The Ideological Trap (Is It a Fait Accompli?)

Distrust of politicians has been a personality trait of mine for a very long time, and yet I am just as guilty as the next person, of falling into the ideological trap set by the political system.

People have differing views on everything, even something that should be relatively simple like, the concept of right and wrong. So, I realize that it must be human nature to fall into the vast mire of philosophical disagreement that we call 'Ideology'. Are we doomed as a species, to bicker and quarrel over the same damned things for the entirety of our existence, or is there a way for us to overcome the mess we have wrought as a society?

Time and again, I have watched threads on this site devolve into Left/Right, Progressive/Conservative shouting matches, from which no one ever emerges being viewed as "correct". Again, I'm not excusing myself, as I have taken part in the pointless battles just as often as many others.

What I am wondering is: Will we always don the blue, purple or red armor and do battle without ever turning our gaze to where it truly should fall, that being in the direction of the supposed field generals of these battles, the politicians?

These people (the politicians) have built what would seem to be an impregnable wall around themselves, that is composed of our wriggling, biting, cursing mouths, and continue to do so with little to no flak heading in their direction.

They (the politicians) never 'pay the piper' for their actions, despite our own assurances to ourselves that they will; why? because we willingly do it for them, by defending them, voting for them, arguing for them, and ostracizing others from our lives for them.

Take a moment, if you would, and really look at the state of things in your country. Is this the way it should be? If your answer to that is "Yes", then look upon those same politicians and greet your new demigods with open arms, because by allowing things to continue as they are and have, that is what they are: the blameless, guiltless, lords of your lives.

Recently, I have begun withdrawing from discussions (particularly in my personal life) that will have no other outcome than a fight. One person is angry at the things a politicians says or does, while the other one is angry at the first person for being angry at the politician. If this is how it has to be, then I think I would rather punch my ticket, and get off the train, because no one seems willing to force the engineer(s) to take it in the right direction.

We are the grease that allows this vehicular mess to proceed in any direction, and we need to stop lubricating the rails that are taking us all somewhere that we won't want to be.

So, go ahead and read this, and blame the Right, or the Left, or the Religious Nuts, or Progressive Hippies, or Socialist, or Corporations, or the Elite. We're all to blame for not taking control, and dictating our direction (forcefully, if necessary) to those driving this train.

If you read this post, I thank you, as I know this is a bit of a rambling rant, and I apologize for that.

I think the less "Ideologies" one has the better.

That way your dreams don't get shattered as easily.

a reply to: ProfessorChaos

The country was never intended to be divided… "Divided we fall"?

Its supposed to be a Republic, Representative of the Public, not some or other "party".

The party is us, all of us united, not set against each other.

Divide and conquer is always followed by divide and rule.


grrrr…

If everyone simply believed the same as me, then everyone would get along.

But, then again, everyone would be fat, fluffy and the world would run out of scotch.

Pearls only form when there is an irritant to the oyster. We need differences and conflict in order to grow, in order to create the "pearls" that benefit society.

They (the politicians) never 'pay the piper' for their actions, despite our own assurances to ourselves that they will; why? because we willingly do it for them, by defending them, voting for them, arguing for them, and ostracizing others from our lives for them.

Politicians are pigs--but the people who make their living off of politicians are beyond description.

a reply to: ProfessorChaos

I think that somehow a major flaw in the pantheon of human memes is the meme of either/or. From early childhood we get' eat your spinach OR you get no desert. Do what I say OR you will get punished. Be nice OR go to your room.
On an historical scale Aristotle, for one, set up this either/or meme. The most popular religions have always preached either or. Make that EITHER----OR.

While most of us are mired in this on/off conundrum, politicians, by the very ideal of politics, should be beyond this. Politics being an art of compromise, of finding a balance somewhere along a spectrum of some of this and some of that. However, to my mind we do not elect people who can do this. We elect people who promise only to serve our specific either/or desires.

a reply to: ProfessorChaos

The Ideological Trap - its just another way of keeping the masses disunited, like the two party system itself which is about you having to choose between the two choices they give you .... which they control.

I've been following American politics for 30 years and with most issues I still can workout which side of the fence each is on. So many times it seems they are both on the same side of the same fence.

This is a trait that British and Australian politics has taken on..... which tells me there is a higher level of government than government because somebody wants it that way.