For whatever reasons - demographics, chance, profession, I don't know - I have a number of friends and acquaitenances who vote Democrat. But now I'm starting to wonder whether it's an imperative to cut half of the country off from friendship, both in order to stay sane and because I find their beliefs to be morally repellant.
I would not hang out with murderers - should I consort with people who believe that coersion is acceptable if it's in the name of "good?" (Never mind that the good they insist upon is debatable).
Case in point, today in a car with 2 liberals, the fact that gas is so expensive is mentioned.
Me: Well, a good portion of that is taxes, you know.
Liberal #1: Really?
Me: Yes. In Europe it's much higher. Social engineering through price controls.
Liberal #1: Well, but they have a better public transportion system.
Me: Yes. However, it's very expensive to build railroad lines, and in this country they tend to be grossly underutilized. The question is, should we coerce people into paying for something that they don't use?
Liberal #2: I don't have a problem with it. It allows people who had to ride the bus 2 or 3 hours to get to work faster.
Me: Great, so perhaps there should be a program to donate to a train system. But is it ok to take my money because it does somebody else good?
Liberal #1: Well, you get to vote.
Me: So, if the majority votes for it, can we put a group of people that we don't like to death?
Liberal #2: Well, that's like a Hitler situation.
Me: I think it's a Hitler situation when somebody puts a gun to my head and demands half of my money. Especially when it's mismanaged, but that's another conversation.
No more conversation for the rest of the trip home. We said our goodbye's tensely. I doubt I'll see these folks again.
I could have handled this better. In retrospect, I see that I am too strident. An example other than muder would have made my point better, for example.
Anybody have thoughts on the matter of coping with the huge moral disconnect inherent in the stratification of contemporary political thought? Or, in other words, how do you deal with people who want to take your money and further want to make YOU feel bad that you don't much care for it?
(Oh sheez, and I didn't even touch upon firearms rights, which is of course another whole can of worms. Basically, would it really be wrong to call these people the enemy and be done with it? Or should I try to use logic? But does logic work on what are tantamount to religious beliefs [religious in the sense that they are based on faith not fact]? My brain is melting).
I would not hang out with murderers - should I consort with people who believe that coersion is acceptable if it's in the name of "good?" (Never mind that the good they insist upon is debatable).
Case in point, today in a car with 2 liberals, the fact that gas is so expensive is mentioned.
Me: Well, a good portion of that is taxes, you know.
Liberal #1: Really?
Me: Yes. In Europe it's much higher. Social engineering through price controls.
Liberal #1: Well, but they have a better public transportion system.
Me: Yes. However, it's very expensive to build railroad lines, and in this country they tend to be grossly underutilized. The question is, should we coerce people into paying for something that they don't use?
Liberal #2: I don't have a problem with it. It allows people who had to ride the bus 2 or 3 hours to get to work faster.
Me: Great, so perhaps there should be a program to donate to a train system. But is it ok to take my money because it does somebody else good?
Liberal #1: Well, you get to vote.
Me: So, if the majority votes for it, can we put a group of people that we don't like to death?
Liberal #2: Well, that's like a Hitler situation.
Me: I think it's a Hitler situation when somebody puts a gun to my head and demands half of my money. Especially when it's mismanaged, but that's another conversation.
No more conversation for the rest of the trip home. We said our goodbye's tensely. I doubt I'll see these folks again.
I could have handled this better. In retrospect, I see that I am too strident. An example other than muder would have made my point better, for example.
Anybody have thoughts on the matter of coping with the huge moral disconnect inherent in the stratification of contemporary political thought? Or, in other words, how do you deal with people who want to take your money and further want to make YOU feel bad that you don't much care for it?
(Oh sheez, and I didn't even touch upon firearms rights, which is of course another whole can of worms. Basically, would it really be wrong to call these people the enemy and be done with it? Or should I try to use logic? But does logic work on what are tantamount to religious beliefs [religious in the sense that they are based on faith not fact]? My brain is melting).
Thanks!!
