Saturday, October 11, 2008

Weekend Reflections

This is an abridged version of an e-mail I sent to a blog reader of mine.

Yesterday was one of reflection for me. My mom & I spent the day with Sandy, the mother of a longtime friend of mine. She is the realtor I described here. The three of us drove up to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, though first stopping off in Racine to visit the magnificent S.C. Johnson headquarters, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. No pictures were allowed, but here's one from their website:

Sandy is a Democrat through & through. She has never voted otherwise and never will. But she is bright, reads a lot, and keeps herself informed - albeit from the extremely liberal arms of the Democrat Party: The NY Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, Time, NPR, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and CNN. All of these "news" sources continuously reinforce her predetermined belief system, which essentially boils down to this:

  • Republicans - Are completely corrupt, are fully of dummies, and only support the ultra-rich.

  • Democrats - Are less corrupt, are filled with and supported by brilliant people, and at least leave a little something more for the vast majority of Americans.
Of course, none of this narrative in her head is true but it's what gets her and tens of millions of other Americans through each day. She mixed up statements & facts, all of which I corrected, but she didn't want to hear. Oh, she "heard" me, but she wasn't listening. She's oblivious to the fact that Obama will raise taxes on her own business, perhaps substantially. Mayor Daley here in Chicago (aka "the most politically corrupt city in America") has dramatically raised the costs for all realtors yet she'll keep on voting for him too.

She hates Sarah Palin with a fiery passion. She thinks that Palin is an absolute hick with an IQ less than 50. She can't stand her accent, even though it's not a whole lot different than those of the people of Illinois. On the experience issue she can't see the irony of tarring Palin with one hand and then simultaneously excusing Obama on every single similar point. "But Obama has run the largest presidential campaign in history so clearly he's suitable to be president." It's said with absolute sincerity and conviction. It's also absolutely NUTS!

She ignored everything I had to say about ACORN, excusing it with "voter fraud happens everywhere". She ignored everything I said about William Ayers, excusing him with "was he ever actually convicted" and "even if he was guilty, hasn't he paid the price already". I'm convinced that even if it was revealed that Barack Obama had been associating with Jew hating pedophiles, she would still vote for him. And so would hundreds of millions of other Americans.

So facts alone mean nothing to these people. Instead of listening and thinking about even one fact, instead they want to focus on the fact that I just used the term "these people" . . . and somehow twist that to imply that I'm a racist! Calling someone a racist is very "nouveau" for liberals in 2008.


Now let's look at McCain. He signed that $700 Billion bailout, even though people were pleading with him not to, in the order of 50 to 1. And notice that it did nothing to stop the free fall on Wall Street! In the 2nd Pres. debate he offered up $300 Billion more. Yesterday he told everyone that Obama wouldn't be scary as president. On the surface, is he really all that different from Obama? Not to Democrat leaning voters, he isn't.

To use a sports analogy, John McCain is like the coach of a football team at the Superbowl. Before the game, instead of doing everything he can to rally his players, instead he wants to focus first & foremost on Good Sportsmanship, even though the other team clearly is playing some very dirty tricks ... and has paid off most of the referees (the media). This is why Obama will win.


Then from back home, I learn that Stephen Harper's majority prospects are slipping and he may now get even less of a minority government than before. Even when a story like this comes to the public attention, even when Stephane Dion makes a complete fool of himself, it still doesn't seem to sway the majority of voters away from voting for the short-sighted, destructive policies of the left. I've long since been convinced that the majority of people around the world are sheep but Canada seems to have the honour of having the highest percentage of closed minds anywhere. Makes one so proud to be from Canuckistan, doesn't it?!

To top it off, I've received some especially hateful personal comments on my blog. One even came from a guy who started off by saying that he was exceedingly drunk! Full moderation is on now though and I will not publish anything that more clearly resembles graffiti than any intelligible, factual thought.

I'm not defeated but am just realistic in the appraisal that I'm a duck, like you're a duck, in the very wrong pond. Like many so-called conservative voters (I'm really only conservative on a few key issues), perhaps it's time for me to give up focusing on politics altogether and instead just focus on making money in my businesses. In my case, family concerns aside, I have the ability and flexibility to move pretty much wherever I want. Maybe there is a place in the world where the majority of people believe in truth, facts, justice, and a real sense of right & wrong. It would sure be better than living in North America right now, where the politics are completely consumed with B.S., corruption, political correctness, permanent victimhood, and absolutely no sense of right & wrong and personal responsibility.

One disillusioned voter.

9 comments:

David in North Burnaby BC said...

If you think its lousy here you don't want to try living in Eurostan, that's for sure.
Better to do what one can for BC independence and a chance for a fresh start right here. :-)

David in North Burnaby BC said...

"If you support the policies and character of Stephen Harper, please drive with your headlights on during the day.

If you support Stephane Dion, please drive with your headlights off at night."

And if you support Lefty Layton, just keep driving around with your turn signal on.

Robert W. said...

Europe generally no. Though the true democracy in Switzerland has a certain appeal.

The world's a big, big place though.

Anonymous said...

FDR said, "this nation will endure as it has endured."

Come to the US Rob. We'll get through 4 years of Obama, and 2 years of a Democrat controlled house and senate (the house will be replaced in 2010). And in 2012, let's hope a real conservative runs for office and is swept to power. My friend, it took Carter to get us Reagan, it will take Obama to get us a real president, and we'll look back on this time as a valuable lesson to never take any BS from the left again.

Oh, btw, I wouldn't count Harper out just yet. McCain is done for, unfortunately.

Anonymous said...

What is with the conservatives infatuation with Reagan?

Do any of them not remember the massive budget deficits that he racked up for the sake of buying shiny new toys for the US military?

Do budget deficits and the rise of the national debt NOT matter when big government conservatives spend big money for the warfare state?

Or do budget deficits and the rise of the national debt ONLY matters when it's big government socialists spending on welfare state programs?

I just don't understand it...

Anonymous said...

And go to Dubai, the new world capital of capitalism.

David in North Burnaby BC said...

"Though the true democracy in Switzerland has a certain appeal."

Yes, it often comes up in discussions re: how an independent BC would govern ourselves.

Robert W. said...

Dear HMS: I have always been a fiscal conservative and condemn any gov't that spends more than they're taking in.

With that said, your comments ignore one crucial fact: What was the make-up of Congress at the time. You & I both know that they mostly control the spending of the U.S. at any given time. That's why I cringe whenever Bill Clinton is given credit for a balanced budget. It wasn't him per say, but a Newt Gingrich inspired Republican majority House of Representatives that made it so.

Robert W. said...

David, a wise fellow named Walter Schultz once said to me that he is a British Columbian first & foremost. I'd never before heard anyone say it with the conviction and voracity that he expressed it.

His words made me realize that I'm the same.

Let's face the fact that "Canada" is at least 4 different countries in one: The West, Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes. In strange economic times like we now face, it's pretty much impossible for any gov't to adequately please all the regions at the same time.

Depending on what transpires today will determine my views about B.C./West vs. Canada in the coming years.