Friends and Politics
11.06.2004
I have just lost 2 friends because of my politics.
Perhaps because I am an idealist who can't be stopped when I speak about what need to be done, or too assertive about presenting my discourse. To date, I continue to believe that the only reason I can accept for any person to have voted for Bush is his negative position on morality of stem cell research, gay marriage and abortion. Any other reason, had to be explained fully to me with logical supporting data. I believe that if there will be any economic gain that may happen, or any political gains that may be experienced in the next 4 years of Bush, that will not erase his wrongs in his 4 years before. I do not think he deserves credit if the market rebounds after the elections --- that will be market correction only over the inevitability of it all, since people have to move on.
Supposed he is able to finally create peace in the Middle East and create two states in Palestine and Israel, some people may label him a great leader. I hope by that time people will not forget the problems of his first 4 years, which to me means he cannot be labelled great during that time.
History must label him by the arbitrariness of his regime - separately that is as BUSH Take 1: Bad Take, and BUSH Take 2: Redeeming Himself. If that is the case then I can admire Bush only because he got away with it - naka-onse in Filipino, or nakalusot. It's a tongue-in-cheek way of saying, 'oh well' what can I do?
On these 'friends'... see, I hve hard time respecting someone's assertions when that person doesn't know anything about his arguments. I find it funny, and I get to be labelled mayabang since I can afford to be brash and edgy and can sting with sarcasm sometimes. It's saddens me that some people can be very careless about what they believe in and what information they will place their faith on. Furthermore, it's disturbing for me watching a friend carelessly spinning arguments without basis. Some friends are not as stupid --- despite difference in opinion and politics, we can remain in good dialogue, eventually ending up only in stalemate over matters of ethics. I can't respect someone who decided on an issue without knowing why. More, it disturbs me when these friends feel like they are White Americans and not Asians, have little respect for Muslims, and label Muslims and terrorists as the same banana, and see John Kerry's black voters as having no jobs because they are lazy and don't look for one --- all that to top with the fact that the American Dream has made them feel to good about themselves so much they can afford not to be logical.
I believe in American Ideals, Freedom and Equality, by philosophy is universal; genius for one, as Rizal says has no patrimony or citizenship - it's as cosmopolitan as love. But it saddens me that arguing about what freedom is and what the American forefathers' values are is seen as negative (or like some friends I know seen as anti-american). See, patriotism is not a good word - it's limiting a person to one's country. As such the world becomes a basket of selfish patriots all over thinking about each own's interests...
I, as I have posted before am a world citizen foremost than anything else. And with that, American or not, I think I deserve to say something of it - based on mere philosophy and humanism.
I shall refrain from talking about my politics for now, lest I lose another friend who isn't willing to listen. How can some people be so brainwashed so much? It's beyond me! How can the smartest people I know do the most foolish things???
From now on, it's just philosphy and me. Get me that coffee...I'll need a shot.
... with great power comes great responsibility... heheh Spiderman!
Labels: US Politics
posted by Jdavies @ 11/06/2004,
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The Author
J.Davies
Jdavies lives in Quezon City, Philippines and has been blogging since 2002. A brand manager in a leading technology company and a freelance new media/web strategy consultant, he has refocused his blogging from personal, political & sociological observations, to marketing-related efforts and Internet trends that are relevant to his career and branding advocacies.
About This Blog
This blog is a depot of thoughts and observations on marketing trends which remain personally relevant to the Author as far as his marketing career is concerned. Having evolved from the personal blog of Jdavies, much of the earlier work contained herein are laced with personal speculation, political views, and similar advocacies. These posts are being kept for posterity's sake and for no other reason. No effort is being made to claim that the author will not contradict himself from his previous positions or that such advocacies are absolute.
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