Tag: Political Debate

The Age Of Identity Politics

It appears that we have entered into the age of identity politics.  The “center” that we so much about in the past has collapsed and disappeared.

With the end of centrism, as it has been called, the extremes of Left and Right have taken the place of civil discourse.

A pretty good article about this collapse appeared in the American Conservative…..

I do not always agree with there ideas but they have some good points from some good thinkers…….

Sometimes it seems to me that identity politics and the collapse of the political center are pushing us all towards a prison-gang mentality, in the sense that you may not want to join up with the gangsters of your own tribe (white, black, Latino), but you do to protect yourself from the attacks of the other tribes.

Do I want to align with the Trump Republicans? Most assuredly I do not. Yet rising  militancy on the left — campuses being the vanguard — and the inability of liberal centrists to stand up to it, frightens white, male, heterosexual, religiously conservative me for the future. I look at the Democratic Party and see a party that regards people like me as American kulaks, as the class enemy to be crushed for the sake of justice and the final defeat of “white supremacy.” Yes, I’m being deliberately hyperbolic here, but that’s their basic approach. They may couch it in all kinds of arguments designed to conceal what they’re doing, but they are only deceiving themselves; it is clear to the rest of us what’s going on.

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/age-of-reformation/

AS long as I am writing about “centrism”…..I found another article about this political situation……

Centrism is a decidedly wimpy word, but it is a powerful political idea. Over the last few weeks, many commentators and critics have compelled me to contemplate centrism more carefully. Is centrism a kind of “average” of extremes: They want single-payer insurance; the other side wants free market insurance; centrists want some unique hybrid? What then when the extreme position is the correct one? Does the centrist defy the truth simply to mold the world to his or her obsessions with compromise? As I’ve contemplated these important questions, I’ve begun to believe that the truly unique and important thing about centrism is its insistence on debate, and its uneasiness with prepackaged dogmas and identity narratives. Centrism is a flexible political position, but it is inflexible in its urging of open inquiry and spirited discourse.

http://quillette.com/2017/10/10/the-spirit-of-centrism/

This new age of division will not do anything good for the country…..we already have too much partisan dickering and this will just add to the problems with no solutions.

Some even see the end of “liberalism”…..that should make some of Trump’s bootlickers in society extremely happy if it were true……..there are some that predict the end……

It’s not that I’m a Trump supporter. It’s just that you, my friend, are actively undermining the very foundations of everything you purport to defend.”

Over the past ten months, that conflicted sentiment has led me into countless debates with people much more implacably opposed to the President than I am. I live in Washington, DC. We voted for Hillary Clinton by an overwhelming 90.9 percent. Most of the people I end up arguing with are my friends and colleagues.

https://www.the-american-interest.com/2017/11/01/the-end-of-liberalism/

I do not agree that liberalism is ending or being destroyed…..I feel that it is going through a transition in this age of populism and will return as strong as it has been in the past.

Note:  Yet again I would like to apologize for the urls but since WP saw best to eliminate the “Press This” button I am resorting to what you see here….again my apologies.  chuq

Electoral College: Reasons Not To Abolish

There is a debate going on….the same debate that we have after each election especially the ones that are somehow contested, about the Electoral College.

This election has started the usual debate once again…..sad part is both sides are basing their opinions on emotional crap…..nothing can be doe until calmer heads prevail….

I am of the mind, for the past 30 years, that it is time for it to go….this is the 21st century maybe we should move our elections into it.

But once again to be fair….this is a report issued by the Brookings Institute in favor of keeping the system intact.  Keep in mind the Brookings is a status quo think tank…….they benefit from the system staying as it is……

If democracy means the majority rules, the Electoral College is an undemocratic institution. Twice in the last five elections it has delivered the White House to the loser of the popular vote. In 2000 it gave the nation George W. Bush. Two weeks ago it gave us Donald Trump, although Clinton will most likely have a more than two million vote edge among those who cast ballots. Many people, not just liberals, fear that a Donald Trump presidency will threaten core American values. Some of his initial appointments and failure to strongly condemn the racism of some of his followers have done nothing to quiet these fears. If this is not enough to condemn the Electoral College to oblivion, it has long since ceased fulfilling the function for which it was intended: namely, ensuring that the President owed his office to the people and not to the Congress (at the time, allowing the Congress to choose the president was the most likely alternative) while at the same time interposing a deliberative group of wise men (and they were all men back in the day) between a perhaps overzealous populace and the country’s most powerful office.

Source: Two cheers for the Electoral College: Reasons not to abolish it | Brookings Institution

I stand by my belief that the political system would be a better institution without the Electoral College….one person, one vote…is that not how a democracy is suppose to work?

The debate over the EC is getting interesting…..

