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Philosophy of the Ignorant
Feb. 26th, 2004 02:11 am( First, a spate of unusual good news... )
So, yeah, like the title says, interesting debate tonight about politics and racism and a host of other things I know next to nothing about. I know what I believe, that's about it. I guess what's most important is that I know what I don't know and I know that what I chose to believe in is believed in from this position of relative ignorance. I don't have many strong opinions, mostly as a result of not knowing enough, just some strong convictions, and it takes a conversation like the one we had tonight at CUSFS to understand the difference--because everyone else knows stuff like facts.
But it is nice to find out what those convictions are. For one, I know that I place the safety and security of the whole above the safety and security of a few. In that respect, I am for protecting the environment, and as such, I can never vote for Bush. He does not care enough about the environment for my tastes. No one does, but he's had an especially bad track record. Also, he's going to see to it that more people die of AIDS in Africa a whole lot quicker by not letting generic medicines for drug cocktails be used--instead, they get brand-name products that cost at least twice as much. This is appalling. No, you're not going to cure AIDS either way, and, yes, these people will still probably die (unless there's a miracle cure sometime in the next few years), but the point is that they get no stay of execution to a time when drugs might be available to completely suppress HIV so that no one who is infected has to die of AIDS.
I realize I feel more passionately about issues that concern the future of man than his present, but I also fear for his suffering more than for his righteousness. In discussing Israel, I feel less obligated to maintain it as a country than I do about helping the AIDS victims around the world and correcting the racial discrimination in the US and around the world. I think I can safely say that affirmative action is not the solution but that until a better one comes along, I have absolutely no faith in the inherent goodness of man to elevate the repressed people in our country. I love this country and I generally think people want to be good--but it's just unrealistic to assume that thinking alone will allow minorities the representation they lack. Women have had the vote for more than eighty years now, but have we broken through the glass ceiling? Hardly, and it's not for lack of effort. There is real discrimination out there, and it's institutionalized, not personal. The majority keep minorities in the lower class and shun those that try to move out into the suburbs by moving farther away (the Bronx used to be Westchester). It stinks and I don't like it.
I fucking loathe terrorists--no one is EVER allowed to broach that subject with me and accuse me of siding with them because it's just not true. Sorry, I get really testy about that because of 9/11, we all do, but I am not just mouthing off--there was a terrible, if brief time, I thought I'd lost my father because of what happened, and it still really really really really scares me to think how lucky I was that I didn't. Believe me, I hate terrorism, I hate people who kill innocents to 'send a message,' or just to scare people in general, to prove they're the toughest. I approve of letting nations know that we will not look kindly upon sympathies with terrorists, though I am opposed to war and generally believe that more can be done with proper use of intelligence agencies--GIVE THEM MORE FUNDING NOT THE MILITARY--and economic sanctions (when we sanction, it is a BITCH, ask Cuba).
I am not against all war--there are many wars, like the current one, that I don't approve of, but I am aware that military actions will occasionally be necessary. So, yes, let's have the military remain sharp and be funded, but let's not throw all our money that way. Let's not dishonor the memories of victims by pretending that racial profiling or Patriot Acts are anything but attempts to limit the freedoms we are meant to enjoy here and extend to other nations. If we put our money to productive uses--cures for disease, increased funding for space travel and exploration (but not 'let's put a colony on the moon'--Dubya, I'm looking in your direction), and policies to improve education not TESTING (that doesn't show anything except the system needs rehauling--punishments don't work as well as rewards for hard work, and you won't get the best work without funding).
These are some of the things I learned tonight. I know I still don't know a lot, but I know what I don't know, and Socrates Johnson says that's what's important, and if it's good enough for a character from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, it's sure good enough for me. Also, WHY THE HELL DID THE BOOKSTORE LIE TO MEEEEE?????? So, Ted, Thom, and Jai from Queer Eye were signing copies of their book at the bookstore, only I had a test and because neither Carson (love him) nor Kyan (my god, he's beautiful) were going to be there, I opted not to go. BUT CARSON WAS THERE AND JAI WAS NOT!!! WHY WOULD THEY LIEEEEEE!!!!!!!!?????? Siiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. I wanted to know which of the absolutely horrendous new Columbia sweatshirts Carson disapproves of and how he would phrase said disapproval.....
