Electronic Writer

How is it that two people can look at the same idea and see such opposite things?

There have always been huge discrepencies in perception. There is no way around it, actually. We think within the constructs of our language. Our truths are based in perception-based details (or, the phenomenon of our own, unique experience), and our language assumes those perceptions/shades of reality. In fact, our actual vocabulary is characterized by our history, memories, and perceptions. We are only agreeing that the a word (composed of letters–symbols) represents some external object.

Okay, an example. Say, for example, that when I was a little kid, there was a car accident and a bright yellow-green fire truck responded, and took my Dad to the hospital. And, let’s say that when you were a kid that you got to sit on top of the antique bright red fire truck during the 4th of July parade. Our perceptions–the image that is conjured in our heads when we think of the word “firetruck” are going to be different. It may not make a difference in everyday conversation, but if the word were something more important like “morality” or “liberal,” it could make a terrible difference.

Barack Obama said it on the news–that somehow, the Democratic party has shifted in the perception of Americans to NOT represent religious or centrist ideas (or, even morality apparently–it was a SIN for Catholics to vote for John Kerry–a Catholic. I am going to take the Bishops to task for that one.). Obama called for us to spend the next four years getting the Democrats back to that central value–away from the edges. Arianna Huffington just two days ago argued that we (the Democratic Party) needed a clearer message–not a centrist one. I think we need to dig a little deeper than both of their arguments imply. We need to tinker with the very language that we use, and no longer rely upon perception-based chasms to convey our meaning. We need more concrete language. We need better, more precise vocabulary.

I just lost a really big post–it was my error, and there is no way to recover. Will update later.

So sad. Lesson learned.

Arianna Huffington just published a well-written article about the Democrat defeat. I haven’t weighed in on the remarks yet, but they are well worth the read.

Here’s the link:

Anatomy Of A Crushing Political Defeat

by Arianna Huffington

www.ariannaonline.com/blog

I have spoken to quite a few people today, and there are certainly a wide range of emotions going around. Apocalyptism (new word?), morose, anger, emptiness. Although I have swung through each of those emotions myself, I have come to rest on a different set of ideals–on an idea of hope.

The core facts are that we now know how many people are like-minded, progressive thinkers who value freedom and community-related well being. We also know who does not. What we don’t know–or, have any clue about, actually–is the diversity of reasons that Americans used in voting for President Bush. In the next couple of years, we need to vigorously pursue those reasons. This is a priority. We need to be listening and asking questions so we can determine why people voted for him, and more importantly, how the information–the tangible facts, and the not-so-tangible speculation–missed the mark.

More speculation on this later . . . .

Anybody notice how I put the %-sign before the numbers kinda like the $-sign in that last post. If that ain’t a Freudian slip, I don’t know what is . . . .

After thinking about this during the first half of my work day, I had a few new ideas about this whole election.

I have always said that a racist who says that they are a racist is better than a racist who pretends to be something else. At least they are telling a truth. (Racism just plain sucks, if you ask me, but it does exist in this country and elsewhere.) I touched on this in my last post (or my first–I guess it depends if your glass is half-full or half-empty).

The message that the United States has sent on a global scale is very clear: we are happy to have our position of world bully, we are happy to suppress minorities and dissonance within our own country. Logically, it follows that we treat our own BETTER than we are going to treat another coutry. So, if we are willing to suppress this in our own country–the dissonant voices around the globe better be quiet for awhile. There are going to be conditional strings on everything from here-on-out. At least we are out-of-the-closet with our skeletons. America is struggling as it loses status of “land of the free.” We may be the home of the brave, but we also house a good deal of closed minds (and more of them voted that Liberals–captiol “L”).

The really fantastic and accidental consequence is that we have mobilized the largest force of Free-thinking, progressive people in the history of the United States. If you were to count out exactly %49.99999 percent of the total number of votes–you will know the full scale of our army! We must keep mobilized. Keep the thinkers thinking. Keep the activists activating. And, keep the conservatives on-the-run.

I, for one, am going to maintain the thumb-screws on all of the closed-minded drones quoting Rush Limbaugh as a “humorous–you don’t really listen to him for news” guy, but who tune their radios in at the appropriate times every day regardless.

It is not hard to win when you have all three branches of the government in your pocket. Themobilized liberals could only muster so much against the combined forces of the government and corporations. Between Blackwell, the owner of Diebold saying “I will do ANYTHING to ensure that Bush wins,” Katherine Harris, and the idiot South Dakotans giving away a true seat of power . . . . I am actually sickened. Or worse, perhaps something has died within me.

I am going to have to fan the fires of hope within me to see if I can rekindle that one.

I had a wild nightmare lastnight: that the Diebold machines (notice that we were using them) were only tracking those who did not vote for the big W–they fabricated all the other numbers. It will become Stalin’s list in another year or so after gas prices rise to $3.40 a gallon . . . and in W’s 3rd or 4th term, he will put it into practice. I also had a wild thought–that W’s next judicial win will result in permanent campaign reform. The losing candidate will be executed. That way, only the martyrs will run. It would make for great news, at least. Finally something to give Fox all the attention they wanted–they would be the first to air the actual beheading.

The worst part of all is that our nation has finally ended its masquerade: All of the little grandmas and farmers and uneducated have now demonstrated to the world their true values. The racist, homophobic, xenophobic, religious zealots have all flocked to the polls to cast their votes against gays and abortion–and there are no critical thinking skills left in this country. What 50.5% of the population doesn’t see is that there will be no place for their xenophobia, homophobia, or whatever-phobia except where the corporation deems it is appropriate. Their vote went to big business. And they were just just trying to guarantee a seat on the bus to heaven by listening to their parish priest . . . .

As for me, I am going to see how long I can hang in the corporate world. There will always be a place for corporate Web designers. Someone will need to format the documents telling the masses what to think. I guess I better get used to royal blue and grey.