There’s been talk of “faithless electors” trying to overturn the Electoral College vote on Dec. 19 that presumably will fall in Donald Trump’s favor, but one Texas elector has so much faith that he’s taking a different route, per the Houston Chronicle: He’s resigning his GOP elector’s post entirely. In what Politico calls a “little noticed” blog post from the weekend titled “Conflicted Elector in a Corrupt College,” Art Sisneros of Dayton explains the difference between a republic and a democracy, states that most electors are forced to make pledges that flout both the Bible and the Constitution, and proclaims he’s stepping down as an elector because, although the “vast majority of Republicans” are pleading with him to vote for Trump, “they don’t make the case that Trump is indeed biblically qualified.”

“I believe voting for Trump would bring dishonor to God,” Sisneros adds, comparing electors to parents who are supposed to step in so their kids won’t gorge on Skittles for dinner—but who, in what he says is the conservative view, still go by what the people say. By resigning, he says, another elector can step in, and “the people will get their vote. They will get their Skittles for dinner. I will sleep well at night knowing I neither gave in to their demands nor caved to my convictions. I will also mourn the loss of our republic.” Sisneros also acknowledges that in regard to the “biblical qualifications” he thinks candidates should possess, “most will think I am just clinging to long forgotten principles that, quite frankly, no one cares about anymore.” The Republican Party of Texas didn’t immediately get back to the Chronicle for comment.

I have heard a lot of stuff around the EC….but “biblical qualified”?

Now that is a new one!

I have thought of many reasons to eliminate the EC……..and not once did I ever think of the Bible in my opposition.

Tonight’s The Night……..

“Everything’s gonna be alright”…..(Rod Stewart reference)…..

I see by the clock on the wall….it is time to end my posting day……..I leave my readers with one last thought…….BACON! (Sorry must be on-set Touret’s)….

Yes we have a GOP debate to night…..there will be a “kiddie” table one first and then the Big Event….the Trump Show will commence…..

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I will go on record as saying that there will be NOTHING new here…Trump will perform…all others will try to play catch up….

But I guess if you must amuse yourself with silliness….then what you need to watch for in tonite’s matinee……

The Republicans debate again Wednesday night, with a field still big enough to require two events. The undercard is at 6pm Eastern on CNBC (Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, George Pataki, and Lindsey Graham), followed by the main event at 8pm on the same network with the remaining 10. (Their rankings, according to cumulative polls: Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Chris Christie, John Kasich, and Rand Paul.) Given that CNBC is a business news network, expect a heavy focus on economic issues, notes USA Today. Some things to watch:

  • Trump vs. Carson: Trump has lost his lead to Carson in the latest polls (though he still leads cumulatively), which means “the Donald will be looking to tear him down,” notes Slate. Will Carson’s cool demeanor crack now that he’s a bigger target as a frontrunner?
  • Which Bush? He has the “most at stake by far,” says Mike Allen of Politico, and he needs a strong night to convince backers he’s still their guy. The question is whether the Bush who shows up will be the relatively subdued Bush of the first two debates or more forceful.
  • Rubio vs. Bush: Rubio has skillfully become the No. 1 establishment candidate in part with smart debate performances. One wrinkle Wednesday night: “Bush may be looking for a fight” to reclaim that establishment crown, notes Yahoo.
  • Christie as Trump alternative? “This is a debate where Christie needs to come out and show that if you like the Trump swagger, but you have concerns about the Trump electability, I can be your guy,” according to Jonathan Martin in the New York Times.
  • Wild cards: Fiorina “needs a shot of momentum” and has gotten one after the first two debates, observes Real Clear Politics. But she and the rest of the pack will likely be struggling to get noticed. Kasich in particular has been signaling that he’s going to get aggressive, while Carson’s rise in the polls is putting pressure on Cruz to stake his claim as the anti-establishment candidate.

Me?  I have a really excellent bottle of Spanish Sherry…..I will sleep like a baby.

 

Whatever happened to critical intellectuals? – Al Jazeera English

That is a damn good question.  Critical thinking is a thing of the past….today it is all along “party lines”….little “outside the box” thinking left.  We have proven that the thinking of today’s political climate progress is just not possible.

In my studies at university I was taught about the classical definitions of conservatism and liberalism…….there is nothing like them in American politics of today……basically we are confronted with the same coin only different sides of neoliberalism.

Neoliberalism combined with the disappearance of critical intellectuals spell a bleak future for Western democracy.

Source: Whatever happened to critical intellectuals? – Al Jazeera English

Our society needs more critical thinking…….if it is to survive the crush of stupid that prevails in these days of…..whine and poses!

Turn The Page!

The GOP Debate: Big Day Comes A Callin’

In a couple of days the long awaited first GOP debate of the election season will commence…….and there has been much written about the format that FOX News will use…..it seems only the 10 top candidates in the national polls will be allowed on stage at this first attempt to find a candidate….

The problem most people have is that it is not a good representation of quality candidates but rather who has the biggest mouth and the most absurd stands…….

It appears that some of the pollsters are coming to their senses……..(reported in Political Wire)………

“The Marist Institute of Public Opinion has suspended its polling of the GOP primary field in protest of how polls are being used to determine debate participants,” Politico reports.

