I happened upon ideologies and schemas as of late that I am very much unaccustomed to in my present life, but ideologies and schemas in tune with a lifestyle I found comfortable as a child in Catholic school down South. As a result of this newfound exposure, I have welcomed a transformation and acceptance within myself, but not without the realization that discomfort with society and surroundings spawns from liberal political and social trends of the past 20 years.
I will preface by saying my concerns within the political arena are negligible and passive. There are 2 realms in politics that, however, everyone contends with and everyone has opinions on: the social and the economic.
The United States is clearly one of the most capitalistic countries on the planet and belongs to a class of laissez-faire, liberal economies that provide for open capital markets, stock markets, free markets, and an abundance of profit and ca$h money. Marx says it all best. As for society, we Americans are, again, "liberal"; we are gay and proud; we are politically correct, and we know when to shut the fuck up ("Facebook" and "The Oscars" will shut us down if otherwise and #BlackLivesMatter). The opinions of pundits infiltrate our minds to a point we do not even realize it has happened, so we are left tip-toeing past every issue, unsure of when or how to speak up, and we are sure to steer clear from public embarrassment or public challenge. In 2 ways, you can see, the United States is Liberal AF.
I see both issues to be the contributing factors to my discomfort and existential dread. My parallel self - 32-year-old Amy who was born in 1886 - would recoil from this rift mainstream liberalism has inflicted upon me. But I cannot help but envy the lives of my white-collar, educated grandparents.
My contribution to society consists mostly of liaising with colleagues, putting shiny buttons on websites, and paying taxes. The role contributes to the education and betterment of the global society by offering an elite educational product at a very low cost. I contribute to society and have done so every day of my life since the age of 16 when I started waiting tables. I never allowed my bank account to get under a couple grand, and I always sought ways to help others through my work. Yet somehow the political reality TV show of all of our lives barks at me that I should fell ashamed and guilty. What do I need to apologize for?
How do I benefit from any of the harm inflicted upon others? I don’t feel like I’m complicit in genocide; the horrors of immigration; the decay of traditional ideals to make room for more social welfare. At the same time, I do not feel morally obligated into political activism, and in fact I think that donating money yields better results than showing up at political rallies for the disenfranchised. Money is far more effective at achieving most things in life, but money must be earned honestly and not in great excess (I would hope we all know what that means). I would advise any person who feels left out or who feels disenfranchised to get a job or get a hobby. Just provide for yourself and try to give less of a fuck about race and gender politics?
To elaborate, The Wall that Orange Julius wants us to put up is way too hyped in the media. I was speaking with a Chinese friend about this issue, and my friend remarked that this "small amount of money" is nothing to bewail and also that a governor and China could easily 把这件事情高定！ (solve the situation and put the wall up is the best way I can translate that into English, but it sounds so much smoother in Chinese). I am not saying that this is not a great deal of money - because it is, but in general the federal government is capable of such a vast amount of prodigal waste. While I advocate for a bigger and more effective government (see Germany and Northern Europe), I want funds earmarked for infrastructure, education, regulations on the environment, national parks, the arts, and science. I absolutely think entrepreneurs and developers only want to make big profits, and the notion that tech bro's are coming up out of the woodwork is utterly frightening and the things of my nightmares - your products are shitty.
A free education in this country is a privilege and a luxury, and it's a shame more people do not praise this or the positive sides of our federal government. Instead, we are are stuck worrying about the disenfranchised while hard-workers such as myself are not even considered in job applications due to a wide-array of experiences, jobs, interests, and fields of interest. I regret not having had appreciated education more, and if my genes are not washed out of the pool - which seems ever-more likely as of late, which is a damn shame - then that will the number one thing I will try to get across to my son or daughter. I don't mean to sound didactic, but I find people to be too lax on hard-work and education. I wish my teachers and my parents had been stricter, the way Asian families are. This also ties into what I think about the federal government, or a paternal-style of governing system. People need guidance. We are Americans, but to hell with individualism. At the same time, I don't believe that you need to listen to your teachers - if you look at them, then you will know how life really is.
