Just had a lively dispute on Twitter with a very conservative fella who told me I'm a Marxist because I believe in helping my fellow (wo)man.
He was kinda abrasive and rude (and I'm not gunna lie, I was rude back) but despite being annoyed and wanting to leave the convo, I stayed and chatted.
With plenty of parries and repostes, we tossed 140 characters back and forth. And I am sure he still doesn't like me and frankly, I'm not super thrilled about him but at least it was an intelligent conversation (though I could have done without him calling me all the 'ist' names in the book that he didn't agree with).
I simultaneously HATE discussing politics (or the negative aspects of religion for that matter) and am motivated and inspired by it. I truly believe that none of us knows all and we all must keep learning and moving. I guess that's one of my problems with the 'ists - (just like in Judaism, as my father says - when you call yourself a movement, you stop moving) - in politics, when we decide that something is Capitalist or Marxist or Socialist or Blahist... we lock that idea into a box and never let it develop.
What if we threw the titles out the window and just picked up the good ideas from each? What if we didn't have to take each 'ist to the horrible conclusion that each reaches it we go to the extreme?
I don't know. But I do know that the way people are acting right now... conservatives, liberals... I don't like it. It is pushing us further and further from a solution. And people like Glenn Beck and, yes, liberals too that jump to the most horrible conclusion and scare the people who listen to them out of their wits AREN'T HELPING. They are just preening and prancing and trying to promote themselves, not liberty or safe and healthy living.
Oh well. Dad always said, "We have to agree to disagree." Not always satisfying but makes for a much better life than fighting everyone.
I really do love this video. The first 14 minutes really hits home... http://bit.ly/daCPM0