An Interlude
September 10th 2008 23:39
I'll be taking a break today from considering the mind. Among the various and sundry things I am interested in, the forthcoming presidential election has captured my attention. For the most part, I find politics to be a dreary subject. It usually seems to consist of a great many people who spend the majority of their time telling lies to each other, their constituents, and themselves. They prance around like they matter a great deal more than they do and expect us to be interested in their trained-monkey like posturing. What's more unbelievable is that they are surprised by great, resounding yawn that follows their dancing. So why has politics captured my attention at a personal level for this election?
Nothing more or less than reason.
A this moment in time, American soldiers are scattered across the Middle East like so many chess pawns, fighting two wars that it is very unlikely they can win, and politicians at home are squabbling about who jumped off of Bush's War Wagon first. What does reason dictate at this juncture? Reason dictates that when confronted with an impossible situation that no amount of force can resolve, you withdraw.
At this moment in time, America's dependence on foreign oil has finally been revealed for what it is: a dangerous crutch. The American people have finally realized that our future depends on the development of alternative fuel resources. Reason dictates that when you are confronted with a situation in which the entire infrastructure of your society has become dependent on a substance which can only be provided by those who are hostile toward you, you seek an alternative.
At this moment in time, the American educational system in on the verge of virtual collapse. The ability of American children to perform the necessary math and science they will need to survive in the globalized economy of the near future is not there to be found. We have more functional illiterates in our society than almost any other developed nation in the world. Politicians preen and talk about their commitment to education and then run to get in line to cut funding. While money may not represent the entire solution to the education problems in this culture, it represents a significant portion of it. When education, which is the foundation of the future is in jeopardy, what does reason dictate? It dictates that you seek out leadership that shares a commitment to it.
At this juncture in time, we have two candidates running for the office of the President of the United States: John McCain and Barack Obama. While John McCain's service to his nation cannot be questioned, his ability or willingness to try to alter any of the above situations is very much open to question. By all of the evidence, America can expect a slightly less insane version of Bush's policies from John McCain. By all of the evidence, Barack Obama is willing to try to address these issues head on, and more importantly, has always been dedicated to these issues. To me, reason dictates that voting for Barack Obama is the only choice.
A this moment in time, American soldiers are scattered across the Middle East like so many chess pawns, fighting two wars that it is very unlikely they can win, and politicians at home are squabbling about who jumped off of Bush's War Wagon first. What does reason dictate at this juncture? Reason dictates that when confronted with an impossible situation that no amount of force can resolve, you withdraw.
At this moment in time, America's dependence on foreign oil has finally been revealed for what it is: a dangerous crutch. The American people have finally realized that our future depends on the development of alternative fuel resources. Reason dictates that when you are confronted with a situation in which the entire infrastructure of your society has become dependent on a substance which can only be provided by those who are hostile toward you, you seek an alternative.
At this moment in time, the American educational system in on the verge of virtual collapse. The ability of American children to perform the necessary math and science they will need to survive in the globalized economy of the near future is not there to be found. We have more functional illiterates in our society than almost any other developed nation in the world. Politicians preen and talk about their commitment to education and then run to get in line to cut funding. While money may not represent the entire solution to the education problems in this culture, it represents a significant portion of it. When education, which is the foundation of the future is in jeopardy, what does reason dictate? It dictates that you seek out leadership that shares a commitment to it.
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