Hi!
I haven't written anything in here for a while... it's not because I haven't had anything to say, it's more that I've had too much to say! I get overwhelmed by current events and can't decide where to start, what to include in my rant, what to leave out, what's relevant or superfluous, and so on. I find myself in awe of both the complexity and the simultaneous simplicity of many of the issues that face us today. It's that old paradox thing again.
On immigration, for instance, it seems so obvious that we should secure our borders immediately and effectively, work out some viable immigration policy that allows honest people to come here and work, figure out a humane way to deal with the millions of illegal immigrants that are already here, and institute policies that prevent employers from taking unfair advantage of people by paying them substandard wages and denying them what we consider to be the basic rights of employees (social security, some form of health insurance, and so on). Each one of these seemingly simple concepts, though, is incredibly complicated when one considers the details of implementing them. As with so many other issues, extremists on both sides of the argument stretch their credibility far beyond the cracking point and incur our comtempt for their narrow-mindedness. In their attempts to make their point they exaggerate, twist, ignore or deny conflicting evidence or facts, muddy the waters with unfounded assumptions and conclusions, and obfuscate things until we've lost sight of the big picture. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could break out of our adversarial paradigm and learn to cooperate in sincere efforts to address problems.
It's the same with almost every dillema that faces us - we polarize the issues, separating one 'side' from the other, building walls where none need exist and knocking down any bridges that might contaminate the pure fundamentalist vision of one group with that of the other, frustrating any efforts at compromise, and insuring our continued imprisonment in the cages we've created for ouselves.
Of course I'm doing the same thing right now... trying to oversimplify a very complex situation (different people have different perceptions of what's best for all, for starters), and complicating what is essentially a simple issue (that we should just try our best to work together for the benefit of all, rather than a select few).
Okay, I'll shut up now...
Big sigh. Well, life's a constant balancing act, isn't it? And that's the way it should be, I imagine. May your search for the balance go well.
:~)aniel
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6 comments:
Hiya Daniel!
Man, you've really been thinking about this stuff, huh?
I lean waaay far from the norm on immigration issues. I think we ought to get rid of the borders between Mexico and Canada and enjoy one big land mass, maybe even try and include South America, too. How's that for cutting to the nub of it all? Let's face it, eventually humans are gonna be one big happy family - why not start the ball rolling in that direction now, that's my two-cents worth o' opinion.
Imagine there's no borders...etc.
Bro. Dave
Ha! Now there's an idea I hadn't even thought of! I like it in principle, but the practical mechanics of implementing it are a bit daunting. Great idea, though... John (Lennon) would be proud of ya!
Hello, Miss Garlick - and I agree with your remarks about distraction, and being here alongside everyone else. Not sure what you meant about people who like Drive By Truckers - that doesn't ring any bells - but I'm glad you dropped by and left a note anyway... thanks, and have a fine day!
Thanks, it's a never ending search, isn't it? I mean, you can find the big answer, that's not so terribly hard, but then, once you do, you still have to do a lot of searching to ferret out the answers to all the little questions about how best to "live"... how best to apply the big answer to all of life's little questions. I reckon if we ever get to the point where we think we know it all, we'll be pretty much done here in this dimension. Seems the more we learn, the more there is to know, and we're just gettin' more an' more humbled by the vastness of it all. Thanks for dropping by, feel free to do it again some time... Peace to you.
Howdy Daniel..Great to read your raves...musing on the nutcase Now.
Yeow...!
Ya got me to thinking bout the Border...That artifical line in the times thats pissin so many Americans off...ShitHowdy !
We been living our lifetimes with the Mexican Hermanos.. Where I grew up in Riverside California (38 to 59)our best mates where the chicano vatos and their lovely sisters and loving familys.
Adopted by the Velenuevas, Perez, Gurraro, Ayala, Cordova and many more fantastic familys, I always had a burrito waiting and a shade tree to work on the car under an just the tool ya needed to set the distributor. Way Cool.
My Dad was an outlaw,a Commie,Pinko, red bastard Organizer for the International Union of Mine, Mill & Smelter Workers Union out of Douglas Arizona in the 50's. The Union fought hard for many years to get the Mexican miners the pay and opportunities enjoyed by the Anglos. They lost a few, won a lot. See the film, "Salt of the Earth". My ole mans Union made it with blacklisted filmmakers and members of Locial 890 in Silver City New Mexico in 1954
Know that to be Irish, Mexican or Mongolian is to know with certanity that the world will break your heart.
Ya made me think that its time to start a boogie on the border...Douglas/Agua Prieto, Naco/Cananea Bisbee,Nogales,Ajo, Yuma...Musica Mexicano/ Americano...see if music will set the border free...Cross the divide with melody, harmony, marachi an
the Blues...Boogieonthe Border.com .
Woodstock for the weary citizens on both sides of the Border....Come together to express the common frustration with the powers-that-be an impediment to our progress. VIVA DEL NORTE !
Thus we think, thanks Daniel for the Vent where my volcanic imagination can spew...
Best to you & yours,
Bob Gately
Howdy, Bob!
Wow, you've got a lot of heart in this thing, too, eh? I can relate to a lot of immigrants' issues too... when I was a kid in the Willammette Valley we used to pick crops during summer vacations - strawberrys, beans, apples, pears, and so on - and there were always a lot of itinerant Mexicans who worked the fields. I lived in Tucson and Phoenix, too, and between '85 and '91, in Tucson, I had a lot of Mexican friends, and always liked their family-centered values and their hospitality. My friends there were good people. We really need to look at this whole border/immigration issue and figure out something that's workable. Thanks for leavin' a note, and I hope your days are full of good times - lookin' forward to meeting you this fall, if the family can put on an "event" and I can make it down there. Peace to you, bro...
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