Tickets and Politics
I have the ability to get tickets ahead of time at the rose garden. If you're interested in events there, hit me up FAR in advance to see if I have access. Currently I just received Trans Siberian (christmasish time) and the offer expires in two days. So... that gives you an idea how far in advance. I strongly suspect that most people reading my journal won't be interested hence the "hit me up" as opposed to me notifying you of ticket opportunities.
I AM surprised that no one purchased the Metallica tickets, if for nothign else to make a few hundred dollars on. I would have done that if I were not broke right now.
Now on to the Politics.
I find myself extremely polarized of late. Generally I like to think that I'm moderate and I'll take the middle ground, but the republican side is making my head spin.
1.) Democrates will raise taxes. Yes, this is true, for the top freaking 3% or so.
Republicans economic policy drives me nuts and always has. The logic is that the tax cuts to the top will generate more investments and more spending and thus energize the economy and grow it. This has been shown to be AMAZINGLY false. What ends up happening is the consolidation of large corporations, lay-offs, and people with spending power losing their jobs and thus that spending power being decreased or eliminated.
I work with someone who countered that "yeah, but then all those people will be creating new jobs and small business!!! The market is stimulated and is healthy again."
REally? Because I don't see that happening, number one. It only happened with a democrat as president. Number 2, that's damn faulty logic as the people who are entepeneurs are freaking entepeneurs and would have been doing that anyway.
I admit there is some logic to trimming the branches every once and a while to keep things healthy, but republican logic seems to be that you need to hack off the top of the tree and if it survives it'll grow back stronger.
2.) One issue voters.
We have a war. We have a terrible economy (which McCains seems to finally accept is bad. Give the man a gold star). We have international policy that can help decide teh direction of the future. We have new economies attempting to take off but held back by republican legislation that doesn't provide government support. We have Bail-outs and floundering corrupt businesses. We have an unhealthy environment, and we have people STILL in denial about the science that our environment is BAD....
And what sways a lot of voters? "I likes my guns! you stays away from my guns!"
or
"Abortion is bad... mmmmkay." while we go out and shot and KILL human beings.
I can understand the moral debate over abortion. My own personal stance is that I'm not wise enough to declare when sentient life begins and that the agonizing choice must be left up to each individual to deal with as they see fit. I do not belive in legislating morality. It's something that will fail every time because people will just "go behind the parents back". INstead I believe morality needs to be taught, cultivated, and tenderly loving brought up. Give people the tools to work things out themselves. I'm willing to bet that this will work better in the long run because people will do something as a choice instead of rebel because they're forced.
I also believe that the people that make the decision have the right to do it in a safe environment instead of risking death like it was done in the past.
Either way, they're single issues and candidates embody more than just one freaking talking point. The reason why we have such bad leaders is because OF those freaking dumbass one talking point voters.
OTHER THINGS MATTER TOO!!! PICK YOUR BATTLES AND PICK ONE THAT CAN GO SOMEWHERE!!!!
Seriously, lets not argue for 100 years over something we can't agree on and instead find the common ground of good that CAN be done. When we get those wrapped up, come back to the discussion!
Wrapping it up:
I have more thoughts but they mostly want to make me kick something. The thinking of republicans I've talked to and the misinformation blows my mind. I can't talk to someone who won't even accept the science behind what I'm talking to or the basic fondation of how things work. The very foundation seems to be warped, distorted, and untruthful. First you have to agree on the foundation and it has to be one based on truth, not lies like "global warming is a fib brought up by scientists who want drama" and then "oh... a glacier just melted and fell into the ocean... global warming is real but it's not man made. Them scientists that say there is clear evidence... them's wrong."
I read a post that "democrats are educated, well intentioned, and misguided". I believe that this could be true of democrats years and YEARS ago. They meant well, but excluded the importance of business and economy in support of idealism. I suspect that democrats today are much more pragmatic. We recognize that we can't get everything we want, but we're willing to take little steps forward to make things happen.
Yeah, major change would be nice, but it's more important to get the boulder to start rolling and take the time to build the leverage than to keep pushing endlessly at the boulder without the leverage because "I can't wait! We can't wait! It needs to be at the bottom of the hill... NOW!!!" It doesn't work that way. Sometimes, once you get that boulder moving, it runs faster than you think and sometimes it moves slowly. It's important to keep applying the leverage and not try forcing it with simple brute force.
