Sheila Kennedy has a good post (but, of course she does!) entitled “Who Are We?” She discusses a Brett Stephens column (so, I’m at least a third level of abstraction here) and concludes:
The pertinent question is the one Stephens first identified: who are we? And the answer is, we are a country with sound and valuable ideals–granted, a country that often falls short of those ideals–a country with a majority of citizens who are devoted to those ideals, but who are currently demoralized by a loud and angry tribal minority that is working to abandon the principles the rest of us struggle to achieve.
Ukraine is fighting Russia. We are fighting the enemy within.
I’d suggest there are a good number of tribal factions demoralizing us, but otherwise fully agree with her point. Our media landscape is structured to reward content that draws attention, and the most reliable way to draw attention is to make people angry. Negative partisanship, in turn, is a reliable way to provoke anger. Cable news wants you to tune in and stay tuned through the commercials. Its programming is a means to that end. Twitter and Facebook want you to click and keep scrolling. Loud voices telling you to hate the Other or to be afraid because They are trying to get you are a good way to keep you plugged in. The relentless negativity begins to seep in and even people who have things pretty good begin to resent the world in which they live and take for granted or even vilify institutions which they really ought to appreciate.
In my mind, the Russia-Ukraine situation really underscores that latter point. Hobbes observed that life in a state of nature was solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. The institutions we have created – our military, courts, banks, government, transportation and communication infrastructure, etc. – are designed to insulate us from that state of nature. When they are insulating us properly, we can take them for granted and focus narrowly on their shortcomings. And, to be sure, there are shortcomings. But when an asshole with enough firepower undertakes to take them all away, it becomes easier to appreciate some of the things our predecessors have built and left us with.
It’s ridiculous to think that a megalomaniac in Canada or Mexico would some day be rolling into the U.S. precisely because we have grotesquely overspent on our military. It’s less ridiculous to fear that we would do that to others because of our own checkered past when it comes to respecting the sovereignty of other nations. We should teach that history and learn from it without whitewashing it; but, at the same time, we need not resign ourselves to the idea that these misdeeds constitute our essence. And if the military could not protect us from a neighboring megalomaniac, how would we react when the banks no longer functioned, when the courts were no longer available and individual violence was the only way to resolve disputes, and when government offices are abandoned or populated with foreign puppets? Or maybe the banks collapse and currency is no longer reliable? Rather than annoyingly slow during construction season, roads are cratered and impassable and the only remotely trustworthy news you can gather comes from whatever you can gather off of shortwave radio when the sun goes down and the signal gets stronger.
I suppose this is just a periodic reminder – to myself as well as anyone who happens to read – that there is also joy in the world. Improvements to the status quo should always be welcome, but don’t fail to appreciate what you have and know that, if history is any guide, things can always get so, so much worse.
” A country with a majority of citizens who are devoted to those ideals, but who are currently demoralized by a loud and angry tribal minority that is working to abandon the principles the rest of us struggle to achieve.” .Better known as the silent majority.
People believe the person who I sat on a soccer board many years ago and this real (he had just completed ministry training and decided against making it a career) estate board member came to us stating he had the perfect piece of land and a house to buy (yes a house!!!) for our travel fields. The guy gave a strong impassioned pitch and lied thru his teeth in front of us and over 15 ex board members called in by the president, his best friend. I asked the question, “Since we were a nonprofit and no one gets paid how much was he was going to cut his commission?”. I immediately get shouted down by a non board member who says the guy has to make a living. About 30 people there and I am guessing 25 with college degrees and only two of us questioned why the club needed the house. During the questioning period at least three people yelled we have land!!! Only three of us voted against exploring the land deal.
I get home and tell my wife about the meeting and where the land and house are located. My wife then informs me that the house and land is part of the estate she is working on. I am told to excuse myself from the proceedings because her client wants to sell the house and the land together. They were in the process of separating the house from the land since they couldn’t sell it together and then we showed up.
