Really? We can’t talk about Social Security reform because no one on welfare has ever worked for their money? I don’t know what troubles me more: that someone actually believes this was such a witty argument that they decided they had to make this into a meme? Or that this has achieved over 420,000 shares and 42,000 likes on Facebook? Some may wonder why I would even bother with such pathetic displays like this. I can agree with that to a point. The reason why I am confronting pathetic political arguments is so I can hopefully inspire people to research and critically analyze everything that comes their way in politics. Knowing that this meme received 420,000 shares depresses me. This many people found this worthy and witty enough to share with the world (as I do the same). I don’t find it worthy and witty. I find it sad. It’s sad because people really believe that welfare recipients have never worked in their lives. They really believe that welfare recipients have never contributed any tax dollars into the system, even though 47.8 percent of people currently receiving food stamps are working?
I fear that the increased polarization and partisanship will lead to our destruction. It will lead to our destruction because the gridlock within our government will continue to get worse because no one will be able to agree on anything. If nothing gets passed then our problems will get worse and worse until there is nothing left of this country. Here is some straight-talk in regards to the possible destruction of our country: gay marriage will not be the trigger that destroys this country; taking God out of our schools will not destroy this country; our bloated debt will not destroy this country; our militarily over-extension in this world will not destroy this country. “We the people” will destroy this country because we want to have temper-tantrums over the fact that Congress will not pass all right-winged laws or left-winged laws.
To that I say: shame on us! I am a moderate; I have evolved over my many years of political study and research. I love that I have evolved, but there are many people out there that see me as the enemy or as an extremist because I use that awful “c-word,” compromise. When I hear things like that, I just want throw up my hands in surrender. I just want to leave the gutter-politics behind. Why was I so crazy to study politics? I enjoyed it and I enjoyed the debate, but now, it seems like fewer and fewer people want to talk or debate. It must be one way. It must be their way or no way at all. You either have to love President Obama and cheer at his every move or you must hate the President and declare him the worst president ever. On the flip side, you must have loved President Bush or hated him. You may not hold any in-between feelings about these politicians. If you place yourself in the middle it is because you are an apologist, Kool-Aid drinker, or just an idiot.
When I first got interested into politics, I was more of a conservative thinker and voter. I voted for President Bush twice and I voted for Senator John McCain in 2008. Within four years, my voting preferences had changed. I voted for the re-election of President Obama. I know, I am just an idiot, uninformed voter as some people on the conservative side of the aisle would call me for my vote. I’ll tell you why I voted for President Obama. I voted for the president because I feel like conservatives have abandoned me. Tea Partiers and staunch Republicans do not want moderates in their party. Conservative one-time darlings like Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal, Chris Christie, and Paul Ryan have fallen from grace in the eyes of the right-wing. This has happened because Republicans, like Jindal, have taken more moderate (or more liberal) positions on issues like immigration, big business, and trying to be more inclusive. Conservatives mock the moderates in the Republican Party and I could not handle that anymore.
Another reason why I voted for President Obama was that I believe that conservatives are hypocritical when it comes to true conservative values. Conservatives want to protect their right to bear arms (which I agree with) but they want my private, personal life to be outlawed because gay marriage is icky and the Bible says it is a sin. I thought conservatives believed in limited government, but I found out, they do not believe that. They just want to be free to pursue the things they like while at the same time stopping things that they do not like. I must say, I was not thrilled voting for President Obama because he is not much better. His decisions have not dazzled me. My vote was a protest vote against the Republican Party for allowing the few hyper-partisans within their party to hijack the entire group.
I also was upset with the Republicans because I cannot handle the hypocrisy of their treatment of President Obama. During the Bush years, conservatives were appalled at the calls for impeachment against Bush or the insane accusations that Bush was a liar. I defended Bush then and I will still defend him today. That is why I defend Obama against these asinine calls for impeachment and name-calling. It is the same pettiness that has been used again and again. You disagree with them, then you better call them names. I feel like our politicians, media personalities, and the entire country has reverted back to using high school tactics when it comes to our political discourse. When I watch shows on MSNBC and Fox News, I half-expect Brenda Walsh from West Beverly Hills High School to show up as a political pundit. That’s how juvenile the environment has become in the country.
I will always support the president who is in office even if I disagree with his or her policies. If the president is successful then that means I become more successful, and in turn, the whole country becomes more successful. When I say these things, people call me an idiot or an Obama-lover, when I am just trying to be fair. Unfortunately, when a Republican becomes president again the tables will be turned. Liberals will be on the attack and the Republicans will be on the defensive again and this disgusting cycle of name calling and finger pointing will continue.
I just want a fair and honest debate. It just amazes me that I am considered a turncoat to people who believed I was a conservative, while people who are liberal, think I am phony because I am now defending the liberal positions on some policy issues. All I want is to be someone who analyzes things in a fair and non-hypocritical way. It seems like fewer and fewer people want honest analysis. The hyper-partisans want a biased opinion that will bolster their ideology. Everyone be damned if you disagree with these people. What a sad state of affairs.
This will lead to our destruction, but people will find other reasons to blame on why our country was destroyed. People will always blame the opposing side. What we will never do is to look in that mirror and determine that it was “we the people” that allowed for our destruction.
E pluribus unum, indeed!
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