Exposing the Grift: “Misdirection” is not an Actual Solution!
I generally avoid political discussions because they tend to become highly charged and reach flashpoint in a matter of moments... and most political "activists" tend to hate me because of my refusal to get behind extreme viewpoints.
That said, people online send me all kinds of crap, all the time.
Because I am — I suppose — difficult to pin down as to my true political leanings, I get a mountain of political commentary representing both the right and the left.
Most of it leans towards the extreme ends of the spectrum.
For the most part, I am not really impressed.
I mostly find myself with head in hands, sighing deeply and shaking my head, because the world seems so deeply focused on ”feeling vindicated” as a result of all the effort they are putting into uncovering evidence and proving that the other side ”are just a bunch of crooks.”
Deep State, leaked secrets, convicted felons, whistle blowers, sex scandals, espeionage, crooked dealings, hidden agendas. There’s always something.
The reason I am not impressed is that everyone seems far too busy being stuck down inside their respective witch hunts to actually offer up tangible and executable solutions to the world’s problems.
Short version: a game of round-robin finger pointing seems far more important than making things better!
As a sort of metaphor, it's the political equivalent of always eating Big Macs™ and wondering why you're still fat, rather than eating a balanced diet and getting some exercise to actually lose weight.
It all reminds me a bit of that technique used by skilled illusionists: “misdirection.”
And it’s very difficult to detect what it is we’re collectively being misdirected from, even if that ”something” is the fact that there’s actually nothing behind the proverbial curtain (“Wizard of OZ” reference).
I recognize that it has likely always been like this, but the advent of social media, and now the blatancy of the current US administration seem to be making it far more visible than it used to be. Or than I remember it being.
Proudly parading around that we were spending $4 million on supporting transgender polar bears in Nicaragua doesn't really speak to when I'm going to not have to spend $10 for a carton of eggs.
Whereas I can’t speak to politics everywhere in the world, politics in the USA seems to be far more about a giant grift than it is about actual public service that intends to help citizens and create a better society.
I don’t care whether you’re a ”rightie” or a ”leftie,” most likely the heads of your placard waving column are grifters before they are politicians.
Meanwhile… we’re likely being misdirected by the arrests and prosecutions of ”those criminals from the other side,” as a sort of smokescreen over the fact that a new generation of crooked crony capitalism is being installed behind the scenes… while we’re looking in a different direction, nodding and saying ”Way to go! EXPOSED those crooked bastards!”
Maybe I’m out in left field by raising my hand and asking ”How exactly is that lowering inflation and interest rates, and creating a better economy for the average working person on the street? And what about the potholes in the roads that causes me to have to spend $1,200 I can't afford on a new suspension for my car?”
Of course, it isn’t going to address those things.
But we’re not supposed to be looking that that… because it's unpatriotic and, by definition, sketchy behavior.
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great remainder of your weekend!
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Created at 2025.03.15 11:50 PDT
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Yes, it is very challenging, @denmarkguy. I thought this was a great analogy:
What are we consuming, as a regular part of our political discourse diet?
I certainly agree with this. I appreciate the fact you are openly and honestly pointing this out.
As long as what divides people is so sharply in focus, rather than what unites us, it is sobering to think about what it will take to bring about any long lasting change to what you have described in your post.
It's sad that people seem so reluctant to explore what they have in common.
A friend of ours from years back was sort of diplomat/activist and he was always trying to bring feuding parties together over what they had in common. Back in the heat of conflict, I remember him talking about arranging a friendly soccer match between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, back in the early 1990s... and watching these "opposing" dads talk about teaching their kids the game, favorite teams and much more... their intense differences almost completely forgotten because they came together over an activity they mutually enjoyed...
We need more of that...
Common ground. Yes, we most certainly can agree on that, @denmarkguy, as I wrote about that myself a few days ago.
It would be interesting to see what two Silver Bloggers might say to each other on this topic.
As our younger people would appear to have fewer and fewer examples of that, in the real world. Quite the contrary ...
@denmarkguy, I paid out 0.774 HIVE and 0.188 HBD to reward 2 comments in this discussion thread.