Competing Views Make Me Think

Facebook is a great place to hear competing views. They inform me of other people’s perceptions of the world. I welcome them because it means that someone has read what I’ve posted and then felt compelled to respond. I can’t ask more than that.

To those who challenge me, thank you.

You make me think.

For example. The following is a comment about a piece I wrote, United States No Longer.

Les, you are so wrong about the GOP…. We are the ones who want to save this country. Biden is killing everything that is American. His allowing thousands of immigrants to come in without Covid testing or vetting is absolutely despicable! And Yes, thousands of Afghanistani people were airlifted out….. but not those that risked their lives over 20 years to help our military. They are stuck and may be tortured and killed thanks to Biden’s absurd manner he “ended this war”! And dealing with the Taliban, letting them call the shots which led to the deaths of 13 brave soldiers, and hundreds of Afghanistan people, us heart wrenching!! They are the enemy, not our friends!! How can you even begin to trust that senile, idiot who is destroying our country? He’s a joke, he can only read and stumbling at that, from a teleprompter, words written by others, and he has made America a laughing stock worldwide. You use lots of “big words”, Les, to express your opinion, but I’m sorry you are so blinded about what has happened to this country. I grieve for my children and grandchildren since they are the ones that will try to deal with this mess! I for one am scared where we are heading …… I only hope this leftist ideology can be reversed soon, before it’s too late for our children. What’s happening now is not what our forefathers wrote in our Constitution. God help us all.

My response was;

So good to hear from you.

I understand your point of view but respectfully point out that by the time we started the final pull out, our leverage on the ground was about 0. We had a straightforward choice, get out of Dodge or Gunfight at the OK Corral. After 20 years at the corral a change was long overdue. Also, with the Afghan’s governing infrastructure and army fading away overnight, there was no way to ensure getting all of our Afghan allies out safely.
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Besides, a military withdrawal from a battlefield is always a shit show.
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I agree that the Afghan people, particularly women and girls are in great danger. Hopefully, 20 years of American political and cultural influences have modified Taliban thinking. They appear to be aware that they need global recognition and support if they want to have a stable Islamic Emirate. Besides, they have the example of Iran’s modern society which, while under a mistaken interpretation of Islamic teachings and Sharia Law, still allows women a greater degree of freedom and respect than, say our Saudi Arabian allies.

Thankfully we no longer have our fellow Americans trapped in an endless war that cost us 2,448 dead service personnel, 3,846 dead contractors, and about $300,000,000 a day.
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As for Biden’s apparent mental feebleness, have you seen the movie, The King’s Speech? Biden has a bad stutter that would have sidelined most people. Yet, he learned to overcome both the stutter and speaking before audiences. That is an example of a person with discipline. Equating how he talks to his mental capabilities is so 20th Century.
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And now, “Big Words.” I must admit that, because I’m a writer, I tend to use the English language as it was intended. Not everything can be summed it in a few words, no matter how catchy they might be. How can we discuss serious issues without words that have specific meanings, context, and emotional power? We can’t. Too much is left to speculation and inference. What I say, you hear differently and vice versa.
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One thing we do share is a profound concern for our children and grandchildren. You’re right that they are inheriting a mess. We are headed down very dark roads. As a Liberal, my concern is for all our children regardless of race, creed, nationality. I see our survival as a global effort. I suspect bloodline defines whose children your concerned about.
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If I understand your position, you’re scared of changes that threaten your freedom. Your concerns, I believe are social. The loss of power and control with its privileges and traditions. These are genuine. Our society is changing rapidly due to a variety of forces; economic, environmental, political, and social. The Old America is disappearing.  

The Pandemic has been a global stress test on every facet of our lives. The results are eye opening. We live in a tightly interconnected world that relies on a fragile supply chain of goods, food, and raw materials. The definition of work has changed. We now gather to work, learn, and celebrate remotely. Every time we let our guard down, a new surge of illness and death sweeps the country. Millions and millions of hard-working Americans are being left destitute and the shadow of homelessness grows darker every day.

A New America is emerging, not because of some conspiracy by the Illuminati or George Soros, but because it must if we are to survive. It is a forward-looking America, one that embraces evidence-based reality. Our challenges are, in part social, but more importantly, physical. If we don’t take dramatic, creative action to deal with human caused global warming the world we know will cease to exist. And quite likely so will we.

As a __________ fill in the blank, (Liberal, Socialist, Bleeding Heart, etc.) I see a world of even greater threats which we are leaving to all our children. I embrace change because that is all that is left. The old ways have failed us and it’s time to move forward. Scary as that may be, there is a brighter side. We can build a better America and World that is more peaceful and where everyone has the resources and opportunities to thrive as both individuals and members of an inclusive society.

Again, thank you for your comments.