You’re either with me or against me
One thing our top politicians / world leaders have succeeded at — beyond their wildest dreams, I’m sure — is polarising the public to such an extent that disagreement in politics is now tantamount to treason / censorship / saying very unpleasant things about your mother.
You disagree with me? You’re a twat and must purged from existence! I will insult and shout over you, and (in the case of weblogs) ban you — because that makes a huge difference to Bush, Blair, Howard, Chirac, Allawi, Schroeder, et al.
Someone here cannot believe that I keep up with the news on a fairly regular basis and, still, cannot support Bush’s decision to invade Iraq. Well, mate, the world news has done nothing but make me even more in favour of opposing unnecessary war. There’s no point arguing about all this stuff — the way the world has gone, you can shout and be sarcastic and talk down to me all you like, but we will never agree. We all say we like to debate, but when someone comes along to challenge our beliefs, look out for the outrage. People on the ‘Left’ read what they want to read, people on the ‘Right’ read what they want to read, cognitive dissonance doesn’t occur, and we emerge with very differing views of the current state of affairs.
And spin? Good Lord. I could make a fortune writing for political titles, if I only had enough conviction (and a decent CV) to go hard Left or Right. In the political world, there may be plenty of room for Left or Right of centre, but on the Internet? No chance. You either think George Bush and his pals or John Kerry and his pals are the devil incarnate (and stupid. And too rich. And boring. And dangerous. And inconsistent).
Maybe it was a good thing when I had no interest in politics. Politics and those who indulge in its fumes are angry, coarse, crude, insulting, sarcastic, rash, and passive aggressive.
It’s a car wreck I still have to watch, though.
In
4 Comments
Agreed. I (much to the bane of many of my friends/associates) am a Rightie NeoCon. Not the frothing, storm-trooper type, but shade over that line so now to be labeled a hate-mongering war dog. In today’s world, there is no conversion or ‘redemption’. In the minds of many, if you dont believe unequivocally that your view is the correct view, you have lost. I have found that agreeing to dis-agree is really the only recourse. Live and let Live. To each is own. For the most part, when others hold a view, that action has pretty much no effect on me or my life. If I shriek and wail, its usually preaching to the choir anyways. Let the Soros’ and Kerry’s and Bush’s and so forth hammer at each other with their ideological hammers, I have children to raise and a 45hr a week job to attend to. If I dont like what I read in the papers, then I dont read that part of the paper. If the news does not fulfill me, then I watch SG1 (or, mostly the Wiggles and Sesame Street these days). For all the intelligence out there, the obvious lack of wisdom is stunning.
I’m waiting for Andrea to be classified as a political dissident and get thrown in a Chinese jail. Don’t worry, though, Andrea. The Chinese government’s gone soft. Now you’ll only get one year in prison.
One year and free tatts from Xiao Beryl the Baby Eater!
How do you know Andrea’s my real name? Ahem.
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