Anyway, back to that post... Democrats were educated, mean well... then how exactly are we misguided? If we're less idealistic and more pragmatic... then the freaking democrats sound awesome to me.
/rant
Have a great day!
I AM surprised that no one purchased the Metallica tickets, if for nothign else to make a few hundred dollars on. I would have done that if I were not broke right now.
Now on to the Politics.
I find myself extremely polarized of late. Generally I like to think that I'm moderate and I'll take the middle ground, but the republican side is making my head spin.
1.) Democrates will raise taxes. Yes, this is true, for the top freaking 3% or so.
Republicans economic policy drives me nuts and always has. The logic is that the tax cuts to the top will generate more investments and more spending and thus energize the economy and grow it. This has been shown to be AMAZINGLY false. What ends up happening is the consolidation of large corporations, lay-offs, and people with spending power losing their jobs and thus that spending power being decreased or eliminated.
I work with someone who countered that "yeah, but then all those people will be creating new jobs and small business!!! The market is stimulated and is healthy again."
REally? Because I don't see that happening, number one. It only happened with a democrat as president. Number 2, that's damn faulty logic as the people who are entepeneurs are freaking entepeneurs and would have been doing that anyway.
I admit there is some logic to trimming the branches every once and a while to keep things healthy, but republican logic seems to be that you need to hack off the top of the tree and if it survives it'll grow back stronger.
2.) One issue voters.
We have a war. We have a terrible economy (which McCains seems to finally accept is bad. Give the man a gold star). We have international policy that can help decide teh direction of the future. We have new economies attempting to take off but held back by republican legislation that doesn't provide government support. We have Bail-outs and floundering corrupt businesses. We have an unhealthy environment, and we have people STILL in denial about the science that our environment is BAD....
And what sways a lot of voters? "I likes my guns! you stays away from my guns!"
or
"Abortion is bad... mmmmkay." while we go out and shot and KILL human beings.
I can understand the moral debate over abortion. My own personal stance is that I'm not wise enough to declare when sentient life begins and that the agonizing choice must be left up to each individual to deal with as they see fit. I do not belive in legislating morality. It's something that will fail every time because people will just "go behind the parents back". INstead I believe morality needs to be taught, cultivated, and tenderly loving brought up. Give people the tools to work things out themselves. I'm willing to bet that this will work better in the long run because people will do something as a choice instead of rebel because they're forced.
I also believe that the people that make the decision have the right to do it in a safe environment instead of risking death like it was done in the past.
Either way, they're single issues and candidates embody more than just one freaking talking point. The reason why we have such bad leaders is because OF those freaking dumbass one talking point voters.
OTHER THINGS MATTER TOO!!! PICK YOUR BATTLES AND PICK ONE THAT CAN GO SOMEWHERE!!!!
Seriously, lets not argue for 100 years over something we can't agree on and instead find the common ground of good that CAN be done. When we get those wrapped up, come back to the discussion!
Wrapping it up:
I have more thoughts but they mostly want to make me kick something. The thinking of republicans I've talked to and the misinformation blows my mind. I can't talk to someone who won't even accept the science behind what I'm talking to or the basic fondation of how things work. The very foundation seems to be warped, distorted, and untruthful. First you have to agree on the foundation and it has to be one based on truth, not lies like "global warming is a fib brought up by scientists who want drama" and then "oh... a glacier just melted and fell into the ocean... global warming is real but it's not man made. Them scientists that say there is clear evidence... them's wrong."
I read a post that "democrats are educated, well intentioned, and misguided". I believe that this could be true of democrats years and YEARS ago. They meant well, but excluded the importance of business and economy in support of idealism. I suspect that democrats today are much more pragmatic. We recognize that we can't get everything we want, but we're willing to take little steps forward to make things happen.
Yeah, major change would be nice, but it's more important to get the boulder to start rolling and take the time to build the leverage than to keep pushing endlessly at the boulder without the leverage because "I can't wait! We can't wait! It needs to be at the bottom of the hill... NOW!!!" It doesn't work that way. Sometimes, once you get that boulder moving, it runs faster than you think and sometimes it moves slowly. It's important to keep applying the leverage and not try forcing it with simple brute force.
Anyway, back to that post... Democrats were educated, mean well... then how exactly are we misguided? If we're less idealistic and more pragmatic... then the freaking democrats sound awesome to me.
/rant
Have a great day!