The Big L
I was a liberal for most of my life. I mean a liberal with a big "L" kind of LIBERAL. Why was I such a dedicated liberal? Because, when it really got down to it, I didn't know shit. I mean, I had some facts, a few talking points, a lot of wishful thinking, all formed with the best of intentions, but I still didn't know shit. I knew a lot more than most of the folks that I came across because I was dedicated to the cause. The truth, however, didn't care what I thought. Or, about my associations or how clever I was. The truth, I eventually found out, was one cold-ass sombitch.
Then, one day, I had an epiphany. And, it became clear to me just how lacking in fundamental knowledge I was about core things like; the constitution, the law, how an economy actually works, why our government was established as it was by those damned Founding Fathers. It was at that point that I began to sleep less soundly, my waking hours were disturbed as well. "What the hell?" I thought. This having a conscience business was getting to me. Old canards like Frankie D. Roosevelt had kicked the Great Depression's ass turned out to be untrue. Worse still, it wasn't close, to being close, to being true. But he cared, at least. Right? That was what was most important. Right?
A better question would be, "Does it matter whether he cared?" That was the power of science, more specifically, the science of economics. Studying economics taught me that it didn't matter what anybody believed. Hell, they could believe anything, and frequently they did. It also taught me that good intentions weren't always good. Compassion, love, mercy, good vibes, none of these alone, or together, were sufficient to explain how or why one idea worked and the other failed. In other words, good intentions alone didn't mean shit. As a businessman, you'd think I would've known that, but I didn't.
More often than not, that is the context for political debate--what politicians intend--not what they actually do. The facts that should inform any debate are conveniently left out and intent becomes the pivot point of the argument. "Hillary cares." "Barack Obama" cares." Why do they care? Because they're liberals, and liberals care. Everybody knows this. Well, every liberal does, which is a very different thing. And, as long as good liberals like myself never ventured beyond their self-restricted borders, to explore the land on the other side, I could remain unsullied by personal discontent. And that, my friends, is the core of all ideology.
It doesn't matter whether it is religious or political in nature, racial or scientific, our personal ideology stands the test of time best when it's not tested at all. I am not trying to suggest that conservatives or libertarians are somehow different, frequently they aren't.
So, if you're comfortable with your choices, it may be because you've chosen wisely. It may also be because you've carefully tethered your beliefs to a fixed point and are running in a circle that keeps getting tighter and tighter. If it feels like a warm hug now, given enough time it will inevitably choke you to death, just as all failed ideologies must. By then, however, it won't matter, and you/me/we will be none the wiser.
Mark Magula
Then, one day, I had an epiphany. And, it became clear to me just how lacking in fundamental knowledge I was about core things like; the constitution, the law, how an economy actually works, why our government was established as it was by those damned Founding Fathers. It was at that point that I began to sleep less soundly, my waking hours were disturbed as well. "What the hell?" I thought. This having a conscience business was getting to me. Old canards like Frankie D. Roosevelt had kicked the Great Depression's ass turned out to be untrue. Worse still, it wasn't close, to being close, to being true. But he cared, at least. Right? That was what was most important. Right?
A better question would be, "Does it matter whether he cared?" That was the power of science, more specifically, the science of economics. Studying economics taught me that it didn't matter what anybody believed. Hell, they could believe anything, and frequently they did. It also taught me that good intentions weren't always good. Compassion, love, mercy, good vibes, none of these alone, or together, were sufficient to explain how or why one idea worked and the other failed. In other words, good intentions alone didn't mean shit. As a businessman, you'd think I would've known that, but I didn't.
More often than not, that is the context for political debate--what politicians intend--not what they actually do. The facts that should inform any debate are conveniently left out and intent becomes the pivot point of the argument. "Hillary cares." "Barack Obama" cares." Why do they care? Because they're liberals, and liberals care. Everybody knows this. Well, every liberal does, which is a very different thing. And, as long as good liberals like myself never ventured beyond their self-restricted borders, to explore the land on the other side, I could remain unsullied by personal discontent. And that, my friends, is the core of all ideology.
It doesn't matter whether it is religious or political in nature, racial or scientific, our personal ideology stands the test of time best when it's not tested at all. I am not trying to suggest that conservatives or libertarians are somehow different, frequently they aren't.
So, if you're comfortable with your choices, it may be because you've chosen wisely. It may also be because you've carefully tethered your beliefs to a fixed point and are running in a circle that keeps getting tighter and tighter. If it feels like a warm hug now, given enough time it will inevitably choke you to death, just as all failed ideologies must. By then, however, it won't matter, and you/me/we will be none the wiser.
Mark Magula
