My Week on Facebook
I took a short hiatus from the Gulch to fiddle around on Facebook and see if I could stimulate any significant debate on taxes, RTTT/CCCT, the ACA, AS/Ayn Rand. As it turns out, my friends and family had little to nothing to offer. Even when I reduced the argument to, "should the federal government spend more than it collects in taxes", virtually every response was evasive. I proudly installed my "Who is John Galt" bumper sticker earlier this week, jumped on the Kickstarter campaign, and feel more strongly than ever that small government defending capitalism is the only logical, sustainable option for a nation that wishes to prosper.
I had a strange thought that may or may not be a revelation... Most people are too afraid of being perceived as uncaring, unaltruistic, and selfish to openly admit that they despise looters. They would rather try to maintain the appearance of nobility and watch our country go bankrupt than openly oppose social programs. It's saddening to face the reality that so many of my friends and family are so blind. I'm still fighting the fight. It's tedious, and Facebook probably isn't the best place to wage serious debates, but my invitation to visit the gulch seemed to fall on deaf ears.
Just venting a bit. Still, comments on combatting ignorance among friends and family members who are capable of understanding would be greatly appreciated.
I had a strange thought that may or may not be a revelation... Most people are too afraid of being perceived as uncaring, unaltruistic, and selfish to openly admit that they despise looters. They would rather try to maintain the appearance of nobility and watch our country go bankrupt than openly oppose social programs. It's saddening to face the reality that so many of my friends and family are so blind. I'm still fighting the fight. It's tedious, and Facebook probably isn't the best place to wage serious debates, but my invitation to visit the gulch seemed to fall on deaf ears.
Just venting a bit. Still, comments on combatting ignorance among friends and family members who are capable of understanding would be greatly appreciated.
Say, If I was to rob you wouldn't it be clever if I did it in the name of the greater good? Hypocrisy is ultra-evil. Good Luck
"I believe that getting something for nothing fundamentally diminishes the human spirit. The satisfaction of knowing that we earned what we have is fundamental to our ability to enjoy it. This is true of respect, trust, money, and property among other things.
"Once earned, we may choose to offer what we have to others in need. We can leverage earned respect and trust to make acquaintances aware of worthy causes. We can offer money and property directly to others in need.
"Let those of us who earned what we have never forget that it is better to offer those in need an opportunity to earn respect, trust, money and property than to just hand it over to them."
http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials...
If that increased spending was back in the pockets of americans, jobs would be created by the millions. People do not, in general, pout dollars under their mattress. They spend them, invest them, create and build businesses with them. This is proof that the govt is the most inefficient system to handle this issues.
I think you're right in your 2nd paragraph when you say "Most people are too afraid of being perceived as uncaring, unaltruistic, and selfish...." Everybody wants to be seen as "nice", "cooperative", "a team player", "one of the guys/gals" - so they are afraid to give their true opinion on anything lest someone not like them. I'd rather be able to look in the mirror and like and respect the person I see than even bother to give a snap about who I have to be today to get someone to like me.
Sorry I don't have the magic answer - just the same question.
I've never had success talking politics on Facebook. I think most people are apathetic, but there's also the factor of people not wanting to argue with their friends. On Twitter, however, I find the arguments and discussions to work well. There are lots of people to follow that will get discussions going.
My older brother: "...have you even thought about what your life would be like if we eliminated all social programs? If people are homeless and hungry with no options they turn to crime. Is that the society you want to live in? Wouldn't you rather spend a small percentage of your tax dollars (less than defense) on actual welfare so that you can keep the level of relative safety you enjoy now?"
Me: "Yes, I have thought long and hard on this issue... an industrialized community with no public schools, no public water, no public sewer, no public garbage disposal, no public roads, no public traffic signs, no public stoplights, no public snow removal, no public parks, libraries, museums, fire departments etc. It is scary to think about at first. How long would chaos reign before capitalism worked its magic and we regained the benefits of industrialization? I don't have an answer, but I have definitely contemplated means by which privatization could be accomplished with as little chaos as possible."
My mother: "Sorry but I'm not driving up I95 for a visit with every community having a different privatized 'security'(?). Sounds a bit like the wild west. No thanks I'd rather spend taxes to ensure that there are higher powers to keep all these community 'security' powers in check. I'm pretty sure if you put this idea up for a vote the majority would say please raise my taxes as much as you need to keep our society. No wonder so many of the republicans I worked with were so busy stockpiling safes in their homes with guns and gold. If your vision is the Tea Party's agenda they need to let everyone know they want to destroy society instead of just pretending they don't like the affordable care act. I'm sure some order will be restored eventually but not until most the poorest are eliminated, oh was that the plan all along? And how do you get rid of the self appointed 'Czar of America' who comes into power when the government is reduced/eliminated. No matter how good or bad he/she is they were not elected and their term will never run out till someone bigger and 'badder' comes along. Oh and how many casualties in the battles to try to get the power. Sorry I see Government as a necessary evil."
Me: "The Internet is private, and yet we've managed to implement standards through organizations like http://www.w3.org/. Most browsers these days render web pages similarly and support AJAX, JavaScript, etc. I'm making this post on my iPad, but I'll be able to read it on my PC, my Android phone, and my Kindle. We don't need government to impose standards in order to have standards. Getting back to the point, I think [unnamed friend] has the right of it with the question 'which programs/agencies do we keep/shrink/discard' if the taxpayers (or voters) refuse to pay more taxes to get our country out of debt?"
...
This is a tiny fraction of the dialog, I can't say it would have occurred a couple of months ago. I knew full well that I was going to get jumped going into it, and the original benign question, "How much will Obamacare cost the government (taxpayers)", wouldn't actually remain the focus of the debate.
I don't care what my family thinks of me anymore, and I don't care how long it takes me to improve my debate skills in order to keep a debate on point. If they choose to believe that I, the most prosperous among them, have suddenly lost my mind, so be it. I've been silent for too long...
"the higher powers that be" keeping us safe and the poor fed all look and act like the person you talk to at the DMV. and that makes anyone feel safer?! It is so difficult having these conversations with family. BUt you will make inroads.
The tea party is going for chaos and mayhem and the benevolent Congress is authorizing spending and subsequent monopoly money all in the name anti-chaos?
Why we take this freedom for granted and allow elected individuals to degrade, deform, reinterpret and otherwise defame our forefathers' intentions is a mystery to me.