The friction of right and wrong

Most of us have been taught the Golden Rule. You know, treat people like you would like to be treated. This is a voting quality issue for many. Being fair and balanced is the selfish way I know to try figure out what the politicians are saying, and what I believe they are saying, and then deciding what to do. This idea even applies to supporters and advocates of politicians.

In the last year or so, my idealism and fairness has been violated by the most crass human instincts from advocates trying to control information, and the news. I thought hundreds of years ago that Galileo’s suggesting the earth rotated around the sun that resulted in his incarceration, was the result of ignorance at the time. Now, to fast forward, it seems like the human instinct to impose dogma, and protect one’s dogma, is still alive and well.

Why do I believe this? First there is a media (the Church as in during Galileo’s time?) that appears to have an agenda about what is information we citizens need to use in our judgments. Then there are reports from this media about things like having a Nuremburg like trials for those of us who disagree. Then there is the latest Global Warming hysteria run by politicians and media that try to define our public policy, and behavior. And for me, there is the most appalling History Channel show that promoted all the latest politics about energy, and ignored or poo poo’d all the things that will destroy us as a society (as in raising kids and having a family). I am beginning to think my engineering and thermodynamics education and thinking may get me arrested by some new thought control bureaucracy or political party in control of our federal government. I thought we were different from Galileo’s time; I guess not.

Then there is another version of what is wrong today. It seems to inspire emotions, politics, and just plain thought control. There are three elements I read and sense.

First is the anti- Bush element of some people. I understand the visceral disgust with Bush, since I felt the same for Clinton. Yet I never let my “feelings” interfere with what I thought was best for our Nation, given the obvious compromises.

Second is the anti-American element, which at best seeks to improve our society in their vision. At worst, well, it is surrender of our culture, society, and way of life.

Third, and last, is the most appalling convergence of emotions, good intentions, and ignorance in trying to convince the country about how to proceed to our greater good. The rest of the world be damned, as if we are immune. We decide, and there will not be consequences in this idea. How horribly naïve is this idea.

We have our own American version of right and wrong, thank goodness. And we are the New World.