Seeking Safety & Comfort

This was lifted from my BLOG “Give it a rest, Democrats”, as Roger and I believe this piece stands on its own. Please feel free to comment.

Roger wrote:

“We are becoming a nation who seeks comfort and safety over anything else. Dems seem to typify this mentality far more than Reps do. ”

Owen replies:

Strange, but if that were true, why didn’t the Democrats win then? So I disagree here. I believe safety against the “threat” is a solid Republican platform, and IS what won it for George: protection from the evil threat that is not us!

But then again, I guess I do see that Democrats value safety and comfort issues as well, but in a very different area: More a protect one from one’s self and protect the earth from loss of natural resources. Protection from water and air pollution. Protection from food problems. Protection of the world’s natural treasures. The comfort and safety of breathing clean air and drinking clean water. Protection from corporation abuse. Yea, your right, the Democrats do want comfort and safety, those ba&%#$ds. 🙂

I just find it hard to compare the two, which is why I am not joining the Repubs. I DO still believe in moral values, and I certainly do not see any on the Republican side, and see more but less and less over time where I am now, so I have to move.

To which Roger replied:

Owen:

Think of the Reps as Imperialists. It helps. Especially those from the great nation of Texas (they only want you to think they are part of the rest of the country).

Safety for the Reps is only part of their platform, and not at all like the safety the Dems regard so highly. Safety for the Reps is the annialation of all their enemies, both literally and doctrinally.

To a Rep, a country without fear of terrorism is what they are working for. If that means the total destruction of some other country, so be it. If that means we convert the whole world to democracy, all the better.

Reps are not idealists. They are cold, ruthless pragmatists and realists. They believe in getting their agenda done with arms and weapons, as well as deplomacy and tact. Doesn’t matter to them which they have to use first.

Fact is, America is not only the most advanced country in the world, but it is the strongest, and its armed forces are the best equipped and most well trained. Imperialism will be easy under the Reps.

And they are not above losing a few of our freedoms in the process, if that is what it takes to make us strong and secure. Nor do they blink at wrecking a few ecologies along the way. They figure they can always rebuild and rehabilitate anything they destroy in making the world safe for America.

Now can you see the difference between the Dems and the Reps? In a hostile world, the Dems never stood a chance of winning this last election, regardless of their ideals.

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

To which I reply:

Thanks Roger, it does help a bit to think of the Reps in that way, but not in a good way. I have several comments though:

“If that means the total destruction of some other country, so be it.”

Explain this Republican way of thinking: We cannot allow the destruction of a fetus, but a whole country, well, that’s another story! So killing on a wholesale level is OK?

“Fact is, America is not only the most advanced country in the world…”

Sorry, but you must not have traveled out of this country much? This is the way many Americans want to believe, especially those who have not traveled outside our country. I think most Americans want to believe they are the most advanced country in the world, but it is simply no longer the case in so many ways.

Take a trip to Japan, Singapore, and MANY parts of China (like Shanghai, Hong Kong, and other big, industrialized cities) for example. Japan’s trains are the most advanced in the world, with the exception of the high speed, 400+ MPH mag-lev train in Singapore. Not only does the US have nothing to compare to either, these trains run so well on time, that if your watch says they are late, it is time to get a new watch!

Most of these countries have significantly better network and phone infrastructure. Many bypassed wired phones to give everyone cellular technology at less than $5/month. Even in the “underdeveloped” areas of many of the large China cities, everyone had broadband available. And not our version of DSL, but significantly better.

Each of these cities had public transit systems that made needing a car unnecessary. Buses, trains, and cheap cabs made getting anywhere cheap, easy, and VERY reliable. We have nothing to compare, except maybe New York City’s systems. Paris had one of the most amazing subway systems I have ever seen for an old system, and for technology, some of the Asian transit systems I saw would put anything we have to shame.

I saw advanced cars, lighting systems, and architecture around the world that put the US to shame as well. And I am sure as I travel to more and more cities around the world, I will see even more advanced societies than the US. Damn, last time I went to Sydney and Melbourne in Australia, I would venture to say that those cities were as advanced, if not more so than any large city in the US.

And forget “advanced” just meaning technology. So many countries around this world are so much more “advanced” socially than we can ever hope to be, this is not even worth examples. A classical definition of an advanced society is one that can solve problems without blowing things up (meaning killing) to make a point. That is NOT the US!

No, I do not buy it. America may have been the most advanced country in the world 30 years ago, but no more. Difference is, my “US ego” is not so large that I can admit it.

“If that means we convert the whole world to democracy, all the better.”

Maybe we should start here first? As the Reps have recently pointed out, we are not a Democracy, we are a Republic! (ah, this Republicans vs. Democrats!) That means that NOT everyone gets an equal vote. Not everyone’s opinion matters. So how can we tell others to do this?

And since when do we decide that our version of “democracy” is right for the whole world. What an egotistical view of the US that is. I am embarrassed to be an American at times, especially when the US acts like we are the only ones who know what is right in the world. BULL S*&%!

“Reps are not idealists. They are cold, ruthless pragmatists and realists.”

I’ll give you cold, ruthless, and pragmatic. They are not realists. If anything, they lack all sense of reality in my opinion.

“They believe in getting their agenda done with arms and weapons, as well as deplomacy and tact.”

When do we get to the diplomacy and tact part? Maybe this was true many years ago, but not with this current Rep government. I would replace “tact” with “threats.”

“And they are not above losing a few of our freedoms in the process…”

How nice of “them” to decide that for me! I, on the other hand, am very much against loosing my freedoms for these crazy wars WE STARTED! How strange, we give up freedoms here to fight in the name of freedom. How can you not see the irony in that?

“Nor do they blink at wrecking a few ecologies along the way. They figure they can always rebuild and rehabilitate…”

Assuming we have time left to do that. This is a very naive view of how the ecology of the planet works I would say. And what does allowing Snow Mobiles in National Parks or increased pollution from factories have to do with our freedoms? How does most of the damage GWB has done in the area of ecology have ANYTHING to do with fighting for freedoms? How did pulling out of the Kyoto pact help fight for freedom? In fact, one of the few world pacts where almost every other large nation signed, and we pull out!

Sorry, but this assertion just makes me angry. Most of these changes are to help big companies reap more profit and helps no one but the Reps money paying supporters buying that “right.”

What did I read today; Texas is the 5th largest producer of Greenhouse gases in the world behind China (all of it!), Russia, Japan, and India. Care to calculate the per capita numbers there? No wonder GWB pulled out of the Kyoto pact, he had to protect Texas!

What the US is best at is consuming. We are pigs compared to the rest of the world. We have the heaviest population in the world. As a percentage of the world, we consume more per capita than the next two largest nations put together! Yea, that makes me proud!

“Now can you see the difference between the Dems and the Reps?”

Yes! it is like I said from the start: Reps are about “How does this effect me? What’s in it for me?” while Dems actually care how it affects everyone. Again, if being a Rep means being selfish, arrogant, and intolerant to anyone who thinks differently than they do, then I’ll stick to the other side. Strangely enough, we actually live on a world with more than just Americans on it (although I suspect the Reps would like that changed too.)

I am curious though. I wonder what percentage of Democrats has traveled outside the country compared to what percentage of Republicans? Hmmm…..