So when I say that I am not used to the political and social notions I am currently thinking about, I mean that I am in the unfortunate predicament of having - very few - and having always have had - very few - positive influencers in my life besides my own family. I often feel I am surrounded by crude only given douses of such social settings when I am surrounded by my family. So little value catches my eye, and I think I like authoritarianism#fckfreedom.
I will preface by saying my concerns within the political arena are negligible and passive. There are 2 realms in politics that, however, everyone contends with and everyone has opinions on: the social and the economic.
The United States is clearly one of the most capitalistic countries on the planet and belongs to a class of laissez-faire, liberal economies that provide for open capital markets, stock markets, free markets, and an abundance of profit and ca$h money. Marx says it all best. As for society, we Americans are, again, "liberal"; we are gay and proud; we are politically correct, and we know when to shut the fuck up ("Facebook" and "The Oscars" will shut us down if otherwise and #BlackLivesMatter). The opinions of pundits infiltrate our minds to a point we do not even realize it has happened, so we are left tip-toeing past every issue, unsure of when or how to speak up, and we are sure to steer clear from public embarrassment or public challenge. In 2 ways, you can see, the United States is Liberal AF.
I see both issues to be the contributing factors to my discomfort and existential dread. My parallel self - 32-year-old Amy who was born in 1886 - would recoil from this rift mainstream liberalism has inflicted upon me. But I cannot help but envy the lives of my white-collar, educated grandparents.
My contribution to society consists mostly of liaising with colleagues, putting shiny buttons on websites, and paying taxes. The role contributes to the education and betterment of the global society by offering an elite educational product at a very low cost. I contribute to society and have done so every day of my life since the age of 16 when I started waiting tables. I never allowed my bank account to get under a couple grand, and I always sought ways to help others through my work. Yet somehow the political reality TV show of all of our lives barks at me that I should fell ashamed and guilty. What do I need to apologize for?
How do I benefit from any of the harm inflicted upon others? I don’t feel like I’m complicit in genocide; the horrors of immigration; the decay of traditional ideals to make room for more social welfare. At the same time, I do not feel morally obligated into political activism, and in fact I think that donating money yields better results than showing up at political rallies for the disenfranchised. Money is far more effective at achieving most things in life, but money must be earned honestly and not in great excess (I would hope we all know what that means). I would advise any person who feels left out or who feels disenfranchised to get a job or get a hobby. Just provide for yourself and try to give less of a fuck about race and gender politics?
To elaborate, The Wall that Orange Julius wants us to put up is way too hyped in the media. I was speaking with a Chinese friend about this issue, and my friend remarked that this "small amount of money" is nothing to bewail and also that a governor and China could easily 把这件事情高定！ (solve the situation and put the wall up is the best way I can translate that into English, but it sounds so much smoother in Chinese). I am not saying that this is not a great deal of money - because it is, but in general the federal government is capable of such a vast amount of prodigal waste. While I advocate for a bigger and more effective government (see Germany and Northern Europe), I want funds earmarked for infrastructure, education, regulations on the environment, national parks, the arts, and science. I absolutely think entrepreneurs and developers only want to make big profits, and the notion that tech bro's are coming up out of the woodwork is utterly frightening and the things of my nightmares - your products are shitty.
A free education in this country is a privilege and a luxury, and it's a shame more people do not praise this or the positive sides of our federal government. Instead, we are are stuck worrying about the disenfranchised while hard-workers such as myself are not even considered in job applications due to a wide-array of experiences, jobs, interests, and fields of interest. I regret not having had appreciated education more, and if my genes are not washed out of the pool - which seems ever-more likely as of late, which is a damn shame - then that will the number one thing I will try to get across to my son or daughter. I don't mean to sound didactic, but I find people to be too lax on hard-work and education. I wish my teachers and my parents had been stricter, the way Asian families are. This also ties into what I think about the federal government, or a paternal-style of governing system. People need guidance. We are Americans, but to hell with individualism. At the same time, I don't believe that you need to listen to your teachers - if you look at them, then you will know how life really is.
So when I say that I am not used to the political and social notions I am currently thinking about, I mean that I am in the unfortunate predicament of having - very few - and having always have had - very few - positive influencers in my life besides my own family. I often feel I am surrounded by crude only given douses of such social settings when I am surrounded by my family. So little value catches my eye, and I think I like authoritarianism#fckfreedom.
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