I had a recent experience with a bunch of Zoomers. They had serious knowledge gaps that reflected the civics and history classes they never got. It was, at most, a minimal handicap.
When I mentioned something, their phones would whip up, they'd start typing, and each would read off something significant about whatever I'd mentioned. …
I had a recent experience with a bunch of Zoomers. They had serious knowledge gaps that reflected the civics and history classes they never got. It was, at most, a minimal handicap.
When I mentioned something, their phones would whip up, they'd start typing, and each would read off something significant about whatever I'd mentioned. By the time the phones went down, they had decent comprehension and usually I'd learned something new.
From what I saw, we don't need to worry about the Zoomers.
To me, there's a different, HUGE demographic out there that we are ignoring. I travel a lot thru the white part of America, and when I can, I'll pose these five goals to anyone willing to talk. Most people I speak to don't vote, and the rest are split 50/50, but almost everyone agrees with my five goals, which are nothing but Bernie's platform with the details removed.
First, US laws must apply the same way to everyone.
Second, Government should not tell people how to live
Third, I only want my tax dollars spent where I save money or make money.
Fourth, We need taxation, education, and health care systems that a normal person can understand.
Fifth: Every kid that qualifies for trade school, apprenticeship, or college should be able to go.
These are Progressive goals, with the details boiled off the bones. I rarely hear disagreement.
Great bullet points. I would only quibble with how tax dollars are spent. In so many cases, our taxes need to help the downtrodden regardless of profit motive. It's a moral imperative. And sometimes the government DOES need to tell stupid people how to live -- by not dying! Seatbelts, stop signs and vaccines come to mind.
I had the same reservations, which is not to come down on Stabilizer, who makes excellent points. People must be told what to do in many cases, or more correctly, what NOT to do. The guiding principle for this, though, must not be someone's religious prejudices, etc., but careful analysis of the common good and wellbeing of the community. and the environment. There must be ample space for public feedback on all such issues. But people should not be free to spray their gardens and fields with RoundUp (the shit should be banned) or put a septic tank in a wetland, etc. Government is the only body with the facilities to enforce such restrictions. On the other hand, if I'm gay and want to marry a person I love of the same sex, or I'm a woman and I want autonomy over my own body, or I have a non-typical gender or other identity, such things do NOT concern the government in any way
Exactly! Details matter. Progressivism is, and should be, constantly defined and/or redefined to reflect a higher, selfless morality and the common decency required in a civil society, pinned to science and ongoing reality -- universal ideals rather than some stubborn, individual ideology based on nothing but one's traditional "faith" in unchangeable thought processes and mercurial feelings.
You are assuming details. Tax dollars spent on homeless people save me money, so spend them. Tax dollars helping those who need help save me a little money, but mostly they make a nice profit, so spend them. Telling someone how to safely drive a vehicle is hardly telling them how to live. Telling someone to get vaccinated is never a total fiat. Austria allows citizens to skip vaccination. They cannot leave the house except one shopping period a week all the selfish people are allowed to shop at shops that decide to remain open. Seems great way to handle it, except I'd like a requirement of a forehead tattoo that says "Too dumb to vaccinate".
"Again" ...I missed the point?Lol -- such passive aggression.
Glad you clarified, since i don't read minds and only respond to one's written words. Like I said: quibbling.
Also, in my book (of government), it IS telling people how to live by not acting stupidly to put one's own life in danger as well as others, which is the whole idea behind seatbelts, stop signs, vaccines, and such. No?
For instance, please don't smoke in my presence, since you are polluting the air I breathe, causing me great harm, putting my life in danger. I can think of a long, long list of ways a government should tell their citizens how to live, and also of an equally long list of why it shouldn't. Details matter in fleshing out generalities, which is the deeper point.
One of our greatest history teachers and a mentor to many individuals involved in our state department and a key mentor to Bill Clinton - who wrote a powerful history of the modern world and america, in terms of America wrote that every election is always decided by ...
I had a recent experience with a bunch of Zoomers. They had serious knowledge gaps that reflected the civics and history classes they never got. It was, at most, a minimal handicap.
When I mentioned something, their phones would whip up, they'd start typing, and each would read off something significant about whatever I'd mentioned. By the time the phones went down, they had decent comprehension and usually I'd learned something new.
From what I saw, we don't need to worry about the Zoomers.
To me, there's a different, HUGE demographic out there that we are ignoring. I travel a lot thru the white part of America, and when I can, I'll pose these five goals to anyone willing to talk. Most people I speak to don't vote, and the rest are split 50/50, but almost everyone agrees with my five goals, which are nothing but Bernie's platform with the details removed.
First, US laws must apply the same way to everyone.
Second, Government should not tell people how to live
Third, I only want my tax dollars spent where I save money or make money.
Fourth, We need taxation, education, and health care systems that a normal person can understand.
Fifth: Every kid that qualifies for trade school, apprenticeship, or college should be able to go.
These are Progressive goals, with the details boiled off the bones. I rarely hear disagreement.
Great bullet points. I would only quibble with how tax dollars are spent. In so many cases, our taxes need to help the downtrodden regardless of profit motive. It's a moral imperative. And sometimes the government DOES need to tell stupid people how to live -- by not dying! Seatbelts, stop signs and vaccines come to mind.
I had the same reservations, which is not to come down on Stabilizer, who makes excellent points. People must be told what to do in many cases, or more correctly, what NOT to do. The guiding principle for this, though, must not be someone's religious prejudices, etc., but careful analysis of the common good and wellbeing of the community. and the environment. There must be ample space for public feedback on all such issues. But people should not be free to spray their gardens and fields with RoundUp (the shit should be banned) or put a septic tank in a wetland, etc. Government is the only body with the facilities to enforce such restrictions. On the other hand, if I'm gay and want to marry a person I love of the same sex, or I'm a woman and I want autonomy over my own body, or I have a non-typical gender or other identity, such things do NOT concern the government in any way
Exactly! Details matter. Progressivism is, and should be, constantly defined and/or redefined to reflect a higher, selfless morality and the common decency required in a civil society, pinned to science and ongoing reality -- universal ideals rather than some stubborn, individual ideology based on nothing but one's traditional "faith" in unchangeable thought processes and mercurial feelings.
You are assuming details. Tax dollars spent on homeless people save me money, so spend them. Tax dollars helping those who need help save me a little money, but mostly they make a nice profit, so spend them. Telling someone how to safely drive a vehicle is hardly telling them how to live. Telling someone to get vaccinated is never a total fiat. Austria allows citizens to skip vaccination. They cannot leave the house except one shopping period a week all the selfish people are allowed to shop at shops that decide to remain open. Seems great way to handle it, except I'd like a requirement of a forehead tattoo that says "Too dumb to vaccinate".
Again, you are missing the point.
"Again" ...I missed the point?Lol -- such passive aggression.
Glad you clarified, since i don't read minds and only respond to one's written words. Like I said: quibbling.
Also, in my book (of government), it IS telling people how to live by not acting stupidly to put one's own life in danger as well as others, which is the whole idea behind seatbelts, stop signs, vaccines, and such. No?
For instance, please don't smoke in my presence, since you are polluting the air I breathe, causing me great harm, putting my life in danger. I can think of a long, long list of ways a government should tell their citizens how to live, and also of an equally long list of why it shouldn't. Details matter in fleshing out generalities, which is the deeper point.
This cant be emphasized enough:
One of our greatest history teachers and a mentor to many individuals involved in our state department and a key mentor to Bill Clinton - who wrote a powerful history of the modern world and america, in terms of America wrote that every election is always decided by ...
who does NOT vote.
See tragedy and hope by carol quigley