Black and White or Gray?
________________________
by Bob Clasen
A friend sent me a mock resume of George Bush that portrayed him as a complete idiot, a criminal, a friend of thieves, a coward, a person with no redeeming value.
This is how I respond to people who feel this way about Bush (or Kerry for that matter):
________________________
Doesn't it scare you that voters have elected Bush to the governorship twice and the Presidency once? According to polls, he has a good chance of winning again.
What does it say about democracy that voters would elect a person whom you feel is fairly represented by this (libelous) resume? Voters must be complete idiots. How can democracy work if such a dolt can become President?
I prefer not to think of Kerry in this way because it would speak too negatively about my friends and family who support him. I don't think Kerry is a cretin or an evil villain. I merely think that his strategic thinking regarding the war on terror would likely make him less competent to fight it. I do not question his patriotism or good intentions. If he is elected, I wish him the best, as he will be my President.
It makes decisions easier when you caricature your opponent. If things are Black and White then choices are easy. But real world choices are usually more complex, gray and mixed. I certainly don't think Bush is perfect. The choice in all elections is between the lesser of two evils.
It disturbs me when I see this pattern: simplifying the complex and caricaturing your opponent in order to help to make it seem that difficult decisions are really simple.
____________________________________
by Bob Clasen
A friend sent me a mock resume of George Bush that portrayed him as a complete idiot, a criminal, a friend of thieves, a coward, a person with no redeeming value.
This is how I respond to people who feel this way about Bush (or Kerry for that matter):
________________________
Doesn't it scare you that voters have elected Bush to the governorship twice and the Presidency once? According to polls, he has a good chance of winning again.
What does it say about democracy that voters would elect a person whom you feel is fairly represented by this (libelous) resume? Voters must be complete idiots. How can democracy work if such a dolt can become President?
I prefer not to think of Kerry in this way because it would speak too negatively about my friends and family who support him. I don't think Kerry is a cretin or an evil villain. I merely think that his strategic thinking regarding the war on terror would likely make him less competent to fight it. I do not question his patriotism or good intentions. If he is elected, I wish him the best, as he will be my President.
It makes decisions easier when you caricature your opponent. If things are Black and White then choices are easy. But real world choices are usually more complex, gray and mixed. I certainly don't think Bush is perfect. The choice in all elections is between the lesser of two evils.
It disturbs me when I see this pattern: simplifying the complex and caricaturing your opponent in order to help to make it seem that difficult decisions are really simple.
____________________________________
Comments