Politics…Imagined
It has disappeared almost as fast as it sprang into the discussion, but the video from veteran Democratic persons in Congress, telling members of the military they did not need to follow unlawful orders bears further discussion. (I had to search far and wide, but found it in unaltered, unedited and uncommented form on the Facebook page of one of the Congresspersons involved.) Everybody has rightfully asked, “What orders?” But I don’t think the non-existence of such orders is really the heart of the issue here.
That this video inflames our political divisions in undeniable. Jim Geraghty yesterday did a masterful analysis of the lack of factual basis for the video and since he is no fan of Trump, went on to look at some of the ways Trump too inflames our political divide. In the end this thing is like throwing a can of lighter fluid into an already well burning fire. That this video is a straw man cannot be disputed. Geraghty’s point is that the straw man is not necessary, Trump is plenty refutable in his own right. Well, kinda true, but not necessarily absolutely true.
Trump can be distasteful and his style is often unbecoming. He is prone to speaking before thinking. None of that is good, but none of it is disqualifying. By the same token we have tried, for a long time now, to play the game politely only to lose ground each time. Trump may just be a necessary, if not perfect, corrective. Vance and Rubio, the two seeming next-in-lines, certainly appear to have learned how to stand their ground from him, but do so far more tastefully.
But the real issue is that these straw men appeal so to those that find Trump so distasteful. Their distaste suspends their reason – and that more than any other single factor is what really inflames our political divides. Its not that these politicians are making stuff up – politicians have done that forever – it is that they are purposefully enhancing a lack of reason. They are robbing people of their ability to detect the lies. It is not leadership in any fashion – it is a dishonest pursuit of gross self-interest.
This is a complete failure of how things are supposed to work in this country. Government exists to help people succeed. This is designed to to keep them captive to their passions. It is odious.
Then There Is The Saturday Round-Up
Oh, The host is gonna love this.
Government waste has many forms.
Africa is truly a hellhole. Which takes us back to the whole NGO thing. (links above) Maybe missionaries can do more than NGO’s?
This is fascinating. The early church tried socialism, and it failed. Communism and Christianity are definitely opposed. (“Religion is the opiate of the masses.”) But socialism might just be the Christian ideal, once God is fully in charge and sin is not longer wandering around.
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