“The poll, which is done in conjunction with McClatchy, is one of the more well-respected national polls regularly conducted. But Lee Miringoff, the director of the Marist Institute, told McClatchy that they’re suspending their poll for this week because the debate criteria assumes the polls are more precise than they are in reality.”

I think they are right in their conclusions…..but I question the timing.  If this is truly what they feel then why wait until a couple days before the debate to withhold their polls?  Why not a month ago?  Or 2 or 3?

What purpose does it serve to pull it now?  Or a better question is what is their benefit of pulling the polls?  Was this a genuine concern or was it simply a marketing ploy?

Tell me what you think is behind this move…….

How To Be Effective

This may be my only post today….I have to settle a bunch of legal stuff dealing with my father’s estate…….but do not despair I shall return….probably more opinionated than I was……we can only hope that I do not take offense and try and strangle some random attorney……my handler will be with me to keep me on the straight and narrow……Let us pray!

All of us bloggers, especially those of us that write on politics, want to be effective.  We try and bring issues and situations to light to hopefully start a dialog…..we all want what is best for the country and its people.

When I began my political writing and analysis I was given some great advice by my grandfather…….”Never write a novel when a paragraph will do.”  Basically, keep it short and precise and always stay on topic.  It has proven to be excellent advice that has served me well over the years of writing and speaking.

I try to help my fellow bloggers in any way that I can….I am by no means an expert and have made many mistakes in the last 8 years of blogging….a lot of hit and miss……I pass on some of the stuff that I have come across in those years that could possibly help my friends and fellow bloggers……

Awhile back I was reading on the ‘net and came across some advice that a man, Ramzy Baroud, had given to a 16 year old that wanted to get involved in activism….let me pass on a couple of his points that I found helpful……..

Humanize – But don’t sanctify your subject

It doesn’t matter how worthy a cause is, if it is too distant or disconnected from people. It is essential that you allow your audience the chance to relate to your cause as that of people, with names and stories, beautiful, inspiring, but also disheartening and complex. But it is important that you don’t provide a sanctified, thus unrealistic narrative either, for your audience will disown you and question your credibility. Humanize your subject, but remain truthful in your presentation.

Be educated, strive for intellect and be wary of ideology

Education will give you access to otherwise inaccessible platforms. It will empower you and your message with the articulation you need to widen your circle of support. But you are also an intellectual. The right education could further develop your intellect. And when it is done with sincerity, both education and intellect will feed on one another. While there is no harm in adhering to an ideology that you may perceive to hold the answers to the dilemmas with which you contend, be wary of becoming an ideologue, a slave to stubborn dogmas. That will stifle your intellect and will make your education a mere platform to serve unworthy, elitist causes.

Keep an open mind

No matter how powerful your argument may seem, how high your education and how insurmountable your intellect is, remain humble and open-minded. If you close your mind, it will cease to grow. Your ideas will eventually become outdated, and your ability to imagine a world beyond your own will wither and die under the weight of your own sense of self-importance.

These are excellent points and I feel that if we try to keep them in mind there could be a better dialog and possibly find the answers we are all striving to find…..Just a few of my thoughts early in the morn after a good cup of Joe…….Have a day, my friends.

Climate Change Debate

One last note on this…my day of climate change……

There is a debate, believe it or not, going on about the issue of climate change or if you care global warming…..the problem to my thinking is that the debate is seldom cared on at the same time.  Yes we have conflicting points of view and they are very vocal in their positions….the real problem is that the debate is never done face to face.  Instead the discussion is done in 30 second sound bites or 3-5 minute segments on the media we call news…….and then it is usually not the opposing sides but rather one side or the other making their points and NO one challenges their findings, instead the moderator just feeds the position taken, basically soft ball questions….nothing in opposition.

We all have our opinion on the subject……me?  I think man would f*ck up a wet dream……but then it is my opinion and we know what they say about opinions, don’t we?  There is scholarly research done on both sides of the argument……however there are those that are paid by business and industry to come up with a position paper and they use mercenary scientists that will do whatever it takes to earn a buck.

Let me illustrate for you……we will look at a simple statement of what conservs feel and those of liberals…….

Liberal
Global warming is caused by an increased production of carbon dioxide through the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas).  The U.S. is a major contributor to global warming because it produces 25% of the world’s carbon dioxide.  Proposed laws to reduce carbon emissions in the U.S. are urgently needed and should be enacted immediately to save the planet.  Many reputable scientists support this theory.
Conservative
Change in global temperature is natural over long periods of time.  Science has not shown that humans can affect permanent change to the earth’s temperature.  Proposed laws to reduce carbon emissions will do nothing to help the environment and will cause significant price increases for all.  Many reputable scientists support this theory.
There you go…….if you want to debate the subject……pick a side and then build your case around that belief……….
There will Never be a deciding debate on this issue until the players stop acting like cowards and debate one another face to face…..and there will NEVER be a solution one way or the other until the voter learns to listen and understand all sides of an issue……basically, what I am saying is that we will NEVER have a solution of this issue in my life time…….Americans just do not have it in them.  And that is the truly sad part of this situation.