H2O Man Survey #39

[herding cats]

23. Sometimes I hate you as much as I love you for what you make me address.

Last edited Sat Jul 25, 2015, 01:58 AM - Edit history (1)

I'll settle for saying I appreciate you for making me think. That seems fair.

Based on the premise of your question, which isn't an easy one to address, I have to say I think we're losing a culture war of some sort.

We're plagued with poorly, and untreated mental illnesses, some of which are severe, even though most are not. Certain areas of our society are preying on, and inflaming the more vulnerable ones among us. It works to their advantage when they're exploiting them for their specific reasons. Not so much when they push one of the most vulnerable ones past their breaking point, but then they tend to deny and distance themselves from those people. Leaving no lasting scars on them in our extremely short-sighted society. That's a sad reality of where we are and who we are at this point in time. If you're deemed to have fallen within the "spectrum" your actions will be easily forgotten.

I suspect we're a bunch of manipulated fools. Fighting the wrong fights over and over again, to the same tragic ends. Never bothering to address the real problems in our society because they're too complicated. The hate and the anger which is being used by some to fuel an ideology sets us on edge. Never actually thinking about the vulnerable people who are being exploited beyond that they're not on "our side" or the thought process. Because that's what it's about all too often. You're with us, or you're not. Not you're being exploited by "them," whoever they may be. There's more than one of "them" out there in this country for what it may be worth. We lose our empathy at times when the weak ones being exploited aren't in agreement with us. At least I do, to my shame

Is it genetic? No, I don't think so. It would be easy to pretend it was such, but I suspect it's also dishonest. I think it's a symptom of multiple flaws in our culture. The cure to the problem is going to be an entire overhaul in how we deal with more than one thing. The problem is we don't seem to be willing to evolve to the point, as a culture, to even acknowledge that we're flawed. That we're broken as a society. That's too painful to acknowledge. We keep wanting to look for one or two easy things to blame, depending on our ideology. Then when we can't agree on the cause, we keep twisting the issue into something different. Too often then creating a wedge issue from it. Even if it's not the real issue that we're facing. It works, and it's easier to sell to your specific target demographic. So, it becomes the new reality. I suspect that works for the politicians, and its leaps and bounds easier than actually looking deeper and trying to find a sustainable cure to the problems plaguing us as a society. Which no one is actually even attempting to address in depth. Even us, the people. At least not as a majority.

In summation; I'm as lost as most people. I have no clue how to affect any sort of real change. Even if I can feel that there are real problems. I wish I were wiser, I want to be wiser, but I don't know how to fix what ails us as a society.

ETA: I want to say I know you have a personal experience in how violence effects a family. I hope my words don't feel too flippant to you considering what your family has been forced to deal with. Just because I don't know how to fix what's wrong with us, as a society, does not mean I don't feel deep empathy for those who have suffered horrific losses from the current level of hate and violence. Please, know that.

Peace and respect to you.