Call me a scofflaw
What scofflaws need now, and what the majority of our population will wish for in the future, probably at the point where the government finally does try to seize every handgun or require every citizen be fingerprinted and have his or her DNA sequenced and recorded in a permanent database, or when every financial transaction, no matter how trivial, must by law be processed electronically, by a credit card company, or when traffic at lighted intersections is tracked by remote cameras, or when our employers begin forcing us to piss in cups as a condition for keeping our jobs (wait a minute…), is a refuge from the unrelenting psychological, political, legal, religious, economic and physical coercion we are daily subject to at the hands of our employers, our governments and everybody in-between, and from the over-politicization of every facet of our lives.
I also think this nails something I couldn’t quite express the other night, when talking to some friends about the difference between people in the US and in the UK (in general, of course). I could not put into words the refreshing quality most Americans possess - outside of areas such as the Bay Area - which I crave. But this piece points out to me what it is: The fact that, for most of the Americans I know (and certainly the ones I like and admire), life is not something to be politicised. It is the idea that politics matters that I find most offensive. This is probably why I would not be able to live in Berkeley or Oberlin (which is in the county where I was born, and where I thought I wanted to go to college when I was a kid - egads!) for longer than three minutes.
Filed under: Happiness, Individuality vs Collectivism, Law, Life, Politics, The State Is Not Your Friend
what do you mean “outside of areas usch as the bay area”?
Well, I thought I clarified in the latter part of my post that I think the Bay Area is one of a few exceptions to this. There, many people I meet are passionate in their belief that politics matters. I can’t be the only one who’s noticed this.
I’m confused . . “it is the idea that politics matters that I find most offensive” - okay, get that, moving on - “nice to see one’s enemies ripping each other to shreds . . .” Huh?
Your posts don’t appear to be consistent - If politics doesn’t matter, how can politicians be your enemies? I mean, to me, enemies is a damn strong word - I connect the word “enemy” with the word “hate” - so, not to be used lightly in my view. I gotta be really, personally vindictively screwed by someone for that to happen. So, the individuals who have been on the end of Geffen’s prissy ‘you’ll neve work in this town again’ wrath? Yeah, that’d count in my book. A couple of campaign managers catfighting? Pulease. Entertaining, yes. My enemies? Not worth that description, frankly.
Politics doesn’t matter, and seeing politicians behave like high schoolers only hurts them and the system. Yes, hate is a strong word and entirely appropriate. These people ruin lives on a daily basis, revoke personal liberties and will continue to do as much damage as they are allowed to do. That they think they are helping people does not make them my friends.
Okay, I think I get it - you are using the word “politics” to mean the ongoing bullshit that politicians engage in vs. the “governing” which is what elected representatives SHOULD do but frankly don’t, right? Because that nanny-nanny-poo-poo stuff sure as hell doesn’t matter, and it’s what government has turned into, sadly.
In terms of ruining lives and revoking personal liberties - a few moments spent musing on the past few years of ‘what is this checks and balances you speak of?’ megalomania of Cheney et.al. is certainly enough to get my temper close to the boiling point, so I feel you there.