extreme

 I am amazed at the number of otherwise intelligent people that have decided to just dig in their heels. It really is an amazing thing. It has gone way past a difference of opinion, or a dislike.  Reviling the opposition is common practice now. Look up the definition for that word. I believe it is the perfect adjective for the political climate of today. Even more amazing is in the political debates among the Democratic candidates that is what is being employed! Not only have the Democrats decided that the entire Republican party should be reviled, their own party should be as well! If you don't believe that, listen to the debates. 

 I am amazed but not surprised. I observed some time back that we have decided to operate in extremes. Our society, as a rule, has decided that is the way to act. We often use terms like empowered to describe those actions. I feel empowered! What they are saying is, I feel like I can force my will upon you. That's empowered. To be empowered is just as the word implies, to have power. The real issue lies in how you attempt to wield that power. To flaunt power, to press it upon others and create unrest is not empowered. No, that's called bullying. Well, it is only called bullying when it happens to you anyway. If you are the one doing it, it's empowerment or you are impassioned. There is a fine line between impassioned and zealous. The zealous are called zealots! Zealots are fanatical in their beliefs. 

 If you just sit back and listen this will become obvious to you. No matter your feelings about President Trump, you have to admit it is an extreme. The pundits talk about leaning left and right. Trump is far right! Sanders is far left! What they are saying is, they represent extremes. And sadly, I'm not seeing anyone willing to give ground. Even in the face of the obvious, they are standing their ground, heels dug in, common sense notwithstanding. For the Democrats the primary objective is to defeat Donald Trump! For the Republicans the objective is to retain that office and hopefully gain control of the house once again. It appears to me that neither party is really interested in what the American people want. No, the focus is on defeating the other party, by any means necessary. 

 The way I see it even the pretense of listening to the American people is lost. Our representatives have decided they will represent their interests, not ours. Oh they will say what they feel the voters want to hear, that's why all the fantastic promises from the left, free for all. The right is saying what? We need to focus on Americans. But that is met with resistance because why? It's racist! A racist is to be reviled! If you point out that in reality it is nationalism, that will be countered with, you are a Nazi. But what is a Nazi? A Nazi was a member of the National Socialist German Workers Party. So that is being construed to mean if you are a Nationalist you also support socialism. Strangely the ones calling those on the right that name are the same ones supporting socialism! 

 Now anyone that knows me knows I'm a conservative person. I always have been, it's a part of my nature. I'm not given much to extremes. Slow and steady wins the race, a lesson taught to me by the story of the tortoise and the hare. Of course today that story isn't told because it would be unfair. We would have to hire a lawyer to write the terms of the race. We also don't teach the lesson of the Emperors new clothes. Today the emphasis is on being able to obtain those " clothes " whether they exist or not, everyone should get them. It's an all or nothing situation.  The Democrats went all in with Hillary Clinton in the last election cycle. They lost! The objective now is to win, at all costs. That is their political platform, to win. I have listened to them. In the end, after the debates were over, what was being said? We have to work together to beat Donald Trump! I never heard a single candidate say, we need to do what is best for America. No, all I heard was, we need to beat Trump.   And the Republicans are doing what? Just biding their time. Trump is saying enough for everyone. Regardless of anything else, Trump is putting his cards on the table. Is he doing that for America? I doubt that is his motivation. Trump has an ego bigger than America. The only question being, does the motivation behind an action negate the value of that action? What I mean to say is, if I were to give you a meal, does it make any difference why I did so? I'd suggest you would take that meal even if you knew I only did so to be able to brag about it later. What got the result? The motivation or the action. 

 I'm thinking what we need to do is focus on the action, not the motivation for doing so. Regardless of who is in power that is what the focus should be. We can speculate all day long about motive. Conspiracies abound. From the totally ridiculous to that seems feasible, we question motivations. At the end of the day however we all want one thing, results. Does it matter how the result was achieved? Only if the result wasn't what you wanted is the short answer. If the desired result is achieved, we will find a way to excuse the action. Need an example? I don't want to have a baby. It's a choice. Yes, I'd call that extreme. We have set the action aside in favor of motivation.