Politics: A Game of “Values”

Politics

A Game of “Values”

By Night Train

10/28/2024

2024 is the most charged, polarized United States political campaign I have ever witnessed in my lifetime. More is at stake now I believe than ever. I have no words of advice and I am not going to suggest “who” you should vote for. But I will share what we should pay attention to hoping it will help many to decipher through these muddy waters.

As a child, my family was quite involved in politics. I did not see the interest or the point. To me, the government and the elected officials had little impact on my life. Listening to them bored me to death. That changed when I received my very first paycheck from my first employer (McDonald) back in the days working for $3.54/hour. Looking at my paycheck I just about blew a gasket—$141.60 for forty hours and I was left with about $70 in my pockets after tax—just enough to pay for my gas to go to work the week after!  As a young professional, my career started as a bureaucrat because I spoke many languages. Then I worked for a liberal elected official and I also worked for a conservative official. I got out of government and political career to get into the private sector in the mid to late 1990s. Working in these environments on both ends of the spectrum has been the most insightful thing to me. It saddens me to see families and friendships breaking because people’s emotions get so intense they cannot process and share information anymore. I want to share what is behind the curtains of this theater. Hopefully this will help some people put emotional decisions aside and truly reflect and vote with confidence.

When I started to learn about politics, my first step was to look in the dictionary for the definition of “liberal” then “conservative”.  I figured I may as well go to the source and draw my own conclusions.

According to Wikipedia

Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, right to private property and equality before the law. Liberals espouse various and often mutually warring views depending on their understanding of these principles but generally support private property, market economies, individual rights (including civil rights and human rights), liberal democracy, secularism, rule of law, economic and political freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion. Liberalism is frequently cited as the dominant ideology of modern history.

Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in which it appears. In Western culture, depending on the particular nation, conservatives seek to promote and preserve a range of institutions, such as the nuclear family, organized religion, the military, the nation-state, property rights, rule of law, aristocracy, and monarchy. Conservatives tend to favor institutions and practices that enhance social order and historical continuity.

So how is this helping? It’s not. That is, unless you know your values and unless you have the ability and the patience to carefully listen to what is actually being said by whom (if anything at all) and, what is being done as well as what is the actual track record. Your emotions can be your worst enemy and politicians of all stripes, including media, relish on triggering the masses. It’s good for ratings. You have to look beyond appearances and listen with greater discernment than average. Take context into consideration. Then, and most importantly, you must look at the actual policies. What is the plan? What are the promises? Does it make common sense? Does it line up with my values?  Policies, track record, and common sense is where it’s at my friends. That is where and how you know their game.

One of the things I enjoy doing is following the money. That is usually a telltale of who controls and/or influences whom. I enjoy looking at lobbyists and who pays them. Big Pharma is a pretty obvious one. The insurance industries as well of course. We have these ominous entities of business communities “donating” to political campaigns, then we observe lobbyists with studies sent to our elected officials who in turn burden us all with more laws, taxes etc… all for our own good of course. Both sides of the aisle push our emotional buttons and in the meantime, attention to details is quickly forgotten by us all. 

The game of politics is indeed a game of “values” and I would even say, “emotions” as well now—sadly. It’s crucial to remember that beyond the rhetoric and the spectacle, what truly matters are the policies and the principles that align with our personal values. We must strive to listen with discernment, look beyond appearances, and evaluate the actual track records and plans of those seeking our votes. By doing so, we can make informed decisions that reflect our beliefs and contribute to a more thoughtful and engaged electorate. Let’s approach this election with a commitment to understanding and respect, recognizing that our choices today will shape the future we all share. What are your values? If I take a hard look at this most amazing country of USA, I look at the values it was built upon. I may not like all of them, but they are nevertheless the foundation of why we live in the best country in the world. Do we want to honor the values that gave us such a quality of life or do we want to risk the erosion of our foundations, hence opening the door to our enemies? Use your freedom wisely. It came at a high cost.


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Photos: public web