Post 255: worn out…leave me alone today

I have no delusions about the humanity of politicians. They fail sometimes. They also do things that turn out to be pretty beneficial – for their buddies or, amazingly, you and me. Sometimes they even behave like statesmen and put petty party politics behind a greater national or international need. Mostly, they just are there, and I react to those I don’t agree with, feel good about those who do something I agree with. None of them is Jesus H. Christ, nor is that a characteristic necessary to do a credible job in national service.

One thing I DO NOT like, though, is being put in the position of answering Internet bullshit about the current President or agreeing with extremist positions on either end of the political spectrum just to shut someone up.

I try to be patient with people who post comments, on my posts, that are in opposition to my point of view or attempt to bring me to “The Truth”, usually something between a religious interpretation of the Scriptures or a political ideology or a combination of both. When there are facts to work with – as if anyone has access to facts that are sufficient to sway the “true believers” of one ideology or another – that’s one thing. If it’s a matter of rehashing the same old points put up against the same other old points, leave me out.

I am not a Conservative (I find) in any pure political sense. Or a Liberal. Or a Progressive. Or Libertarian. Or – fxxx off! Most people hold a variety of positions on a variety of issues, but rarely do you find an all-out Republican or a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat these days. I’m sort of left of right, somewhere near the center – a Nixon Republican, but not a supporter of him after his foibles leaked in Watergate. Sort of. I didn’t like Reagan, but I liked the way he made it possible for Americans to feel good about themselves and their government after Carter’s sour puss negativity. (I actually like Carter as an ex-President….) I voted twice for Clinton, though I was disgusted with the Lewinsky mess. Didn’t like either Bush 43 or Gore, but voted for one of them. I just don’t remember which since I went into the voting booth with more reasons NOT to vote for either one than reasons to vote for. Bush handled 9-11 well, to my amazement, but blew the matter of war. Of course, 20-20 hindsight is wonderful. After the British government and Powell came out saying there was evidence of WMD, I drank the Kool-Aid then offered. I was wrong.

I support regulation of guns, a lot more than there is now. (Yet, I know lots of responsible people who have pistols, shotguns, rifles, etc., and they aren’t nutjobs, just people who like to hunt, sport shoot, and own precision things of – sometimes – considerable value.)

I don’t support church weddings for gay couples, though I have no issue with civil weddings for the same. (Each church needs to be true to its values. Mine doesn’t support gay weddings. Simply that. Even civil ones, though I do because I have gay friends who DID have civil weddings, and the world didn’t come to an end. What Would Jesus Do? Um. Who presumes to know?!)

La-la-la. Booooo-ring!

I don’t have a horse in the race as far as abortions are concerned, but generally don’t approve of them. (On the other hand, they are legal, by a judgment of the Supreme Court, and there are instances where a case can be made to allow them: It’s the pregnant woman’s choice, as far as I’m concerned, not her Republican Senator, Congressman, or state legislators.)

I dislike politics and religion mixed. (No good comes of it. Ask your local Taliban. Or the Westboro Baptist Church pastor and parishioners.)

I do believe in government helping those who can’t help themselves. (All those “unaborted fetuses” – you know, children! – born to unmarried women, rape victims, single mothers deserted by irresponsible “men”, widows, members of the US armed services whose pay doesn’t cover their expenses while they serve in foreign wars, and so on, have to eat, so I support SNAP benefits for them. It’s a trivial expense compared to a total federal budget that is 52% allocated to defense, and healthy bodies grow up to be fodder for the next war, if that’s the only way you can justify the expense in your mind. Or productive, well-adjusted citizens.)

I like the Internet. (But I hate how people misuse the damn thing to spread hate and discontent to those people unable to discern lies when they’re packaged by hate mongers and other sleazy fellows who thrive in the slime of their vile imaginations, contrived conspiracies, and bastardized interpretations of the Holy Bible.)

I am a survivor of a serious illness. It may still kill me. Or another disease that it leaves me open to will do the deed. But I will die. I just don’t dwell on that. Much the same way, I don’t worry about conspiracies because they just about never come to fruition. The only ones who benefit from them sell bunkers and bunker supplies. When the end comes, I shall go quietly, not banging on someone’s bunker door thinking they’ll have any humanity left sufficient to share their all-too-limited resources with me. (They’ll die, too, just a bit better fed, paler for living in a bunker indefinitely, full of fear, as soon as their supplies run out: They will have prolonged the end!)

I don’t approve 100% of how President Obama has handled his Presidency, but I approve even less of how his political opposition handle themselves. I just don’t feel like dealing with these people just now. If you’ve followed my blog very long, you know that one quote I frequently post is this one by William Gibbs McAdoo:

It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument. 

I’m going to get off the Internet, now. I’ll leave it to you to determine if I am speaking of a specific someone or I am the ignorant one to whom the quote refers. Even I have a strong opinion on that.