Grab your label makers because this is what I believe


 

If I support abortion, I am labeled a murder.  If I support meritocracy, I am labeled anti-union.  If I criticize the Israeli government, I am labeled anti-Semitic.  If I disagree with Richard Sherman’s post-game actions, I am labeled a racist. If I question our leaders, I am labeled unpatriotic.  If I say the Estate Tax is unfair, I am labeled the 1%.  If I am thankful for the ACLU, I am labeled a bleeding heart liberal.  When I call for banking regulation, I am labeled an anti-capitalist.  When I call for less regulation, I am labeled a free market fascist.  When I call for safe regulated fracking, I am labeled both a tree hugger and an oil and gas stooge.

Have an opinion and get a label.  Labels are easy because it enables people to put others in nice pre-described buckets. And when you think for yourself, deny the premise of the party line talking point, and offer a new opinion, be prepared to be criticized.  I have previously talked about what it means to be in the middle, but in hindsight, that offers only a one dimensional depiction.  The world is much more complex than that.  Think quadratic, not linear.  Analog, not digital. Volume, not distance.  There are social issues, economic concerns, foreign policy, fiscal policy, national defense, and many other factors.

So here I go:

  • I believe over reliance on drones and JSOC operations are illegal, immoral, and ineffective
  • I believe the truth about the power and policies of NSA needed to come out, but I believe Snowden went beyond that and crossed the line from whistleblower to traitor.
  • I support charter schools and New York Mayor de Blasio’s attack on them mayhave significant adverse impacts on education.
  • I believe Common Core State Standards will raise the learning process and better prepare our future generations, that being said, they need to be monitored and modified to enhance effectiveness.
  • I believe politics is an ugly big business game that has adulterated and bastardized the American political process where lobbyists are the bagmen, the Kochs are the mob, and politicians are errand boys.
  • I believe America still needs to be THE Superpower, but to exert that power it needs to do so bilaterally with less reliance on military might while managing to promote democratic principles and protecting our national interests.
  • I believe abortion is a woman’s right and I oppose any person or organization that tries to erode that right.
  • I believe the 2nd Amendment protects gun rights, but is not absolute and there is room for gun control.
  • I believe we put way too much faith in the Federal Reserve, Congressional Budget Office, and economists in general.  They make poor predictors of the economy and in the case of the Fed, poor custodians of Monetary Policy.
  • I believe religion has its place in the public square, but not in the creation of legislation.
  • I believe in science over faith
  • I believe we need long term fiscal management that will require tough medicine
  • I believe our politicians lack the will to administer the necessary fiscal medicine
  • I believe government acting in what it thinks is in citizens best interests can overreach
  • I believe the Patriot Act encroaches on our freedom a lot more egregiously than the Affordable Care Act
  • I believe the Affordable Care Act is imperfect, but to assume it would be otherwise is foolish
  • I believe you can neither tax nor cut your way to a balanced budget
  • I believe if you have to put “Freedom” in the title of your organization or bill, you may be full of shit
  • I believe the governors who continue to oppose same sex rights will face the same ignominy as those that resisted the civil rights movement 50 years ago
  • I believe fracking is here to stay and we need to lift the limits on oil exports
  • I believe in improbabilities not in miracles
  • I believe a restless mind stimulates problem solving and problem solving is the output of critical thinking
  • I believe sometimes the enemy of my enemy is still my enemy
  • I believe I could vote for a pro-choice, pro-equality, anti-corruption visionary Republican…not holding my breath however

I believe…

Grab your label makers

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Being a good Jew and what is the Christian thing to do

This weekend we are at the nexus of Christianity’s Easter and Judaism’s Passover, which isn’t too surprising considering the Last Supper was actually a Seder; I did lean something on my tour of Jerusalem.   This weekend Christians observe the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus while Jews celebrate the Moses led exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land, meaning this weekend we can expect Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments, The Robe, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and many other films to be broadcast.   So on this weekend where the Judeo-Christian faiths observe very important holidays, I ask: What is a good Jew?   What is the Christian thing to do?   These are not flippant or frivolous questions.   Do people practice what they preach?   Does going to a place of worship make you a better person?   Is Deepak Chopra correct when he says “All religions are cults with many followers.”? Full disclosure, I was raised Jewish, was Bat Mitzvah’d at 13, attended Frid...
Read more

A Secular American Jew and a Love for Israel

As many of you know, I have dedicated many postings to the State of Israel on a range of topics including: it’s history, the present day government, the Jewish-Palestinian question, and the region in general.   Growing up in a liberal conservative Jewish household (the oxymoron is quite common as American Jews were almost exclusively political liberals and the conservative branch of Judaism the most common) and attending Hebrew school as a kid you obviously build an affinity for the State of Israel.   I do not remember the Six-Day War of 1967, but I have vivid memories of celebrating Israel’s 25 th anniversary in 1973 and the Yom Kippur War later that year.   As a ten year old attending Yom Kippur services I saw the worried looks on my parents and the other adults at the shul as members of the congregation would periodically step outside to get news reports from car radios and transistor radios (We still drove and used electrical appliances during the high holidays, thou...
Read more

We live in a world of imperfect choices

“We live in a world of imperfect choices.” Those words were spoken today by President Obama during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.   Eight simple words that adeptly describe most geopolitical situations and the decisions world leaders face.   We live in an uncertain world were the only certainty is being second guessed.   Second guessed by political pundits and opposition mouth pieces whose only skill is Monday morning quarterbacking and backseat driving. Imperfect choices indeed. Syria: Get involved to stop the slaughter and risk getting bogged down in another Middle East Muslim nation.   Force regime change to get rid of a despotic butcher, only to risk replacing him with a failed state home to terrorists or a radical Sunni regime committed to attacking Israel.   Arm the rebels so they can defend themselves, and in the process increase the rate of killing and perhaps arming the same guys we way fight in the near future. Egyp...
Read more