Their practices are the stuff right wing extremists dream of - I can only imagain how similar to WTS/JW the rest of the world would be if the American Right had their way.
Power, corruption, religion & politics
by Seeker 16 Replies latest jw friends
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teejay
Another cause for the blinders you mentioned in your original post is that people often have a mistaken view of what loyalty is. Most would rather declare themselves a dyed in the wool Baptist rather than a Christian. Expressing allegiance to a specific 'brand' becomes more important than having a loyalty to an indefinite, undefinable truth.
They do the same when it comes to their politics. Apologetic Democrats were able to 'see' Clinton's mistakes but excuse every one of them. Republicans do the same for Bush. Rather than having an overriding interest in what is simply true, their agenda (support for a certain religion or party or pick-up truck) forces them to support it at all cost. Whether it's good or not isn't the issue.
I guess the main cause (thinking out loud, here) is that generally people are close-minded and staying the course is easier than thinking new thoughts. Familiarity with badness is better than risking it all with only the hope of finding nothing better.
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Seeker
Expressing allegiance to a specific 'brand' becomes more important than having a loyalty to an indefinite, undefinable truth.
Ford vs. Chevy, writ large.
This is precisely why I refuse to classify myself politically. I decide each matter on its own merit.
I found something drahcir yarrum said interesting:
I used to be extremely liberal in my point of view when I was young and inexperienced and thought it mattered that life isn't fair. As I've grown older I haven't grown more conservative, simply more pragmatic.
I understand this completely. It is probably a journey most people make in their lives, for the young often are more liberal and then grow increasingly conservative. I find this at work within me too. Yet I find that I don't want to let go of my youthful idealism. Life isn't fair, and there isn't a lot you can do about it, but I'll try anyway. Why not? I keep waiting for life to beat my idealism out of me, but it hasn't happened yet.I sincerely hope I grow to be an old man -- with very youthful idealism. I'd rather bang my head against the wall all my life if that's what it takes.
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TR
Oh JEEZUZ! I like Fords AND Chevys! I must be a liberal conservative, or a conservative liberal, or a moderate, or a liberal libertarian. CRAP!
TR
"YK is his name, false prophecy is his game"
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Seeker
I'm an organized anarchist, myself.
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teejay
Drahcir's description of his political evolution is typical. Most people, idealistic when young, eventually tire of trying to budge the boulder that is the establishment, injustice, world hunger or any number of a host of other social ills. Most of us finally come to grips with the realities of life and the requirements of building a family, with all that entails.
This is precisely why I refuse to classify myself politically. I decide each matter on its own merit.
Same here. I'm every pollster's nightmare. I'm the same way when it comes to buying cars and trucks, btw.
I don't want to let go of my youthful idealism. Life isn't fair, and there isn't a lot you can do about it, but I'll try anyway. Why not? I keep waiting for life to beat my idealism out of me, but it hasn't happened yet.
I sincerely hope I grow to be an old man -- with very youthful idealism. I'd rather bang my head against the wall all my life if that's what it takes.
Again, your outlook reflects mine. I don't know if it's due to my innate stubbornness or because I still believe that I (along with half a billion close friends) can do something good. Maybe I started to late, though. We'll see. I hope you reach the goal you've mentioned here. I'll be pulling for you.
Btw, drahcir mentioned taking a questionnaire that identified him as a libertarian. You might be interested in taking this one at http://www.self-gov.org/quiz.html. Last time I took it I graded out as a libertarian. I just took it again and now my results are:
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Your Personal Self-Government Score is 60%.
Your Economic Self-Government Score is 50%.Scores falling on the centrist border are counted as centrist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'm comfortable 'scoring' differently now than when I took it last time (maybe two years ago). Just goes to show that people change and it's foolish to vote the same or believe the same or drive the same pick-up one's whole life.
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Seeker
Your Personal Self-Government Score is 100%.
Your Economic Self-Government Score is 50%.The top line is my libertarian bent, for sure. The second line is my sorta liberal, sorta not score.
Yes, people do change, and how foolish it is to vote a certain way because 'that's the way I've always voted' or because 'that's how my daddy voted.'