Persistence may overcome resistance – but why bother; when Big Brother can step in with a club. Having a mandate; is only second to having a child or a recognized disability for leveraging a better life. Does that sound unfeeling and unfair? As unfair as making people who worked a lifetime – still keep working into their 80s to survive? To paraphrase: “Work a lifetime in their shoes.”
Putting the finger on the scales means that you’re buying things on their terms. And when you’re paying with everything you own: how can that be ethical?
Competing on an unlevel field is a common situation for rural people – but being excluded from our government’s “Equitable” policies; is like locking the gates.
“The real tragedy of these small enclaves of marginality and poverty is that people are playing a game of life that has been structured in such a way that they are required to play but prevented from winning” – Janet Fitchen, Poverty in Rural America
It’s easy to be “diverse” – it’s all written out for you. Expressing your individuality is just following the script. You can choose anything you want – as long as it’s on the menu. It’s following the House Rules of the Adolescent Society.
Life is simpler these days – but being yourself is more difficult — and more dangerous.
The Agenda is no longer hidden – the hate is no longer sugar coated. It’s in every “editorial decision” – in every script – it’s in the profiling used to cast every commercial and every drama – the basis of every “reality” based show and documentary – the underpinning of every social policy.
It’s in your face with a shouting crowd that fills your doorway.
Don’t question “what will it lead to” — just look at what it led to in the past.
It’s a corruption that can’t be talked about — a corruption that’s spread around – a corruption that always puts something in the pocket of those who could, and should, do something about it.
How often these days; is the attitude of “there’s nothing I can do about it” – a cover for the quid pro quo corrupting of our Society? There’s no need to answer — we all know it.
The force that reduces us to automatons is no longer impersonal – it’s a gibbering, hate-filled monster. Doctrine is Everything: and those who do not conform must be punished; and used as an example.
People and beliefs that are non-conforming are not subject to debate, dismissiveness, or even to exclusion: but have become the objects of mob injustice and violence — while those who incite the mob merely whisper in the background.
The actions that authorities take to maintain and to regain their authority is always interesting.
When the “replication crisis” uncovered the wide-spread existence of studies that could not be replicated [Replication is the peer-review basis of validation for studies and study results] – it was a serious blow to the mantle of authoritative power that psychology and social science studies have enrobed their results in – and to the politicians and special interests that manipulate that power. How can this authority be regained?
First: control the situation – “deliberate misrepresentation and fraud are rare.” Second: control the public perception – “there is a ‘naturally occurring’ variation due to sampling size and content; that can produce widely differing study results.” Third: spin-doctor the mix – the “replication crisis” is not a scandal; it’s a good thing — it enhances our knowledge by showing that you need to take study results with “a grain of salt.”
Results of studies can “widely differ” – but at the same time: any one of those results can be selected and cited by politicians and special interests as authoritative.
And if you think they’ll tell you to “take them with a grain of salt” — you’re the sort of buyer they’re looking to sell to.
There are so many unanswered questions these days; because questioning is not welcomed. Not only does questioning slow up the legislative process – it raises doubts in the minds of citizens: doubts about the legislative agenda, doubts about the need for more government powers and prerogatives, doubts about the infallibility of experts.
And those unanswered questions are likely to remain unanswered — because we are questioning a government that is no longer answerable to the people.
In “Tompkins County and Tammany Hall”: I documented the County Highway Director claiming to a Legislator: “I have researched the area and talked to highway officials in Lansing and they report there are no large through haul trucks utilizing Lansingville Road. What is using the road is as I thought, Agriculture Vehicles.”
And in spite of many photographs that were submitted; showing tractor-trailers, cement mixers, gravel dump trucks, and semi-flatbeds carrying industrial equipment using that same road – he never changed that claim.
When this conduct was brought to the attention of the County Ethics Advisory Board – their response never acknowledged it. When it was brought to the attention of the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council – they never acknowledged it. When I sent the book to Town, County, and State authorities – none of them would acknowledge his conduct [or even acknowledge receipt of the book.]
No one would address it, and no one would talk about it — and as a consequence: they said everything we needed to know.
Equal treatment for all always
Martin Luther King, Jr. is under attack, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln and Malcolm X are under attack.
Anyone who believes that equality and individual human worth are absolutes – and cannot be recast, revised, or revoked – is under attack.
Everyone who believes that others are no less than themselves, and no less deserving than themselves – is being disrespected and dismissed by those who see a better world as the reflection of their own gain and satisfaction.
Let’s debate it – and better than that — let’s see who wants to change it, what they want to do, and who they want to do it to: Full Disclosure – Full Exposure — whether they want it or not!
If you feel conflicted by contemporary Social Programs – that’s the big step – now take the little step and come back to where we all belong — where everyone matters.