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September 28, 2010
Validation
For me that is the heart and soul of the matter.
posted by Simon on 09.28.10 at 03:22 AM
Comments
I don't think you two are alone in this at all. The problem is though that the folks on our side represent only a small percentage of the population. The vast majority of people are quite simply, in their little heart of hearts, totalitarians. I had discussions this past weekend with some folks, all retired, all vets, who think we should have some form of mandatory service for all young people, either in the military or some form of social program. After listening to all of my arguments - we don't exist for the purposes of the state, the probability of the state using that opportunity to propagandize young minds (more than it already does), etc. they all nodded but still thought it would be a good idea. And to a man, each of these folks thinks of himself as conservative, and they all dislike Obama's administration, think the Iraq war was a mistake and that government is pretty much out of control. I can't even get my mind around how so many people hold so many contradictory positions at the same time.
Crawdad · September 28, 2010 09:04 AM I agree that culture is the larger influence. Perhaps many older people see compulsory service as an way of combating the narcissim and shallowness many of today's youth seem to exhibit, and the subject transcends conservative/liberal ideology. I also have conservative friends that believe making schooling more compulsory will produce better educated children/adults. Most children do not have to do many things besides go to school in order to help a family survive today. At the turn of the last century, children were vital in helping support the family whether working in a shop, or on the farm. Today, after the advent of child labor laws and compulsory education, children are expenses and consumers. As an example of how cultural attitudes have changed, there isn't a contemporary movie I can think of where the parent decides a child needs to quit school to help support the family. My husband reminded me of the movie "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", when we were disucssing this change in American family life and school/social workers influence. The social warriors of the early 20th century believed they were laying the groundwork for a more enlightened, civil society, and here we are 100 years later with the very problems there were going to eliminate now made more complex with third party participation and prescriptions for more of the same medicine. Rebecca · September 28, 2010 12:26 PM The vast majority of people are quite simply, in their little heart of hearts, totalitarians. Geez, and I thought I was a pessimist. I thought it was only around a third of the population. Eric Scheie · September 28, 2010 02:50 PM Post a comment
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It's the same idea as 'collective salvation' that Beck keeps crushing.
M. , to me the line between religion and state looks a lot like the AZ-Mex border these days. The earnest believers and their cynical manipulators on both sides of the issue, each in their own innocently misguided or purposefully sinister manner, seek to divinely influence or coldly control you and me with the State.
I have neither the time or inclination to sort through the various supporters of State-ism to determine whether their individual sources of motivation are rapturous or repressive, BUT THE CONSTITUTION SAYS I DON'T NEED TO. THEY ARE ALL REQUIRED TO LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE.
That only you and me see this as the biggest problem of our age is the real problem.