Sunday, November 08, 2009

A Sad And Desultory Mission Statement

It doesn't bother me too much because it's always been mostly true but I am a little disheartened that I am becoming even more out of step politically and philosophically, with mainstream America. I've never cared about the law or social convention and never even attempted to stay within their bounds. Why should that change just because I am becoming old and sadly pathetic.

I am an unrepentant social liberal. I am past the point in my life when abortion has any personal relevance but I believe strongly in Women's reproductive rights. I don't frankly care whether abortion is murder. Society condones the intentional deaths of many types of people. Some of them we revile and some we call heros. So what? I am unilaterally heterosexual but don't give a shit how other people want to live and believe all should have the same freedoms and opportunities under the law. I am married but only because it causes too many complications not to be. I don't care whether other people choose to be married or not, who they marry or for what reason. I don't think the government has the right to make end of life decisions for people but that people themselves absolutely do deserve to be able to make those decisions for themselves. In all of these areas, the country seems to me moving against me. I'm becoming somewhat apathetic about agitating for these issues because they don't really affect me and how I live my life. I am confident that when the time comes I have the will and the resources to end my life on my terms and in my time.

I am a fiscal conservative. Nowhere in America do I see any real resolve to control government spending across the board. Different factions are interested in gutting spending that benefits their opponents but nowhere are there strong voices calling for the real austerity needed to save the system. It will surely fail.

I believe that overpopulation and inequality of resource consumption are real problems in the World and that pollution and global warming are more than hippie propaganda. These are not popular views especially in this country. I do not believe governmental bodies have any will or impetus to address these issues in any serious way and will not in the foreseeable future.

President Obama has staked out a centrist niche for himself as our political leader. He mostly stays silent on social issues and embraces big government spending and wars of foreign aggression. It is the exact opposite of what I would have for the country. Obama may be less my President than any other in recent history although I understand his motives and do not condemn him as I have others in his job.

I do not find any value in the shrill and dogmatic voices on the right or left. They leave me tired and disgruntled. Too many seem more interested in cramming their own life choices and beliefs down the throats of others than insuring they will be able to live their lives the way they choose and that all others will as well.

I like writing this blog. It's therapeutic. I don't care if nobody much reads it. That isn't the point of it. I will continue to write about anything and everything I feel like. I probably will focus on things I like, criticism, cynicism, satire, the bashing of authoritarianism wherever it lives, shameless embrace of doom saying and unabashed gold buggery are always favorites of mine.

4 comments:

W.C. Varones said...

I like writing this blog.

& I like reading it.

Independent critical thinkers are few and far between these days. You've got to cherish those you find.

Steve Harkonnen said...

How many times in my lifetime have I witnessed fear of global warming, global cooling, massive earthquakes and overpopulation that will destroy us? It's getting old. Not you, Ramblinboy, just these old threats that the world is going to end.

And, as usual, people are panicking STILL over global warming.

It ain't gonna happen, you can relax now.

reddog said...

Thank you for the kind words MCV. The best measure of another person's intelligence is to what degree they agree with you. I think you're a pretty sharp guy too.

No offense taken Mr Steve. I don't think the world is on the brink of destruction, I just think it's a shame we're turning it into such a mess. It's like deciding that from now on you're just going to shit in the middle of the living room, when you could just as easily dig a little compost pit in the backyard. The compost pit will stink but it won't bother you so much when you're watching TV and having a snack.

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