What Have We Become?
I’ve been pondering this question for quite some time, but it took El Somnambulo’s post concerning corrupt judges to drive me to my keyboard. Call it the straw that broke the camel’s back – and this camel is thoroughly disgusted.
Who are we?
I really want to know. I want to know what sort of country barely blinks an eye at the number of its children living in poverty? I want to know what sort of country tolerates the sick being turned away from its hospitals, and thinks it’s acceptable for people to lose their homes because of medical bills? I want to know why discriminating against people who want to marry is labeled as virtuous while speaking out in favor of civil rights is an abomination? And, I want to know why investing in education and the health of our citizens is too expensive, but there always seems to be money for war and new ways of killing people.
Our priorities are effed up. Which is ironic given how often religion permeates our politics. But it’s a convenient religion, isn’t it? One that can only survive if it doesn’t effect the bottom line; one that rarely extends beyond a house of worship’s door. Because, despite all the pontificating and scripture quoting, we sure as hell don’t practice what we preach. What would Jesus do? is nothing more than bumper sticker, and a cheap, political one, at that.
And this is what really ails our country. We don’t function as a nation, and I wonder how long a nation can survive with an every man for himself mentality. Kinda defeats the entire point of living under one flag.
*end of rant.*
Tags: Scandalous!
Simply put, it’s the social acceptability of the “Eff you, I got mine” reptilian mind-set. People like those judges think community means “like me”, and that’s the problem.
I’ve come to the conclusion that people who cry God and country believe in neither.
Who is getting turned away from hospitals?
Wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross, P!
My cynic-senses start to tingle when I come across one of those…just like when I find a org with the word “Concerned” in its name!
“Who is getting turned away from hospitals?”
Generally, anyone who has non-life threatening emergencies.
“why investing in education and the health of our citizens is too expensive, but there always seems to be money for war and new ways of killing people.”
Because there’s big money in defense contracting, not so much in education
It isn’t religion pandora, not real anyway. they use religion to justify a selfish ignorant hateful lifestyle. I can’t tell you how many people i know who claim to be “good Christians”, but all the seems to mean is that they go to church every sunday, hate gays and protest at abortion clinics.
They are selfish people who are not interested in helping people for the sake of helping people. If it means a convert, or a donation to their church they are ready to help, but thats about it.
As an outside observer of Christianity, I can’t comprehend a religion that focuses on fighting against 2 or 3 things their dogma disagrees with, rather than working for what i thought was their main goal… world peace an harmony. Again i am not a Christian, but I do “give props to Jesus the philosopher” He said a lot of things than modern day American Christians don’t seem to follow, care or even know about.
Post of the year, in my opinion.
I don’t understand either, pandora. All I can say is that there are none so blind as those who will not see. We’ve had 30 years of something for nothing governance that we don’t really understand the cost of things anymore?
My opinion is that we can’t rely on people’s good will to do things right, we have to give incentives to the behavior we want. Our society has a perverse reward system that rewards wealth over work and fame over smarts. It rewards short-term thinking and not long-term thinking. We need to find ways to incentivize the behavior we want to see.
Thanks, UI. It felt good to get all that out! 🙂
Amen, preach it. Both to UI and Pandora
Sometimes it’s good to get it all out.
I pay my mortgage, work like a dog, live in a house I can afford, and drive an old car. My customers are people like me. and yet.. all of my customers are afraid of losing their job. Some already have. They have lost much of their retirement. They have lost equity. They have lost hope. This is after 15 -20 years of working hard and being educated in their field.
No one sees that the stimulus plan is goign to help them directly, as they are not in any of the categories. They are not in forclosure, they have 2 or under kids. Maybe the unemployment tax relief?
Not sure if this is relevant, just venting!
I guess this will help eventually and from what I understand it is necessary.
Pandora,
You might find this story interesting. It’s kind of related. It’s Lakoff about how Obama frames morals and values. Worth a read, anyway.