Wow, this is a great read. It's long, but full of gems and interesting talking points.
>> “I think it would be easy for common-sense Americans to draw up a list of big things that would seem to demand concerted effort. Deficits are too big. Health costs are unacceptable. Oil. And yet we have a political system that seems to be constantly consumed with trivial things. We cannot seriously grapple with the big issues. Tactics consume strategy.
Probably true, but the question is just how many common-sense Americans do we have? I live in Boston now, but I'm originally from a suburban town in Georgia. When I visit home, people commonly express to me their fears of impending terrorist attacks, their theories about how drugs and atheism are corrupting society, etc. Then these same people hop in their SUVs and drive 90MPH to the nearest McDonald's.
Average people don't like to worry about reasonable long-term problems. It's just too boring. They'd rather fret over the remote possibility that some Islamic extremists will fly planes into their homes. Thus, we spend trillions of dollars and thousands of lives fighting in the desert while our economy tanks.
>> the most worrisome symptom was the relative shortage of a jeremiad theme under Presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, and now Obama. This he attributed to Ronald Reagan, “who managed to equate criticism with anti-Americanism, and render unintelligible bad news about America.”
I can't count how many times I've heard, "If you don't like it then you can find another country," in response to criticism of American government. Yuck.
Yes, because driving an SUV and eating at McDonalds are really where our concern should be. The truth is you're no better than the anti-drug, terrorism mongers.
Rush Limbaugh tells them to fear terrorists so they line up to do it while NPR tells you not driving an SUV is bad so you line up to condemn it. Same sheep, different Sheppard.
In the end their not realizing the low statistical chance of a terrorist attack is just like you not realizing the scientific theory you've deified might not be correct and if it's not we'll have done nothing to find out how to actually deal with the problem.
That's a pretty aggressive reply, almost to the level of flaming.
The point is that random theories of drugs, atheism and terrorism are made up problems that average people can't do anything about. Discussing security is important and being aware of potential threads is necessary and important, but to a limit.
Taking care of the environment, eating healthy, saving money, improving things in your surroundings are things you can do to improve your life and your community.
The sheep/shepherd argument is too simplistic and while it's something to think about, it was formulated in a way that it stops the conversation, instead of moving it forward.
I like your non-partisan approach. At the same time, I wonder; if people who worried about teh terrorists also worried equally about SUVs then maybe their breath would be watered down enough that it wouldn't support encroaching government expansion in either direction. The argument works in the reverse direction as well.
I actually think most Americans are common sense Americans, but when you consider everyone as a crowd, the individual traits and intelligence is lost.
You single a guy out and he/she'll tell you an awesome plan to get America back on its feet. You ask a crowd to give a suggestion and it's silence or bickering.
>> “I think it would be easy for common-sense Americans to draw up a list of big things that would seem to demand concerted effort. Deficits are too big. Health costs are unacceptable. Oil. And yet we have a political system that seems to be constantly consumed with trivial things. We cannot seriously grapple with the big issues. Tactics consume strategy.
Probably true, but the question is just how many common-sense Americans do we have? I live in Boston now, but I'm originally from a suburban town in Georgia. When I visit home, people commonly express to me their fears of impending terrorist attacks, their theories about how drugs and atheism are corrupting society, etc. Then these same people hop in their SUVs and drive 90MPH to the nearest McDonald's.
Average people don't like to worry about reasonable long-term problems. It's just too boring. They'd rather fret over the remote possibility that some Islamic extremists will fly planes into their homes. Thus, we spend trillions of dollars and thousands of lives fighting in the desert while our economy tanks.
>> the most worrisome symptom was the relative shortage of a jeremiad theme under Presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, and now Obama. This he attributed to Ronald Reagan, “who managed to equate criticism with anti-Americanism, and render unintelligible bad news about America.”
I can't count how many times I've heard, "If you don't like it then you can find another country," in response to criticism of American government. Yuck.