When people argue over politics, the arguments usually eventually always come down to the same cliché positions that puts you either on the side that “government is necessary” or “government should not intrude.”
The pro-government people defend their idealistic view that government can efficiently provide services and opportunities to the less fortunate in order to level the playing field.
At the same time, the anti-government people focus on their idealistic vision that self-regulation and personal responsibility is their cure-all for society’s ills.
Pro-government advocates, just like their anti-government counterparts, generally don’t ever acknowledge that any inefficiencies, flaws, or limitations exist within the system they believe in.
In reality, does either system alone really function ideally? Don’t we probably really need a blend of both? Read more »
Election Day is just one day. One Day that has been a long time coming. One that will soon be here and will soon be gone. But is it an end or a beginning? Either way, many will say that it will be another four years before they get their chance to vote again. But, that isn’t quite true.
The General Election is no doubt a very important decision day. Yet it need not be a once-every-four-years event. This election period has been one of the longest and most polarizing in a long time. Combine that with the current financial crisis and the recent bailout package, one good thing that has happened is that people have again found their voice. Current technology is making it so much easier to get information, to organize a collective voice, and to get those voices heard. Keeping informed on the issues and participating to our government in any way that we can (including writing to our representatives) is something we can and should continue to do, Election Year or not.
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Blogging about politics is always risky. Usually quite early on, a reader will recognize which party you support and will respond accordingly — they’ll either keep reading if they identify with you or they’ll move on if they don’t. Few stick around to hear what someone of an opposing political party wishes to espouse unless they’re looking to judge that opinion and its believer as being ridiculous. I say this because I, too, have been there and done that (and try as I might, I still go there more often than I’d like to admit). We are all human (if that’s an acceptable excuse, I don’t know; you be the judge on that.)
I could avoid the topic all together, or not. As citizens, I don’t think we can continue to avoid these difficult conversations. I would agree that fighting for the sake of fighting doesn’t accomplish anything. So what do we do? How do we approach these conversations respectfully while still being true to ourselves as bloggers and as citizens with points of view looking for solutions and not as journalists that are obliged to be objective in their reporting of events?
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