So out of the gate they were having a hard time finding a loan. Unbeknownst to my wife (still married Grin) I volunteered to be on the the three person construction committee. I called Beech Grove Paving and I met Mike at the site of the proposed fields. We walked the land and he stated that a fifty car parking lot would run a little over fifty thousand. He then tells me you will need insurance and it will be expensive since the club would be off of school grounds..Then I asked him what 12 acres would cost to mow . He stated at least $200 a crack. He had been on the Beech Grove Football board and they explored moving off school property and quickly dropped the idea. I asked about a gravel (one of our board members was pushing it) parking lot and he laughed and said only city parks, farms and private residents (there is a grandfather clause but I digress) can have a gravel parking lot in Marion County. Throw in a well (if you want water) and a shed and port-a-potties and your looking at over $60 grand.. Oh I didn’t mention leveling (a corn field) and planting grass so you can have playing fields.
Then I talked to Jan at work and she sits on the Marion County zoning board about the purchase. She starts laughing when I state we are buying a 1952 two bedroom house sitting off of I465 in one of the worst sections of Franklin Township for development.. She was familiar with the area and stated the neighbors would fight it and would win.Forgot to mention we had $110 thousand in cash and the banks wanted $100 thousand down ($420 thousand dollar purchase price) since kids sports leagues are considered a bit of a risk. We were netting a bit over $10 thousand a year. I write it all up and give it to the executive committee (stating it would take at least 6 to 7 years (did I mention rezoning) before you might be able to play a game Guys just add up the numbers.
I am told I was wrong about the parking lot and the club can will make big money with advertisement off of I465. Plus more kids are moving into Franklin Twsp and our revenues will keep going up. We can rent the house out for big bucks. The financial guy was on my side but got ran over by the three person executive committee. They finally got a loan right before (2008) the Big Short. I quit the club when the President (Purdue Engineer) came into the meeting and announced we had secured the loan and then in all sincerity said,” I think we should get prices on what it would cost to put up lights!”. Memo to Mitch Daniels – Please make all Purdue Engineers take business and zoning courses! Grin!
The club sold the house and the land at a loss 13 years late, no updates were done to the land or the house. It was rented out three of the thirteen years.
So what’s the morale? The person that preaches their agenda in the loudest and most convincing way will win the day. When I presented the entire board with the facts they stated (I’m sure Mr Real Estate boy was knifing me in the back constantly) I wasn’t a team player and I was missing out on all the extra revenue (they had nothing to back up their claims) the club was going to rake in to pay for all of it, etc,etc.
This is what the Trump and the Republicans have done with the big lie. Trump’s praising of Putin is the best shot the Democrats have at taking the asshole down. They need to double, triple down on his statement in every ad so they can destroy him. The problem is that leaves DeSantis and he seems more dangerous then Trump. Trump and the Republicans proved how fragile our Democracy framework has always been. We just never had a President undermine it to extent Trump and the Republicans have done.
If the Republicans take the presidency (Trump or worse DeSantis) and both houses in 2024 it could be the end of abortion in the United States, gay marriages and adoptions may end. The dreamers may even be sent packing. Teachers unions may disappear and anyone with a heart beat will able to become a teacher. Colleges and public schools professors and teachers may be told what they can’t teach.Banning books will become a new board game. Disability could even disappear. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them take on the large corporations to try to force them to tow the line or else.Throw in reduced funding for clean energy and they may even let the Chinese take Taiwan.
Ok maybe I read to much Science Fiction! The facts and information on what is coming down the pike are right in front of us and all people seem to notice are the carnival hawkers that want to control us and our emotions.
We won’t need to worry about our neighbors invading us,. Because the invaders are already among us!
Off my soap box and going to bed!
.
That was quite a journey with the soccer field purchase. Having been on any number of boards and involved on the government end of zoning issues and a coach in a rec soccer league, I can see every step of that process very clearly!
As always, very well put.
Thanks Lou!