Post#40 » by gigantes » Fri Sep 7, 2018 3:00 am
Looks like this thread isn't being trolled at the moment, so I think I might try to drop in again, plus read more of the updates here. It can get a little overwhelming at times, particular since my tank is full with various issues already, like China and even Western Civ as a whole. But I'll try. I mean the midterm elections in particular seem pretty //fluffing// important, for one.
Anyway, here's a little rant du jour...
So, one thing I often muse on in a head-shaking kind of way is the common idea of being a "proud conservatism" that many Americans seem to Trumpet and/or lovingly embrace.
So then-- fine. You're proudly proclaiming yourself a "conservative?" Okay then, but here's a question-- what is it you're "conserving," exactly? What does your identity word of CONSERVATIVE actually mean? ((Perfectly fair question, amirite...?))
For example, are you concerned about SUSTAINABILITY? Because, yeah... that seems like a pretty dang important thing to be concerned about in the age of GCC, ocean acidification, shrinking fresh water sources, microplastics contamination of the air, sea and land (a recent issue in the news), overuse of antibiotics, fracking and related activities causing both groundwater contamination and increased seismic activity, etc, etc, etc. I.e., stuff that we kinda need to take care of in order to have a future.
Oh yeah, I know-- "don't worry, we'll figure it out in the future!" (funny how that's been the working response since the start of the industrial age, with the stakes ever higher and the problems ever worse)
But again, setting that little bit of 'extremist liberal overreaction' aside, what DOES a "conservative" think they're actually conserving, anyway? Because it obviously wasn't the bulk of the natural, stupendously-beautiful American environment, nor the original peoples here who could have gone on living with said environment for an almost endless amount of time... nor was it historically equal rights (or even human decency) for women, African slaves, various minorities, and a range of outsiders across the greater portion of American history. (The list goes on, but I guess the point is made)
So anyway yeah, it just seems weird to me sometimes-- the way I've normally just nodded my head on the usage of the word so utterly automatically. "Ah, so you're a Conservative. That means a certain rough set of beliefs and opinions about what's best for America, and that sort of thing. No problem. We'll just proceed from there and I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and you can go ahead and own the word. Cool, cool..."
But then for some reason I stop and think about it one day. And then it seems more like a proud, self-proclaimed "conservative" is basically just saying stuff like... I dunno... "all I really care about is money, covering my rump, and my own uncompromisingly narrow vision of right-and-wrong." So for me it's like...wow. Where the hell were my real listening skill this whole time?
Rant du jour be done! Peace.
The GOP has zero respect for the rule of law and have broken norms left and right. Booker is doing the right thing here, **** the rules.
