Babe, We Need to Talk...Breaking Down Censorship, Fascism, and Political Violence

Babe, We Need to Talk…

That phrase which utterly wrenches one’s gut. Whether you’ve done something wrong or not, the “babe, we need to talk” line runs chills up spines and makes jumping in front of a bus seem merciful to the soul.

But sometimes, it is necessary. Unfortunately.

Especially in a time such as this. The country is divided, as you may have heard. Depending on who you ask, our President is either a magnanimous genius who is the second coming of Reagan with a dash of James Bond mixed in, or a pussy-grabbing brown people-hating utter idiot who has tiny hands and is “literally Hitler” (who is non-literal Hitler?) What a time to be alive!

And then Americans wonder why we cannot have a “reasonable, honest, and open discussion about _____.” Get real. It’s because if we disagree, we’re called racist bigoted misogynistic homophobic science-denying mouth-breathing knuckle-dragging retards (which is ok to use as long as you’re bashing conservatives) who eat at Chik-fil-a. That’s why. The progressive left doesn’t want a reasonable, honest, and open discussion on any serious topic, unless, of course, you agree with them, pander to them, or perform mental Monica Lewinsky on them. Discourse, especially over disagreements and misunderstandings, is an effective way to sift through an issue and have a fuller understanding of the opposition. Is the opposition ill-willed? Do they want they want what is best? Are they misinformed? Am I misinformed? After having a discussion on healthcare with a leftist friend of mine (if I didn’t have leftist friends, I wouldn’t have friends. San Francisco/Los Angeles based.), my eyes were opened to why he believed what he believed, instead of assuming he was an ignorant lefty Bernie Bro (see, we’re all guilty!). We’ll get to proposed solutions later.

Obviously I’m talking about the liberals versus the conservatives in modern America, and I am specifically referring to the progressive left and the further-than-just-republican right. Although I consider myself an independent thinker, I prefer to be honest and transparent, as bias evades nobody. Personally, I align with conservatives more often than not, although on social policy I agree with libertarians or democrats, depending on how they deal with the issue. However, putting political allegiances aside, this issue of the two sides of the political isle not being able to speak with one another is concerning to say the least. Rather than adult informed discourse, we see temper tantrums and name-calling.

Can’t we at least have a reasonable discussion?

Oh, the irony.

You see, on nearly every single issue, the progressive left and the conservative movements disagree. This isn’t an issue in itself. Now when one group tries to silence the other group (aka censorship), this is concerning. Furthermore, the two sides can’t even talk about it. They just scream at each other, yell “I’m telling mommy,” take their toys and go home. I’d be willing to bet if Dana White held a PPV MMA-style debate event, people would pay to watch. That’s how Politicon has become so popular, headlining Ben Shapiro and Sally Kohn in 2016 (easily over 1 million views, all channels combined). With issues such as immigration, climate change, Islam and terrorism; personalities like Trump, Cruz, Hillary or Bernie; movements like Black Lives Matter, ANTIFA (anti-fascist), Woman’s March, and anti-trump protests; campus issues such as blind obedience to professors, lack of critical thought/skepticism, and censorship of opposing views; and the always popular facts versus human emotion; this short list is an example of topics which are so decisive, and the rhetoric so strong, that discussion is nearly impossible.

Essentially, the debate over these and many other hot-button topics has come to a point where people are either unwilling to debate, resort to name-calling, censor via violence, assign motive and mind read in order to assign intent, or hide in an echo chamber. Of course no open-minded college liberal would burn things because a conservative was coming to lecture. Oh wait, that happened. Of course nobody would honestly call Trump Hitler or compare the two, doing so would undermine the atrocities of the Holocaust and World War II! Oh, wait a second...that happened too? Of course nobody would assume what is in someone else’s heart and mind and label them a racist, because racists are outcasts in today’s society! Damn, that too?! Let’s take a look at when this craziness has actually occurred:

Unwilling to Debate

In Washington State, a high school football team is so big, so fast, so strong, and so good that opponent are forfeiting due to player safety concerns. The Archbishop Murphy Wildcats are a powerhouse. You know you’re good when your opponents are too scared to even show up. This is precisely what is happening to Ben Shapiro of The Daily Wire. According to Ben himself, the most pressing challenge in scheduling debates with leftists is that leftists are no longer willing to debate him. Like the opponents of the Archbishop Murphy Wildcats, the leftist opponents are forfeiting to a conservative powerhouse.

During the epic (link) Ted Cruz V. Bernie Sanders debate on healthcare policy last week, Steven Crowder of Louder with Crowder live-streamed the event and offered commentary (along with a drinking game). Kyle Kulinski of Secular Talk tweeted live, and Crowder challenged him to a debate. No word from Kulinski, even though Crowder has more subscribers than Kulinski (650,000 to 465,000, respectively), and Kulinski has commented about Crowder before. MAKE THIS DEBATE HAPPEN!

