On Paris and reality

I spend a lot of time studying the news, politics, current affairs, history … stuff I sometimes don’t care for (politics) but recognize the importance of. I don’t talk about it nearly as much as I used to, having recognized that most people don’t want to talk to you—they want to talk at you.

With tragedies like the Paris attacks I don’t generally say anything at all for a few days, other than expressing sorrow. I just don’t think that’s the time for saying I told you so or scoring political points. That’s just my personal philosophy: It doesn’t really bother me if other people do, unless what they have to say is particularly ignorant/stupid. (Those words don’t mean the same thing: In theory, the ignorant can be educated.) Anger is part of the grieving process, too.

All I can say now is that I’m depressed and sad, and not at all convinced this is going to make the world finally open its eyes to the challenge. Can we not stop infighting and jockeying for political power? Can we not realize that we remain at war, and the people warring against us are every bit as much an enemy of the west coast liberal as they are of the Midwest conservative? An attack against France really is an attack against all, because the attackers remain committed to killing or converting every single one of us. They aren’t going to be satisfied with kicking us out of their country; they want to kick us out of our countries.

Disagree over causes and strategies on your own time, but agree on that. We need to stop ignoring reality and get our acts together … everyone’s future depends on it.

 (By the way, I’m just free associating for my mental health, here. Any attempt at starting an argument relating to causes and strategies will get a response of “see above about causes and strategies”. Now I’m going back to writing light and allegedly humorous, also for my mental health.)