elamink

Politics has always been a pretty shady business (believe me, I’ve seen it first hand and up close), but, we have now reached new lows that I never thought the American public would accept.

Maybe some of the right just don’t understand (or more likely don’t care) what morals and ethics actually are, so below I’ve listed some definitions that they might want to study. I just don’t want them to be able to claim ignorance of the facts when their judgement time comes.

Ethics – noun

• a system of moral principles: the ethics of a culture.
• the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.: medical ethics; Christian ethics.
• moral principles, as of an individual: His ethics forbade betrayal of a confidence.
• that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.

Morals – adjective

• of, relating to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical: moral attitudes.
• expressing or conveying truths or counsel as to right conduct.
• founded on the fundamental principles of right conduct rather than on legalities, enactment, or custom: moral obligations.
• capable of conforming to the rules of right conduct: a moral being.
• conforming to the rules of right conduct (opposed to immoral).
• resting upon convincing grounds of probability; virtual: a moral certainty.

The Right Wing; Are They All Alike…

No, I don’t think so…. There isn’t one single type of Republican or right-wing conservative, there are many categories and most could easily fit into multiple groupings. The following is my attempt to list and define the groups:

The Hard Core Trumpsters

They’ll follow the guy no matter what he says, does or who he harms. It may not make sense, but that doesn’t seem to be important to these people. It’s as if they belong to a cult and their leader can do no wrong.

The Very Wealthy Oligarchs 

They are only concerned with preserving and advancing their own wealth. If you’re protecting their financial interests, they’ll do your bidding and follow you anywhere.

Old Line White Supremacist 

This group is still fighting the Civil War and doesn’t want equality or justice for anyone who isn’t white. They believe that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. 

The Religious Fanatics

This group would be overjoyed with a theocracy in the US. They are primarily made up of evangelical Christians. The hard core will use any Bible verse to support their idea of moral behavior and would prefer to enforce their beliefs on us all.

The Pro-Fascist 

Old liners who crave for a society and economic system they can totally control. They crave having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.

The Undereducated Idiots 

These people didn’t get an education that would allow them to think for themselves. They likely don’t understand what is being discussed and prefer to be told what they should believe. 

Reasonable Republicans 

A few stand out, but there don’t seem to be very many of these compassionate Republicans left. They’re either just sitting on the fence, in hiding or have succumbed to the lure of power.

If we can convert even five or ten percent of the fence sitters we’ll have a brighter future, so, let’s keep bringing justice, truth and hope to the forefront of every conversation we have.

There are additional groups and sub-groups for sure, but these seven probably cover the vast majority of conservatives and comprise the greatest risk to democracy as we know it. 

This was only the beginning of Republicans taking from the middle and lower classes and giving to the wealthy.

Trump is likely done, but the next likely possible Republican candidate is Ron DeSantis. He’s potentially much worse than The Donald. His rule as governor of Florida has been a case study in Fascism.

Limiting free speech, discrimination, censorship, voter suppression, public health repression, immigrant mistreatment, and rampant gun violence are among the many shameful hallmarks of his tenure.

Is there not a reasonable, respectable, and at least somewhat compassionate Republican out there somewhere who might have a chance? Unfortunately, I don’t believe there is.

As for the Democrats, Biden has been ok, but with such a closely divided electorate, gerrymandering and voter suppression running rampant the Democrats are going to need a strong, social, semi-centrist candidate in order to have a good chance in 2024.

I have hope for the future, but we’ll all need to become much more proactive in order to bring sanity back to our government.

This is the season in which a number of religions, faiths or cultures of the world recognize one of their significant tenets as a major event with widespread celebrations.

In the United States, Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanza all fall in the month of December and are intended as a time of remembrance, reverence, gathering and recommitment.

While each has its own traditions and distinct ways of celebration, in a spiritual sense, I wish all would honor the essence of their beliefs; primarily peace, love and harmony… with Coexistence as their foundation.

I’m a baby boomer and proud child of the ‘60… Flower Power, Free Love and Peace. In 1978, The Who, one of my favorite bands, did a song named “Who Are You.”

The lyrics have been interpreted in many ways, but to me, it had to do with finding myself; who was I.

I’d had a very safe, loving early childhood, even somewhat entitled, but by my teen years, some realities began to sink in. 

I witnessed the church I attended lock out blacks. I saw police dogs and fire hoses turned against peaceful demonstrators, sit-ins, riots and marches in the streets against discrimination. 

People I knew were sent to a senseless war and being maimed or killed. Kids lost their lives and were beaten for standing up for their beliefs and, for the most part, women were being treated like second class citizens.

I was in Washington DC during the first poor people’s march. I fought against and resisted being drafted. I saw Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Bobby assassinated.

These are a few the things that made me who I am… empathetic, spiritual and a democratic socialist