"Our enemies would love to have us fight each other."
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Indeed, Mary, and they are succeeding nicely at that. The Jihadis and their stooges on the Left and in the Press are doing their best to sow fear, confusion, and doubt about the current administration. The Jihadis will see it as a tremendous victory if their efforts culminate in defeating the reelection of the current administration.
Mind you, I'm not saying that a vote for Kerry is a vote for the Jihadis, and I'm not saying that Lefty voters and the Press are traitorous; I'm saying that the Jihadis and the power behind them are using terror and other malignant devices to manipulate public opinion everywhere, and they are succeeding.
I'm liberal on many political issues. For instance, I'm strongly against the death penalty; I believe it's un-American to force a women to carry a pregnancy to term against her will; and I am strongly against involuntary conscription.
(The only way I'll concede to a Draft is if pro-draft politicians and fatcats start by putting their OWN kids in harm's way; no exclusions, deferments, or BS excuses -- and while they're at it, they can get their OWN butts to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Korea, and peel potatoes, cooks some meals, do some dishes, dig some ditches, direct traffic, push papers around, or do whatever the hell they're good for besides forcing OTHER peoples' kids to sacrifice.)
Well, as I was saying before I got lost in that rant, I'm Liberal on many issues, so I certainly don't see Liberal voters and the Press as the "enemy." I do, however, think the enemy is manipulated many of them into fighting against their own best interests. They are becoming the enemy's stooges. I don't want to simply confront, provoke, and "make wrong" the hapless Left, because it won't accomplish what needs to be accomplished. Cornering them intellectually only makes them more defensive and reactive. Rather, there's a diplomatic way to present arguments such that the "incorrect" party can improve their views -- a way that doesn't rub their noses in their errors. However, it's not easy to accomplish in our Culture of Argument.
I think you'll agree with me that most people don't want war, most people would rather peacefully coexist with the rest of the world; most people want a just society; most people want freedom and equality; most people want everyone to be well-fed, well-clothed, well-sheltered, well-educated, well-cared for when they become sick or aged, right? Left and Right agree on that. The big problem is agreeing on how best to get there. People on the Right tend to think the Left's approach is folly. (I am one who thinks that.) Simply saying No More War and demonstrating against War is folly. Finger-pointing, name-calling, demonizing, and marginalizing those who disagree with their approach is folly. The Left is terribly misguided in that regard. (Same goes for the Right.)
The Left's approach will not realize the above-mentioned goals that virtually everyone wants to see accomplished. However, it does no good to simply point the finger at them and insist they are wrong. Nor does it do any good to embarrass or belittle them. (Yes, I should practice what I preach, and I'm working on it.)
I'm currently pulling these ideas together to develop a "thesis" for a new blog. It's a challenge, especially in our Culture of Argument. |
