The Search For Radical Independence In Times Of Crisis
May 13th 2009 12:21
“When people thought the Earth was flat, they were wrong. When people thought the Earth was spherical they were wrong. But if you think that thinking the Earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking the Earth is flat, then your view is wronger than both of them put together.”
~Isaac Asimov
~Isaac Asimov
In today’s conversation I want to have a discussion about why we’re here in this place.
This place that was built from the bricks of a society that stood up to say enough is enough from the politics that created an atmosphere of disillusionment and mistrust.
This place that was willing to take a “real” stand against politics that circled around the feeding frenzy involving God, Guns and misunderstanding.
This place that can be summed up in two simple words…
The words Radical Independence as individual words are simple within them selves and could easily be glanced over in causal conversation with out anybody stopping to take notice.
Radicalism in politics, social culture and religion has gripped our society for centuries as we tried to cope with a complex world.
Wars of thought have been a part of our society even before the first cave men drew the classic murals of the hunt on walls or penned these very same stories on paper centuries later.
Great societies were built leading to even greater conflict as we evolved from small community based dwellers into empires built on the aspects of money, power and prosperity.
The aspects of radicalism are built on the very conflict our society was spawned from.
The idea that one man or woman’s way of life is wrong simply because it is different in application, form or thought to another’s personal experiences is at the root of every radical argument in history.
The ideals behind the inquisition, holocaust, and Islamic fundamentalist movement all stem from this place where acquisition of power was used in the ultimate battle to obtain understanding by making everything the same.
The story has continued over and over again branching past religious arguments spawning genocide, terror and strife as societies were molded into the belief that any means necessary meant losing all aspects of their own humanity for the sake of ultimate victory.
There is a sickness deep inside each and every human being that is brought out when we close our minds and follow leaders blindly in times of crisis.
In an effort to understand radicalism we have to take a step forward and become radical within ourselves.
We have to find a place radical enough to believe that we don’t have to latch onto hot button topics to have a conversation.
Fear of the unknown is at the root of every story in our history books where a society allowed a dictator to pursue a reign of terror and this fear is causing the great divide in our society today.
We need to advance past this fear with frank and honest discussion to tone down the figures in our society who do nothing but bring out our worst aspects.
Aspects that inspire people to believe there is no other recourse but to cause harm to other American citizens to get their point across.
Aspects that cause people to close off or blindly follow a man or woman when they see blue or red in front of their name’s rejecting or adopting ideals simply because it comes from one side or the other.
Aspects that have turned a political system based on the premise of each and every American’s voice being heard on a national stage into a power struggle of race, religion, gender and sexual orientation.
The word Independence is at the core of the American spirit.
Blood on American soil is responsible for our nation’s independence from tyrannical rule and taxation without representation or so the story goes…
Brave men and women have fought legendary battles for each and every one of us to enjoy our Independence as a sovereign nation and protect the freedoms guaranteed by our forefathers.
Independence in it’s self is simple in definition but when applied to politics becomes a murky subject.
I like to coin election “08” as the year of the Independent simply because the times our nation is experiencing doesn’t call for a better Democrat or Republican philosophy but rather for a strong Independent leader.
The country screamed for it, every person who ran for office fought the battle of who had the best “Bi-Partisan” record and the man with the best spin campaign won.
In the end it was the failures of government officials from the left and right that inspired the American people to elect a man the people envisioned as a revolutionary outsider who was going to change the game in Washington.
Unlike the fairy tales from our childhood the words on paper didn’t match the experience that filled our dreams when our head hit the pillow.
Facts are facts and so long as we elect leaders from one of the two major parties “Independence” is not something we can use to attribute to one candidate or another from the major parties.
The game of slight of hand is over and as I bring the two words back together it becomes a rejection and acceptance from both sides of the fence.
The ultimate goal isn’t to blow up the two party system or scream for a third party to rise up and clutter our political system even more but is rather to open up the minds of political consciousness.
A radical thought when applied to simple terms but a task I’m willing to take...
My love for this country is too deep for me to simply sit on the sidelines and watch the people we elect continue to not do their jobs.
The train is off the track and we continue to be distracted from the real issue within the fact that the power of the American people has left our grasp.
It’s not too late for us to wake up, put the pom poms down and leave the distractions at the back door if only for the five seconds that it will take for us to get it right again by holding our leaders to task beyond the perch from the side of the fence we happen to be on.
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