Politics as Usual

CSGnet Archive CSG1996
1

[From Rick Marken (960708.1330)]

Bruce Gregory (960808.1415 EDT) --

Since I've been exposed to PCT, I realize that the average person has a
limited set of pictures (less government interference, lower taxes,
accessible medical care) and NO concern for consistency.

Yes, people seem to be able to control for these perceptions in a way that
avoids conflict with their control of other perceptions. The ability to
control for apparently conflicting perceptions without conflict is truly
astonishing: so astonishing that it seems to me that it would be worth
studying how we do it. For example, how do devout Christians (like those at
the Republican convention) manage to control for 1) no gun control and a
strong military (why is there no conflict with "turn the other cheek") 2)
the acquisition of great wealth (why is there no conflict with "it's easier
for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get
through the gates of heaven") 3) aggressive business competition (why is
there no conflict with "do unto others") 4) the death penalty (why no
conflict with "let he among you who is without sin cast the first
stone") etc.

I am less sure about loving to live in the U.S.A. If you are white and
upper middle class

Did I forget to mention that?

Yes, I meant that I love being a white (well, kinda beige) upper middle class
person living in the USA;-)

it is great with the lowest taxes and lowest cost of living in the
industrialized world.

Yeah. Thank god (the capitalist christian one) for Republicans.:wink:

I can't wait for the Dole tax cut so that my generation can screw my kids
generation just like my parents generation (thanks to Reagan) screwed mine!

If you are poor or a person of color the picture is a _lot_ less rosy,
and promises to get much worse in the near future.

Well, the Republican in me (and there's more than I'd like to admit;-)) sees
a lot of poor people of color who are managing to do just fine; I think the
people (whatever their color) who are _really_ in trouble are the one's in
cultures and/or families that value accomplishment in sports more highly
than accomplishment in academics and trades. I don't think it's the color of
one's skin that will determine the rosyness of one's future; it's whether one
plays after school with a basketball or with a book.

Best

Rick (the right wing liberal) Marken

2

[From Bruce Gregory (960808.1415 EDT)]

(Rick Marken 960708.1030)]

The US
has a way of institutionalizing problems by seeing possible solutions as a
violation of principles. Guns cause orders of magnitude more mayhem in the US
than in any other developed nation but efforts to manage (control) the use of
guns are seen as a violation of principle (the 2nd amendment: "right to bear
arms"); wealthy interest groups can buy elections with money but efforts to
control campaign contributions is considered a violation of principle
(1st amendment "Freedom of speech").

What are you, some kind of a Commie? Seriously, I used to be
frustrated by how great a tolerance the public has for
inconsistent thinking. (Less violence - no gun control. Fewer
illegitimate births - no abortion. "Setting the economy free to
grow" - no concern for what the Fed would do if this ever
happened.) Since I've been exposed to PCT, I realize that the
average person has a limited set of pictures (less government
interference, lower taxes, accessible medical care) and NO
concern for consistency. The notion that conflicts _might_
arise because the pictures are inconsistent never occurs to most
people. In other words, I agree with your assessment!

I am less sure about loving to live in the U.S.A. If you are
white and upper middle class, it is great with the lowest taxes
and lowest cost of living in the industrialized world. If you
are poor or a person of color the picture is a _lot_ less rosy,
and promises to get much worse in the near future.

Regards,

Bruce