When it comes to core beliefs, it’s difficult to take someone seriously, who claims to hold a ‘middle of the road’ position. This isn’t about where you or I stand politically, spiritually, or any other way. Furthermore, I don’t much care where you are on those subjects. I hope you and I would stand together, if necessary, to defend each other’s right to our own beliefs. We’ll both be voting Tuesday, and the belief system garnering the most votes will win any given election — as it should be.
Let’s limit ourselves here to core beliefs and the concept of those who insist on the middle of the road.
For instance, I believe in the death penalty. You may not. We can cuss and discuss it over a friendly beer. But please tell me — what’s the moderate position? Where’s the middle of the road?
What about rape? All you moderates out there, enlighten me. What’s your ‘middle of the road’ take on that one? I’ll wager it’s not anywhere near the middle of the road. Wonder if that makes you that dreaded of all creatures, an ideologue?
Lately it seems an ideologue is defined as one who believes in gravity, and stubbornly refuses to be talked out of it. The evil bastard. But I digress.
Of course, the death penalty and rape are extreme core belief examples. That said, the essence of any core belief you hold, is that it’s deeply rooted, and will brook no violation on your part. Virtually all sane people we know are either for or against the death penalty, and unambiguously against rape in any form. But what about other core beliefs?
What about the Rule of Law?
What’s the moderate, middle of the road position on that one? Surely you had the same upbringing as I, in that you were taught, in no uncertain terms, that breaking the law has consequences. Do we, as fellow Americans, believe in the rule of law, or don’t we? Are we also not in agreement that our nation was founded upon the rule of law? Do we also not believe there should be, and in fact are, consequences for breaking the law?
The American way of life is up for a vote Tuesday.
I won’t speak for you, but I want folks we elect to have clearly stated core beliefs. Ones in which they have tremendous pride. I don’t want our leaders, at any level of power, to be wishy washy, or worse, dissembling about their core beliefs. This goes for everybody.
It appears Americans may finally have reached the point where they simply will no longer tolerate those who don’t walk their talk — or who refuse to publicly state their core beliefs.
I hope on Wednesday morning, you and I wake up knowing that core beliefs have made a roaring comeback — whatever side you’re on.
Let’s remind ourselves what’s so often found in the middle of the road.
Jim Klein says:
The thing is, Jeff, the core belief behind voting is that whoever can get the biggest gang together, has some rightful control over how you live your life. You can believe gravity goes upwards too, but you won’t see any acorns rising to the clouds. How strongly you believe either one, has no effect on reality.
Rule of Law that universally respects individual rights is a wonderful notion and was a philosophical underpinning of this country’s founding. Likewise, it could be that unicorns make perfect pets. But as it is, here on Earth we’re left with mob rule and the rhinoceros.
The /core/ belief behind voting is that mob rule makes sense. We can qualify it and rationalize it and pragmatically justify it till the cows come home, but when all the fluff is stripped away, it’ll never be anything but mob rule and it’ll never make any sense.
October 31, 2010 — 10:17 pm
Jeff Brown says:
We disagree, Jim. If the ‘mob’ has core beliefs contrary to their ultimate liberty, etc., it won’t much matter what system is installed. A country rises and falls based upon it’s core beliefs. The rest is coffee house philosophical debate.
November 1, 2010 — 7:47 am
Missy Caulk says:
We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it.
WE have staked the future of all political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government:upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, control ourselves and sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God. James Madison
When the President and other elected officials take the oath of office they place their hand on the Bible and swear to Almighty God to uphold the Constitution of the United States…it is a promise…one that in most cases is forgotten. The Constitution is not just a legal document it is the essence of who we are as a people and what binds us together as a group of people bound by nature and natures laws.
Our core beliefs as a nation come from that document and other founding documents and principals. So yes I agree Jeff the vote on Tuesday is a vote for the American way of life. It really is in all of elections but this year seems to have taken on a more conscience awakening.
November 1, 2010 — 3:10 pm
Jeff Brown says:
In a nutshell, Missy. Like so much in life, we’ll learn if the country is ready to go back to the basics of who we are.
November 1, 2010 — 3:30 pm
Jim Klein says:
Of course I agree with the sentiment, and is why I admire the scores of millions of people who are setting out tomorrow, to try and accomplish what you’re both talking about. There’s nothing quite like a true American and it’s wonderful that there are so many left. That’s the only hope, insofar as the country as a country is to be left standing.
So we can revisit this in half a year, when I’ll ask if what you see is what you had in mind. Maybe I’ll add, “And could it have been?”
A country has no core beliefs, Jeff. That’s a category error. You can call this trite nitpicking, but it’s just as basic as that you can’t skin a cat with a sponge…cleaning the sponge simply ain’t gonna help.
“When you want to understand someone, look at the business they’re in.” [me!] Some people are in the business of taking what others have earned and you can’t change their nature by changing what they’re called, or even by agreeing with their reasons.
November 1, 2010 — 7:44 pm
Jeff Brown says:
JIm, it’s not trite nitpicking, it’s completely false. Every nation is only as strong, weak, good, or evil as the character of it’s people as a whole. We won the last world war directly as a result of Americans’ character — period.
We disagree, but in the end, I’m thinkin’ we’re pretty much on the same page.
Whatever happens tomorrow will be the expression in the form of voting, of the will of Americans — as a people — with core beliefs.
November 1, 2010 — 7:50 pm
Jim Klein says:
>>>JIm, it’s not trite nitpicking, it’s completely false.
Oh.
>>>Every nation is only as strong, weak, good, or evil as the character of it’s people as a whole.
You thought Grandpa was simple, but you never met me! I haven’t the foggiest idea what “character of people as a whole” might mean. I can understand generalizations and summations and even averages, but I don’t understand this.
>>>We won the last world war directly as a result of Americans’ character — period.
Well yeah, if you’re saying we won it because of the characters of lots of Americans. IOW I think you put the apostrophe in the right place, even as you forgot to pluralize “character.”
I agree—period. Speaking of the character of the group in a manner other than generalization, summation or averaging, though, is going beyond that “period.” IOW, to speak of it literally is a serious mistake.
>>>We disagree, but in the end, I’m thinkin’ we’re pretty much on the same page.
Maybe. Here’s my page on the precise point…
http://indarchist.wordpress.com/2010/07/08/was-america-great/
>>>Whatever happens tomorrow will be the expression in the form of voting, of the will of Americans — as a people — with core beliefs.
Oh, sure. But I already know that the will and core beliefs of nearly all people are decent and honorable, and none of my business anyway. It’s just that when it comes to the force of the State, I’m a little more interested in the actions!
I don’t think voting is criminal. It’s what’s being voted for, that is that.
November 1, 2010 — 10:14 pm