Dennis Prager has spoken and written about this. We are now in a civil war in America. Debate is futile.
This civil war is non-violent, thankfully, but still nasty. This civil war is being prodded by those in charge, maybe unknowingly. Critical thinking is at a low point in America right now. Atticus Finch famously talked about getting inside another man’s skin and walking around in it when talking to his daughter Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. That is part of critical thinking. It is almost non-existent in American politics today. Nobody wants to hear why you believe what you believe. They just want to throw blanket statements at you in order to defeat you in the court of public opinion and maybe browbeat you into just giving up. Trust me, I’m there now. A simple statement about how much government spends versus how much they take in has gotten me comments about being racist and myopic. Facts be damned. Debate is futile. Facts and argument are countered with talking points.
This civil war is defined: the collective versus the individual. That’s it. All other topics are hanger’s on at this point. This is the bedrock of the argument and the bedrock of America. If this civil war is lost, it won’t matter what happens with immigration, tax policy, education, or anything else. The collective versus the individual. Get focused on that.
You will be called every name in the book if you stand up against the collective. It is clear that some will stop at nothing. They will focus away from the actual issue by calling you names and even staging controversy. There is no honor and no shame.
Do you want to fight? Because this is going to get worse. When November comes and the Democratic Party loses a lot of power, they will double down. It will get worse. So if you want to fight, you have to know how to fight. Here’s how:
- Stay the course. Remember that this is about American principles. It is about the excellence of the individual. You can’t have a great society without a great individual. You can’t have a great individual when government takes from the individual. Individual freedom to create excellence is moral. That’s it. Focus on that. After this is won, then we can worry about other issues. Don’t get bogged down. Don’t let those in charge take your focus off the real issue.
- Know the facts and the history. Debate is futile, but if you do it correctly you can stand tall and it will trickle down to a few who are listening. Ask relevant questions. Stay on the high road. Use facts, history, and political philosophy. If they don’t answer the questions, repeat them.
- Be prepared to defend yourself with video. People are actually talking about infiltrating Tea Party events to make it look like Tea Partiers are racist. Again, this is to take the eyes of the nation off the actual issue. Bring your cameras and recording devices. If someone takes the low road, handle it with class and make it clear that those kind of actions are not tolerated. Stay on the issue.
- Keep up your spirit. You will probably get discouraged. I’ve been there too. Well, if it’s worth it to you, stay in the fight no matter what. Confide in those you trust and lean on shoulders that are there for the leaning. We are in this together.
Remember, if you take the low road, they win. Stay strong and stand for truth. That is what wins the day.
