Some Worrisome Trends

    A week or so before Halloween...I got sick. I mean, really sick; staring into the abyss and seeing faces of the dead kind of sick. And that's rare for me. I never get sick. I'm fortunate that way. No allergies or bad stomach issues; no recurring pain or illnesses whatsoever. Just recovering from the dramatic knee surgery. Wait! What? Are you kidding, Boss? That knee surgery was 10 years ago! You've been milking that all this time! You're an idiot! And you had a bad cold. That's it...a COLD! No flu. No COVID. For the love of Hippocrates...it was a freaking cold! Well, I felt awful. I'll give you this...you looked and sounded awful! I should've had a CAT scan, DOG scan...every kind of scan. You needed a brain scan. Is this leading somewhere? Yes it is, my four-legged friend. You see, with all the extra time I had lying around...on my DEATH BED...Unbelievable...I read even more than normal and I came across something written by someone named "No Labels." Really? "No Labels", Boss? That's child abuse! Well, Sancho...I'm guessing it's just a name for a website or group of writers. And while that's not really the point, I'm always skeptical of someone that doesn't have the stones to put their name to whatever they are writing. But again...not the point. The piece was about rising intolerance in America. The author had links for each of the headings that led to a poll. The polls seem relatively reputable...and let me remind you, dear reader, that you can make these polls say anything. But let's give the author and the polls the benefit of the doubt. I'd like to share each heading with you and then comment... because, well...I'm a dork! Let's dive in! Shall we? Oh boy, here we go...this is gonna be a long one!

    1) Antisemitism and racism are surging among the left and right. 

I've already talked about both of these things many times over the years. And let me start annoying people right now by saying that I'm skeptical as to the authors claim about surging racism. Are there racists in America? Absolutely. Do young black men and women still have a harder time than young white men and women when applying for a job, or buying a house, etc. Yes, they do. But, and there's always a but: Young and middle-aged black men and women are in more managerial and executive positions now than they have ever been. Mixed marriages are common, now. And if you don't think that's important you slept through your Sociology classes. The bottom line is, the greatest threat to black achievement/advancement today is not racism, but black on black crime, and single-parent families in the black community. Inner-city gangs and fatherless kids are holding back black achievement. The David Duke's are always going to be out there, because people suck. But they are not the problem. As far as antisemitism is concerned...that's what is surging. And you'll forgive me if I delay my anti-semitism comments for a piece all its own very soon. But no one is going to be surprised that I agree wholeheartedly with that argument.

    2) Only 58% of Americans believe tolerance is an important value. 

This was from a Wall Street Journal survey. And that 58% figure is 22 percentage points lower than four years ago. Now, tolerance is a funny thing. I sincerely believe that people are becoming less and less tolerant of each other's political views. I find myself frustrated on more than one occasion when talking with someone who, oh I don't know, thinks that "Hitler didn't go far enough," or "Cops should be able to do whatever they damn well please," or even "I think it's okay to smash and grab neighborhood stores when protesting." You see what I'm getting at? There are plenty of legitimate things to be intolerant about. Look at the first sub-heading. Let's be intolerant about those two things! Let me be clear...I'd love for all of us to be more tolerant about differences of political opinion, religion, and whether you should wear white after Labor Day. But I do not apologize for being intolerant about certain things. Please, discuss amongst yourselves. 

    3) A growing number of voters feel the two parties have become too extreme. 

This one was from a 2022 CNN poll. It seems that about half of American voters think that the above statement is true. And the corollary to this is that when political parties move toward extremes, "they leave behind a large swath of moderates who feel politically homeless." Part of me isn't too jacked up about this because many of those voters will just become independents. Now, you may think I'm dodging this particular issue, and in a way, I am. BUT, I actually have a solution to this one! Back in the day, when politics was left to the politicians, we didn't have primaries. By that I mean that there weren't primaries in Iowa, New Hampshire, etc., where only the CRAZIES came out and voted for their favorite to win the nomination for president. This seemed like a good idea at the time. Very democratic. But remember...Democracy isn't perfect. It's just the least annoying. And what has happened, is that only the hardcore, don't have a life, voters who take the whole presidential thing MUCH too seriously, show up at the polls. And they vote for somebody like...ME! Now before all this started, a bunch of cigar-smoking, heavy-set guys sat in a back room somewhere with a couple bottles of bourbon, and picked the nominee. These guys knew what they were doing. They were professionals, and they yakked and yakked and came up with a person who they felt was very qualified and could win a general election. That's how you got Lincoln vs. Douglas; Truman vs. Dewey; even Kennedy vs. Nixon. Do you think any of these dopes on the Republican side would have sat around and said, "Oh, wait...let's put up Trump! Not only is he supremely qualified AND brilliant, he can beat anyone!" Really? Not even Sancho would say that! No way, Boss! Or on the other side, would any cigar-smoking Democrat have said, "It's a no-brainer. We choose the oldest white guy in DC...from DELAWARE...who's losing his mind and has a history of racism. What could go wrong?" You see what I mean? I say, give me the smoke-filled back room with a bunch of fat guys in suspenders who haven't showered in days, and let them pick the nominees! I guarantee you we will NEVER have another election with two morons. 

    4) An estimated 41% of Democrats and 38% of Republicans say that violence is acceptable to prevent the other party from achieving their goals. 

This is from a University of Virginia poll. I mean...REALLY? What are we in, some third-world country?! As this is from a UVA poll, I have trouble just dismissing it out of hand. There is other data in the poll that says 41% of Republicans and 38% of Democrats support seceding from the union to form their own separate countries. Sometimes the mind just loses its capacity for outrage. Bear with me, here...there's more. 31% of Republicans and 21% of Democrats say that "the ends justify the means and any action taken by my preferred political party is acceptable if it achieves our goals." Are you fucking kidding me?! And last, but certainly not least...31% of Republicans and 24% of Democrats think "Democracy is no longer a viable system, and America should explore alternative forms of government to ensure stability and progress." Well, it would be a viable system of government, albeit not perfect, if morons like you would shut the hell up, mow your lawns and try and raise decent human beings. I know, I know...Freedom of Speech. I preach it, and I believe in it. BUT, there's a wall you come up against when you explore totalitarianism as a form of government. Because that's what these neanderthals are talking about. That's your alternative form of government. 

    5) Roughly 40% of Americans believe a civil war is possible within the next decade, according to polling by YouGov and The Economist.

Well, now. I'm not too familiar with YouGov, but The Economist magazine is a very reputable British weekly. As a rule, strong democracies do not usually fall into civil war. It does happen when institutions weaken or when very large questions are at stake. It's why Britain experienced their civil war as institutions like the crown were weakening and Parliament was feeling itself. And it's why we fought our civil war when huge questions like slavery and federalism and states rights were being raised. But it's not a fait accompli. 

    These questions and answers seem like extreme examples when discussing our current political climate...and they are. But as temperatures rise and people get a little crazy, sometimes it doesn't take much to tip the scales. Weakness and Demagoguery go hand in hand. As for me, I'm a guarded optimist when it comes to this great land. I found the above questions interesting, and the polling data, telling. I've said it before...people need to lighten up. Focus on your job, your family, loved ones, and friends. Read a good novel, and put some Keith Jarrett and/or Little Feat on the ear buds. Trust me...you won't regret it! Here endeth the lesson...

write to Peter: magtour@icloud.com