leading us astray from the focus of what roused our inner beasts in the first place.
Ideals that once ran side by side have spiraled in opposite directions as each force tries to prove how different it is from the other.
This posturing of forcing our representatives to prove the depth of their core ideals through litmus tests of conservatism and liberalism are reflected in every aspect of our political culture and national agenda.
A national agenda still rooted in the Cold War ideals of power being based around having the biggest toys along with the creation of wars both visible and invisible to solve our domestic and international problems.
Centuries of kicking dirt on our enemies have caused international bitterness towards American ideals and have not put us in a better position on an international stage.
To blind us from these facts, our powers that be have created a smoke screen of Us vs. Them politics that prevent us from having the conversation.
The conversation about how we figure out what’s best for America as a nation doesn’t concern finding a moral high ground on social issues, nor does it concern forming witch hunts on our forefathers or past administrations, but rather is squarely rooted at the action of looking deep within ourselves.
This place is a powerful spot focused on throwing our ideals of hero’s and villains out the window along with our partisan ties in order to examine the whole story.
The story of a country that was formed by men and women whom we would have been considered terrorists, by today’s stringent standards, struggling to build a society based on the tenants of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all their citizens.
As a society, we spend so much time nit-picking at the lifestyles our forefathers lead and history through partisan glasses that we forget about what happened in the big picture.
The big picture of a country that went through growing pains in a chaotic world, but still allowed her citizens, in the minority, rights of due process in challenging Constitutional interpretation.
I’ve reached a point where I’m tired of watching the citizens of a country that have been given so much trash her through simplistic arguments.
Arguments that aren’t based on taking a look at the full scope of corrupt ion, greed, anger and strife in government, but are squarely rooted on political agenda’s that sway to the left or right.
Corruption is Corruption no matter the race, gender, sexual orientation or political party and should be met with the same anger and contempt from the American people.
The reason why problems like the economic crisis can snow ball to the point it has is because we allow the politicians who are going to protect our views on abortion, gun control and other social issues outside of our control to do whatever they want when they arrive on Capitol Hill.
In our modern society, accountability only goes so far as pointing fingers at the other side and this has caused a culture of corruption.
Elections are no longer about holding a person accountable for mistakes made serving as President of the United States or an individual Congressman not representing the views of his constituents, but rather massive shifts of power from one party to another.
There was a time when an election meant something on an individual level for a representative, but in today’s deeply partisan climate, an unqualified candidate can simply ride the wave based on mistakes made in the highest branches of government.
This herd mentality has not made us better as a society and the sad part of the situation lies squarely within the fact of the American people simply throwing their hands up in the air and accepting this as business as usual.
America was born out of a spirit of rebellion by men who fought to break free from a system of government that wouldn’t allow the common man to have his voice heard on affairs that affected his family, community and livelihood.
The situation we’re dealing with today is one where we have been given the gifts for our voices to be heard, but we aren’t using them.
Our society is based on the five minute cheeseburger and 24-hour news cycle spoiling us into believing that things will always work themselves out.
This belief is what allows our politicians to use mistakes, on and off the job, of their predecessor’s to blind us from real problems and hidden agendas.
When the government fails to do it’s job and isn’t willing to listen to the pleas of the American people to find a better way, the time has to come for that spirit of rebellion to rise up from deep inside each and every one of us.
This rise has to be something more than breaking glass ceilings or proving that one party’s social agenda is better than the other, but rather, a resurrection of the American spirit and fight for a better way of life.
| 33 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
