The trap of Political Intelligent Design

[Indenturedebtor]

First of all allow me to state that I am not at all passing judgement here- I do this myself all the time. I do believe that it is a natural tendency for all people to attempt to find "meaning" in the circumstances and happenings of life. Especially wherever such happenings have a large impact on one's life.

It is, I believe, only natural and even proper to look for the cause and effect relationships that tie things together.

I simply want to remind everyone that just because something seems to benefit someone, it does not mean that they had a hand in making things turn out that way. Further, just because some people are racist/sexist/bigotted/stupid/whatever and their actions can be explained because of that, DOES NOT mean that everyone who acts the same, or even holds a similar view or two, is racist/sexist/bigotted/stupid/whatever.

For example, not everyone who doesn't vote for Obama is racist. Not everyone who doesn't vote for Clinton is sexist. Not every Republican is selfish and evil - some are ignorant. In short - Correlation does NOT equal causation.

We all want someone to be angry at when things don't go our way. And it's easy and immediately gratifying to quickly pick a scapegoat and to go out looking for "evidence" that confirm/support our views. But we all have a duty to ourselves to choose our friends carefully, and to choose our enemies even more carefully.

Again, I do this too. The reasons that I do it are as varied as anyone elses. But lets all agree to strive to not be intellectually and emotionally lazy. We need to save our outrage AND our gratitude for those who truly deserve it.

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Part two:

Lets always look for the most effective solutions to our problems. Once we've determined the cause and effect relationship, let us not be lazy and choose the most emotionally gratifying solution. Sometimes the best solution to effect the greatest good is the least satisfying to pursue.

For example:

We know that the Republicans have for a few years now used religion to twist people into voting against their economic interests, and indeed against the most valuable aspects of Christianity. Rather than trying to convince people that they shouldn't be religious, and that their logic is inconsistent (ie dinosaurs, etymology, biblical contradictions, therefore religion = no good way to make choices), why not simply ignore all that and say "Jesus spent his life caring for others, and trying to help the poor and the sick. It is your duty as a Christian to join us in doing everything we can to make sure that everyone has healthcare. Join with us in fulfilling that core teaching of Jesus."

Now of course we should discuss first whether or not that would be most effective in winning over others to do what is right. But I suggest that we try to better work with what we have, rather than trying to completely remake everything all at once. And OF COURSE I'm not suggesting a DLC-esque machiavellian approach that compromises one's ethics and values. What I'm proposing is that we pinpoint all of the steps in the cause and effect relationships that we confront as liberals, and that we then choose which specific cause we could most effectively and most ethically twist to our ends.

We cannot fight all battles on every front.

Personally I want to get in Republicans faces and spit and yell and scream "I TOLD YOU SO YOU SELFISH IGNORANT ASSHOLE!!!!!!" But I have to consider the ethical implications of that. Though it would be emotionally satisfying, and one could even argue just to rub their noses in it, I have to try to force myself to say "Look this didn't work out because of this and that reason, and that's why we propose to do it this way. It would work for this and that reason, and it has worked for this and that country." I am truly bound by my dedication to ending poverty, and pursuing equal rights, etc that I have to put aside my emotions and my self-righteousness to do whatever I can to effect the end results that we so desperately want and need.

In short - lets do everything we can first to find common ground, and to confront the issues that have to be solved TODAY, and then move on to the fruit that's much higher up the branch. We don't have to agree with the pukes on their philosophies, and we don't even necessarily have to make concessions. But if we make the effort I think that we all do have more in common than any of us care to admit. Most people have simply purposefully been misdirected on how to get there.

Let us educate instead of castigate!

P.S. Please don't take this as a lecture. This is as much a reminder to myself as to anyone else here.