People who care about others, and involve themselves in the political process to express that concern, always read across the political spectrum. Often the right press will discuss issues that the left press ignores, such as the mayor of Houston subpoenaing the sermons of local clergy. With a different focus, certain issues gain more attention. I read a left article about horrendous slave labor factories in North Korea that export into the USA with fake "Made in China" labels. It rang true. If we didn’t owe the Chinese so much money and had different leadership in Washington, we could reduce this source of revenue to an insane dictator. But while the solutions may differ, the analysis is sometimes the same. This is where insight can begin. People who care - that is care enough to want change for the better - often begin here. Look at the awareness raised about the Trans Pacific Partnership by both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. Politics is the art of the possible.
Of course, there are bad information sources across the political spectrum, just as there are bad people within any grouping of people. That is human nature and a common sense understanding that begins any inquiry. However, there are those who, like our local Don Dowell, immediately reject any news source that doesn’t agree with his preconceptions of reality. He called them “disreputable” in his Facebook response to my posting entitled “Finally, A Choice”. When I called him on that, his slander and his ongoing refusal to even acknowledge further evidence, he went so ballistic to make the threatening statement: “…to deal with you properly…”
A David Nicholson jumped into the conversation, and accused me of the serious crime of incitement. He went on to say: “If you don’t like fair criticism stay off social media.” To his mind, being called a nativist for defending our sovereignty, of having a deranged position and grand delusions, of not having a grasp on reality, of being kooky and of not even living in the same time-space continuum is considered fair criticism. These are, knowingly or unknowingly, Saul Alinsky tactics to smear the perceived enemy. It is not about democratic discussion, it is about victory at whatever the cost. This is the same theme I discussed in my 3/16 posting, “Is This Leninism?”
I wrote this and the prior post as a warming to this county I love. The existing narrow vision folks have growth in strength aided by a new and growing demographic. But perhaps an even greater threat than their myopic view and self indulgent expertise is their tactics. Anyone can read them on Facebook’s Amador/calaveras Uncensored Politics under my "Finally, A Choice" posting. They may even cure low blood pressure.
Of course, there are bad information sources across the political spectrum, just as there are bad people within any grouping of people. That is human nature and a common sense understanding that begins any inquiry. However, there are those who, like our local Don Dowell, immediately reject any news source that doesn’t agree with his preconceptions of reality. He called them “disreputable” in his Facebook response to my posting entitled “Finally, A Choice”. When I called him on that, his slander and his ongoing refusal to even acknowledge further evidence, he went so ballistic to make the threatening statement: “…to deal with you properly…”
A David Nicholson jumped into the conversation, and accused me of the serious crime of incitement. He went on to say: “If you don’t like fair criticism stay off social media.” To his mind, being called a nativist for defending our sovereignty, of having a deranged position and grand delusions, of not having a grasp on reality, of being kooky and of not even living in the same time-space continuum is considered fair criticism. These are, knowingly or unknowingly, Saul Alinsky tactics to smear the perceived enemy. It is not about democratic discussion, it is about victory at whatever the cost. This is the same theme I discussed in my 3/16 posting, “Is This Leninism?”
I wrote this and the prior post as a warming to this county I love. The existing narrow vision folks have growth in strength aided by a new and growing demographic. But perhaps an even greater threat than their myopic view and self indulgent expertise is their tactics. Anyone can read them on Facebook’s Amador/calaveras Uncensored Politics under my "Finally, A Choice" posting. They may even cure low blood pressure.
Copyright 2016, Mark L. Bennett
I'm on your side Mark!
ReplyDeletePlanning on more illegal campaign donations this year, Al?
DeleteThank you for posting. I get the raw numbers and know I have many readers but positive feedback is minimal except for a few people I meet at public meetings.
ReplyDelete