I was reading Obama's memoir when I realized all the hope and idealism that was stirred up in the campaign was just going to end in obstruction and pitched battles for sort of basic obvious things that would help others out. Sometimes I get tired of the opposition. There are times when I feel like it's a death cult that doesn't stand for anything but obstruction of the good.
But I've picked it back up and I want to work through it, because I think that's the big stumbling block with politics--handling frustration that you don't get your way. I'm trying to help my daughter with that situation, so I need to tackle it myself too.
Democracy means you don't get your way most of the time. That's probably a good thing because it's against some dictator, some fascist, some autocrat, getting their way. You have to persuade the people, even if you think you don't need to. And there will always be instances when the people's voice can be gratifying. Like when Trump told his followers to get vaccinated, and they booed him. The tail wags the dog.
Madison Cawthorn got eviscerated by his local paper. Tulsi Gabbard is called a Russian asset. Liz Cheney is hoping Democrats cross over and vote for her in the primaries. You can watch videos of when Putin wanted to shake hands with people and they wouldn't. On some level the people put your hubris in check.
The conservative whine that Obama didn't do anything conveniently ignores the fact that conservatives made it their life's ambition to obstruct him. They put more zeal into that than they do into actually improving people's lives. One trait of a conservative is that their hopes get raised by liberals and is easily disappointed. It's easier for them to expect nothing, want nothing from the federal government. The abstract lives policies are saving don't mean anything to them.
Harari wrote in Sapiens that liberalism isn't a provable abstract, but I think the conservative abstracts are just as unprovable.
I'm migrating my political thoughts over from Medium who wants me to pay for a subscription. You don't have to pay to read here.
I wish Obama a swift recovery from Covid. I've had it 2 times, and it's not fun. I've been vaccinated 3 times, so with catching it immunity and vaccinations I've done my part to squash this pest.
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