There were parts of Jefferson's message I left out. Some of them would probably be interpreted as supporting the ideas of the 2025 document team. In context, considering the nature of very different times, perhaps not. I do think we need to take into account that Jefferson was born 282 years ago. If we go back another 282 years, the same distance from Jefferson's birthdate to our time, we find ourselves in the late 1400s, before Columbus "discovered" America. Only a few years after Gutenberg invented moveable type printing. We would be foolish to think that we understand everything Jefferson wrote in the same way he did, or that given his basic values and the knowledge we have accumulated since then, he would say the same things today.
Is it true there are good people on both sides? It doesn’t seem the lies even matter. The lies seem to act more like loyalty tests. When I call a lie into question, like “they aren’t eating dogs in Springfield”, the reply is almost always that they know, but those people are bad and need to get out of the country. It’s all about the feelings they get when thinking and talking about people who “don’t belong” here. These lies then, are merely about their dogma and identity in the white Christian nationalist movement. It’s the same for other lies.
Do you think "lies" is the best word to use for those who have formed their opinions from being the consumers of lies? I'm willing to give people a wide benefit of the doubt. On the other hand, if you mean that some people have enough hate in their hearts or are very angry at the hand they've been dealt, I can see them more likely to accept and repeat the most vicious ideas that they hear, the most hostile to "the other." I'll leave most of this for the psychologists to sort out. My point, though, is that good people believe what they hear from the source they rely on. None of us have the full breadth and depth of knowledge we would need to judge opinions objectively on the basis of our own experience. The world is big and complex and all of us experience only a very small slice.
The great Yoda once said “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."
I don’t think Trump was telling us he’s a vegan who opposes the eating of animals. I think he was telling us Haitians don’t belong here with us. My point is they don’t necessarily believe the lies per se but believe in the belief-speaking where facts don’t matter so much. And, we should pay special attention to what’s being conveyed in belief-speak over many other factors in reference to Trump support.
We are free so long as we conform and keep our heads down. Looking like the privileged group helps too.
There’s a hefty serving of meanness and hatred going on. I went to Damascus Va this year where Trail Days for the Appalachian Trail is held. The number of thru hikers is down this year. Normally, a good number of foreigners hike the trail. A friend of mine in Damascus told me that he talked to a German thru hiker who was held by ICE for two days. The reason they gave was that they couldn’t figure out how a thru hiker wouldn’t be working for the months needed to complete the hike. They did let him in. Trek magazine has a story of another thru hiker from Germany who was held and then sent back to Germany and banned from the US for five years. She was coming to hike with her fiancé.
As you have written previously, it helps when we all have the same facts. History and science as studied in educational institutions and written down in books and documents should be truth.
There were parts of Jefferson's message I left out. Some of them would probably be interpreted as supporting the ideas of the 2025 document team. In context, considering the nature of very different times, perhaps not. I do think we need to take into account that Jefferson was born 282 years ago. If we go back another 282 years, the same distance from Jefferson's birthdate to our time, we find ourselves in the late 1400s, before Columbus "discovered" America. Only a few years after Gutenberg invented moveable type printing. We would be foolish to think that we understand everything Jefferson wrote in the same way he did, or that given his basic values and the knowledge we have accumulated since then, he would say the same things today.
Is it true there are good people on both sides? It doesn’t seem the lies even matter. The lies seem to act more like loyalty tests. When I call a lie into question, like “they aren’t eating dogs in Springfield”, the reply is almost always that they know, but those people are bad and need to get out of the country. It’s all about the feelings they get when thinking and talking about people who “don’t belong” here. These lies then, are merely about their dogma and identity in the white Christian nationalist movement. It’s the same for other lies.
Do you think "lies" is the best word to use for those who have formed their opinions from being the consumers of lies? I'm willing to give people a wide benefit of the doubt. On the other hand, if you mean that some people have enough hate in their hearts or are very angry at the hand they've been dealt, I can see them more likely to accept and repeat the most vicious ideas that they hear, the most hostile to "the other." I'll leave most of this for the psychologists to sort out. My point, though, is that good people believe what they hear from the source they rely on. None of us have the full breadth and depth of knowledge we would need to judge opinions objectively on the basis of our own experience. The world is big and complex and all of us experience only a very small slice.
The great Yoda once said “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."
I don’t think Trump was telling us he’s a vegan who opposes the eating of animals. I think he was telling us Haitians don’t belong here with us. My point is they don’t necessarily believe the lies per se but believe in the belief-speaking where facts don’t matter so much. And, we should pay special attention to what’s being conveyed in belief-speak over many other factors in reference to Trump support.
We are free so long as we conform and keep our heads down. Looking like the privileged group helps too.
There’s a hefty serving of meanness and hatred going on. I went to Damascus Va this year where Trail Days for the Appalachian Trail is held. The number of thru hikers is down this year. Normally, a good number of foreigners hike the trail. A friend of mine in Damascus told me that he talked to a German thru hiker who was held by ICE for two days. The reason they gave was that they couldn’t figure out how a thru hiker wouldn’t be working for the months needed to complete the hike. They did let him in. Trek magazine has a story of another thru hiker from Germany who was held and then sent back to Germany and banned from the US for five years. She was coming to hike with her fiancé.
These are amazing stories. I hope they are not true, or are exaggerated, but I'm inclined to believe.
The first relies on the word of my friend Dave, I’m sure it’s true and the second is here:
https://thetrek.co/a-german-thru-hiker-has-been-detained-deported-and-banned-from-the-us-without-a-hearing-heres-what-you-need-to-know/
Well said, John.
As you have written previously, it helps when we all have the same facts. History and science as studied in educational institutions and written down in books and documents should be truth.
I've written another post on science that I've scheduled. I think you will like it.