Ive been watching and listening carefully and dont know what to make of all this national and international news. First, Lois Learner. Pleading the 5th? She might be willing to talk to the Justice Department (Administrative agency), but not to Congress (elected Representatives). Yesterdays emails displayed her fingerprints all over the fact that the IRS has been used for the past several years as a political weapon against the party out of power. Dont you ever get tired of being lied to? Treated like an idiot? Given the message that our votes, constitution, and elective representatives dont matter? Arent you even a little tired of government-by-cajolation? We have laws because were known for centuries that mere cajoling doesnt work among bad actors. From a philosophical point of view I tend to think we still have a cultural inability to form a common agreement to an answer to the question: What is evil? Years ago, when we were in high school, I learned that Great Britain had a law that forbade fakers from holding séances. I laughed. So, if you fake information at a séance youre in trouble, but if you really do get information from dead people and/or the devil, youre OK? Putin wants to get the band back together. No big surprise. Thats what hes supposed to do. Hes head of a nation that fell apart on one of his predecessors watch, and now hes using all his horses and all his men to put Humpty Russia together again. Is that wrong? And now Putins been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize? Hmmm. Do I really care whether or not Ukraine is reabsorbed by Russia? Thats where I get stumped. I know what Putin is. I understand his mission. I used to know what America is, but now Im not so sure. Yes, we have a treaty with Ukraine. To not provide assistance to her to resist Russia, as I understand it, violates our treaty obligation. But Ive gotten used to that kind of thing. We tend to make international promises we dont keep. It seems to me were a pretty unreliable treaty correspondent. Some other world view questions are called here. One is: What is a human being? Do you believe all human beings are inherently good? I dont. But then, Im a Christian. So, I believe human beings dont inherently know what good is and dont have the inherent power to do good. Thats why the entire world needs a Redeemer. Do you believe all human beings have an inherent desire to be free? I dont. I might agree that most people have an inherent desire to avoid personal pain but thats about as far as I can go. Another world view question is: How does time work? Americans are a very short- sighted bunch. Like most people, if Im offered immediate short-term pleasure at the risk of possible long-term pain, its a tough call. Americans, it seems to me, really, really want to be liked. When someone doesnt like us, we dont know what to do. If someone hates us we assume they just dont know us. After all, to know us is to love us, eh? And, if someone declares us an enemy the only thing we seem to do is to is cut their allowance and send them to their room to think about what theyve done. Was Hilary Clinton wrong to compare Putins thinking in reclaiming Ukraine with Hitlers thinking in invading Czechoslovakia? No, I dont think so. I think she may be right. But I hear dems saying it might have been inflammatory on her part. Is truth-telling really inflammatory? When you know that someone has declared you an enemy, are you being a polarizing influence if you state the facts of their actions? In order to state those facts, it seems to me, youve got an outcome in mind. Otherwise, truth-telling is reduced to name-calling. So, what is our desired outcome? With regard to our current President and Administration, it seems to me that the desired outcome is not to impeach them and drive them out of office. That would be a terrible mess. With regard to Ukraine, it seems to me our desired outcome is not military intervention. That, too, would be a terrible mess. Another word for a desired outcome is a vision or mission. Where there is no vision, the people parish. Heres our American constraint: We werent founded to build an empire. We dont have an historic identity of yearning to dominate the entire planet. So, what are our reasonable options, alternatives to impeachment and war? Now were back to laws and treaties. Laws, it seems to me, arent for punishment; laws are for assuring social order. When I was in high school I learned that there was a law in Ohio that forbade fishing for whales in any Ohio lakes, streams, or rivers. Hmmm. What do you think the primary purpose of laws ought to be? Do you have rules at home for your kids? Why? Do you enforce them? Why? As for treaties, it seems to me we ought to be sure that if we sign one, we keep it. Im not saying I think we ought to supply military/financial aid to Ukraine. Im saying we ought to be a little more careful about the promises we make. I have to admit, Ive made promises I havent kept. Why? I made the promise because I wanted to be liked. When I made the promise, I knew I probably wouldnt or couldnt keep it. But I made it anyway. Shame on me. How bout you? Any promises you might try a little harder to keep?
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 02:02:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015