A rant from a political imbecile

A rant from a political imbecile

My mother had a great love reading.  She had the habit of often reading through the night; more often than not, from the bible, or perhaps some other book that she found interesting.  There were always plenty of books around, and I soon got into the habit of reading myself.  My mother read broadly, I guess she was a free thinker of a sort, somewhat liberal in her religious views, and I guess they have rubbed off on me.  Many people seem to get more conservative as they get older, but both my mother, and father, seemed to have gotten more open in how they looked at things, as they aged.  I guess my dad was a liberal democrat; at least he seemed to be from our discussions on politics.  My dad was not a reader like mom, but I guess you could call him a news hound.  He also liked the shows in which different reporters and politicians discussed current events.  I guess I enjoyed the shows too, but they seem to reduce everything to just a personal opinion.  Each participant hedged in by their own political ideology.  So if you watch the show enough, it was easy to know, more or less, pretty much what each member of the panel would say. I have found extremist on both sides boring.  While those who tended to be more in the middle seemed more open to other points that were presented, and therefore a little more interesting.  However these were in the minority.  I suppose to be a talk show host, or a political writer, a certain kind of narrowness is needed, without it depth would be lost.  After all conviction is needed, if a point wants to be gotten across.

I really don’t know where I fit on the political spectrum, though I feel more comfortable with the thought process of conservatives, they do seem more rational.  On the other hand, my Christian faith makes me sympathetic with many of the things that the left seems to be fighting for.  At the same time I am very cynical of all politicians, who seem to be more interested in votes, or in the power base of their own party, than in what is best for their people.   I guess many do start out with the right idea, but the temptations are too great to pass up.  Too much money changes hands, to many favors owed to those who got them in, in the first place.  Of course cynicism makes for simplistic conclusions; of which the above is one of them.  It is based more on my emotions than rational reasoning.  There has to be some honest politicians out there some where; right?

So perhaps I am a liberal, without a home in any one political arena.   I would think many Christians would find themselves in that position.  So I vote independent, and perhaps many other Christians do also, when they cast their vote.  I sometimes vote democrat, at other times republican, perhaps that is the norm now days.  I have a hard time believing that there are died in the wool Reds, or Blues out there, but perhaps I am being a tad naïve about this. 

Talk show host are an exception, though for me they are just a source of entertainment when I am driving.  Some of the conservative talk show host can be very hard line, which causes me too often to disagree with what they are saying.  Some of the things they spout off are actually frightening, and could be very bad if someone with a black and white world view tied into everything that they said.  Perhaps those who listen to talk radio aren’t like that; perhaps they are a little more sophisticated than those who don’t.  Perhaps talk show host knowing they are simply entertainers,  playing a role, spout off the party line, and then when the show is over, put that persona into the closet until next time. 

In any case, it is the fanatics in both parties who make the most noise, they are like huge squeaking wheels who demand to be listened to, and in the end are.  Moderate views are too boring, or in the case of Rush Limbaugh, moderates are mocked as fence sitters.  Perhaps he is right, but I don’t think so. Perhaps some see more grey areas than others. 
That is why I am lousy at politics; I see too many grey areas, which is probably not that good of a position to be in when in power.

I am glad however that we are supporting Israel, though their record is often as bad as the Palestinians; who they are defending themselves from.  I believe that if Israel were alone in their struggle for survival; there would have been by now, some sort of nuclear device used in self defense.  As a People they are backed up against the wall, and I feel they are right in not trusting anyone outside their own race. 

Even the United States during the Second World War did nothing to help the Jews, even though intelligence was available about the holocaust, long before the American public was aware of it.  We even turned back a ship full of Jews back to Germany, even though those in power knew what was going to happen to them.  They were all killed.  Men, women, and children; so the United States, does have blood on its hands. 

I have sympathy for the Palestinians, but the Jews are there to stay, and the sooner that is understood, the sooner peace will hopefully fall on that war torn part of the world.    I have a hard time believing that ‘all’ Palestinians want the Jews wiped out; surely the majority are not so bloodthirsty, just as many Jews want peace also.  

The Muslims are getting a lot of bad publicity now days, with quotes from the Koran backing up what is said.  However the Old Testament also has statements like that.  Just read the book of Kings, or Exodus.  I believe that anyone who truly loves God becomes more compassionate, and loving. The Koran, states that Allah is compassionate; hence it would follow that Muslims who truly love Allah, which means God, would also take on that quality. 

Of course I am taking from my armchair, and have no experience of the terror that the population from both sides, has to endure each and every day.  The stress must be unbearable, and the desire to strike back understandable.  To tell the truth, I don’t know how I would react, but I am reasonably sure I would defend myself, my family, and friends.  Also being human I would probably want revenge on those who are a threat to my life, and the lives of those I love.
 
So it seems that we are at an impasse.  Peace has to come from the grass roots, not from those in power.  It is hard to forgive, alien even, but it is the only way to stop the cycle of violence.   Perhaps as a species we will never learn that lesson, or perhaps we don’t want to.  I am not sure I could walk my pious talk if I were in different circumstances. Talk is cheap, pious talk the cheapest.  I do know what is in my heart, and much of it is not beautiful.  The state of the world today is a mirror image of my own inner life.  Conflict, failure, despair (at times), but also love, hope, and peace, often hidden from the eyes of others, who can only see me from the outside……. the depths of the heart or easy to hide.  If I am not a peace, why should I be surprised at what is going on in the world.  Our wars, problems in our societies, and families, which are often the nesting place of many of our troubles, are extensions of our inner lives made manifest.

Love is an easy word to use.  In fact it is used so much that it is pretty useless.  As a Christian, I truly believe, that it is only grace that frees us from this prison, which we as a species seem to be locked into.  We do not need to be saved from God, but from ourselves, hence the need of grace, always present, since within each heart God dwells. 

Well this did ramble a bit, too many twist and turns, but hey it is a rant by a political imbecile.