So, yeah, like the title says, interesting debate tonight about politics and racism and a host of other things I know next to nothing about. I know what I believe, that's about it. I guess what's most important is that I know what I don't know and I know that what I chose to believe in is believed in from this position of relative ignorance. I don't have many strong opinions, mostly as a result of not knowing enough, just some strong convictions, and it takes a conversation like the one we had tonight at CUSFS to understand the difference--because everyone else knows stuff like facts.
But it is nice to find out what those convictions are. For one, I know that I place the safety and security of the whole above the safety and security of a few. In that respect, I am for protecting the environment, and as such, I can never vote for Bush. He does not care enough about the environment for my tastes. No one does, but he's had an especially bad track record. Also, he's going to see to it that more people die of AIDS in Africa a whole lot quicker by not letting generic medicines for drug cocktails be used--instead, they get brand-name products that cost at least twice as much. This is appalling. No, you're not going to cure AIDS either way, and, yes, these people will still probably die (unless there's a miracle cure sometime in the next few years), but the point is that they get no stay of execution to a time when drugs might be available to completely suppress HIV so that no one who is infected has to die of AIDS.
I realize I feel more passionately about issues that concern the future of man than his present, but I also fear for his suffering more than for his righteousness. In discussing Israel, I feel less obligated to maintain it as a country than I do about helping the AIDS victims around the world and correcting the racial discrimination in the US and around the world. I think I can safely say that affirmative action is not the solution but that until a better one comes along, I have absolutely no faith in the inherent goodness of man to elevate the repressed people in our country. I love this country and I generally think people want to be good--but it's just unrealistic to assume that thinking alone will allow minorities the representation they lack. Women have had the vote for more than eighty years now, but have we broken through the glass ceiling? Hardly, and it's not for lack of effort. There is real discrimination out there, and it's institutionalized, not personal. The majority keep minorities in the lower class and shun those that try to move out into the suburbs by moving farther away (the Bronx used to be Westchester). It stinks and I don't like it.
I fucking loathe terrorists--no one is EVER allowed to broach that subject with me and accuse me of siding with them because it's just not true. Sorry, I get really testy about that because of 9/11, we all do, but I am not just mouthing off--there was a terrible, if brief time, I thought I'd lost my father because of what happened, and it still really really really really scares me to think how lucky I was that I didn't. Believe me, I hate terrorism, I hate people who kill innocents to 'send a message,' or just to scare people in general, to prove they're the toughest. I approve of letting nations know that we will not look kindly upon sympathies with terrorists, though I am opposed to war and generally believe that more can be done with proper use of intelligence agencies--GIVE THEM MORE FUNDING NOT THE MILITARY--and economic sanctions (when we sanction, it is a BITCH, ask Cuba).
I am not against all war--there are many wars, like the current one, that I don't approve of, but I am aware that military actions will occasionally be necessary. So, yes, let's have the military remain sharp and be funded, but let's not throw all our money that way. Let's not dishonor the memories of victims by pretending that racial profiling or Patriot Acts are anything but attempts to limit the freedoms we are meant to enjoy here and extend to other nations. If we put our money to productive uses--cures for disease, increased funding for space travel and exploration (but not 'let's put a colony on the moon'--Dubya, I'm looking in your direction), and policies to improve education not TESTING (that doesn't show anything except the system needs rehauling--punishments don't work as well as rewards for hard work, and you won't get the best work without funding).
These are some of the things I learned tonight. I know I still don't know a lot, but I know what I don't know, and Socrates Johnson says that's what's important, and if it's good enough for a character from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, it's sure good enough for me. Also, WHY THE HELL DID THE BOOKSTORE LIE TO MEEEEE?????? So, Ted, Thom, and Jai from Queer Eye were signing copies of their book at the bookstore, only I had a test and because neither Carson (love him) nor Kyan (my god, he's beautiful) were going to be there, I opted not to go. BUT CARSON WAS THERE AND JAI WAS NOT!!! WHY WOULD THEY LIEEEEEE!!!!!!!!?????? Siiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. I wanted to know which of the absolutely horrendous new Columbia sweatshirts Carson disapproves of and how he would phrase said disapproval.....