Censorship Via Violence:

In early 2016, conservative author and radio host Ben Shapiro was scheduled to give a lecture at California State University Los Angeles. His speech topic? That intellectual diversity is imperative and necessary for political discourse. The response? An attempt to shut down free speech, naturally. Near Riots burst out, with reporters and supporters being assaulted, fire alarms being repeatedly pulled, entrances and exits blocked, and police escorts deemed a necessity.  Violence as the answer to a differing viewpoint, one that advocates for intellectual diversity, leads to dangerous behavior and a troubling intellectual echo chamber for our youth. This is the modern progressive left on college campuses in America. Shapiro was even banned from speaking at DePaul University, and was told if he took three more steps on campus (where he had a scheduled lecture), he would be arrested. Check out the video here. Echo Chamber.

People on the progressive left believe that it’s ok to punch Nazis. Richard Spencer is the self-proclaimed “Leader of the Alt-Right movement.” Considering the progressive left calls Richard Spencer a Nazi, they believe that it is perfectly within moral confines to punch him; and that’s exactly what happened.

The problem exists when they start calling other, non-Nazi persons, Nazis. Now, it’s ok to punch said “Nazi,” even if they have nothing in common with the Nazi platform or repugnant set of ideas. Now, it’s ok to punch anyone, so long as you first yell “NAZI!” Which leads us to our next example…

…Milo Yiannopoulos. The leftists call him a neo-Nazi and white supremacist. UC Berkeley, my alma mater, responds by burning things, smashing windows, and beating people with metal pipes. I’m sure many of you have heard of this incident, so we’ll spare the details, but this exemplifies why it’s not acceptable to punch Richard Spencer even if he is a Nazi. As far as Milo is concerned, he’s a gay Jew who “loves black cock” and calls himself “The Dangerous Faggot.” So I doubt Hitler would allow Milo into his inner circle, but perhaps my understanding of history is incorrect. As Milo says, even if he were a Nazi and a white supremacist, he should still have the right to walk onto a college campus and give a talk. The best solution to racism or any hateful and disgusting ideology is to shine a light on it. More on this later, in the solutions section of this article.

This mindset of “I’m right, you’re wrong, therefore I punch you in the face” is troubling largely because it seems to be gaining traction amongst the protestors and is growing in size and occurrences. First is was the Black Lives Matter “protests,” then Baltimore, then Oakland/San Francisco, then a few anti-Trump protestors assaulting supporters, and now this type of behavior is the norm amongst protests (notable exceptions: Woman’s March, Woman’s Pro-life March). Furthering the aforementioned episodes, Gavin McInnes is the most recent among the victims of this violent and cowardly behavior. The Vice co-founder and conservative voice was scheduled to give a talk at NYU, and the leftist ANTIFA (Anti-Fascist) group charged his entrance, shut down the event, and even pepper sprayed him. For an anti-fascist group, using violence and force to shut down opposing viewpoints seems awfully….fascist…no?

Assigning Motive, Psychic Mind Reading, and Asserting Intent:

YOU CAN’T READ MINDS. Even if you paid $9.99 for a palm reading or tarot card session, mind reading isn’t available to us (yet). Stop asserting intent, assigning motive, and acting like psychic mind readers! Just because you say something is true, doesn’t make it true. Example: One day I’ll marry either A) Lauren Southern or B) Roaming Millennial. There, I said it, but that still doesn’t make it true (but a guy can keep up hope!). This mind reading is occurring at an alarming rate in today’s political debate.

-Assuming that someone who is anti-common core or anti-education department must not want children to be educated. Anti-Common Core/Department of Education ≠ anti-education.

-Assuming that someone who voted for Trump must be a misogynistic racist homophobic Islamophobic idiot. Voting for Trump ≠ Pro-Trump (could be anti-Hillary).

-Assuming that an individual who is pro-life rather than pro-choice must hate women, want to strip away women’s rights, and want to control every single choice that every single woman makes about her body, presumably including what hair style and color she is allowed to have. Anti-abortion ≠ the desire to control a woman’s life.

-Assuming that someone who is against nationalized healthcare or Obamacare must want people to die in the streets from lack of healthcare access. Anti-nationalized healthcare ≠ anti-health/well-being.

-Assuming that anti-Black Lives Matter folk are racist or are fine with black people being shot by police, justified or not. Anti-BLM ≠ anti-black.

Conservatives and liberals often want the same or similar outcome, but the means in which to arrive at the final destination is disagreed upon. If we plan a trip from California to New York, and you think we should take the train to see the sights and save money, while I think we should fly and save time, this does not mean I'm anti-train or anti-beauty. This simply means that I have a different idea of what the best way to get there is. I'm not "train-ophobic!"

Hiding in an Echo Chamber

A huge issue when dealing with open discussion is the problem of echo chambers. An event occurs, be it a bombing or a congressional hearing, and many people already know what they’re going to think about it. They have these biases, then turn on a news network that they love because they agree on nearly everything. The liberal turns to Buzzfeed or MSNBC, the conservative turns to Fox or The Blaze. Naturally, the “other side” is dumb and wrong. This problem is only escalated when we take into account the internet, internet news shows, and YouTube shows. In this case we’re quite literally searching for views we align with. Granted, some people watch and listen to both sides, I know I try to do that myself. But I doubt this is the majority of people, although that is pure speculation and life experience. People yell that Bill O’Reilly is a racist. I’ll ask them how many times they have seen his show. They say they don’t watch it, but they “saw a clip once.” My goodness. Try to challenge yourself once in a while; if your ideas are honestly correct, they’ll withhold the scrutiny of rigorous questioning. They’ll stand the test of time, and that will make you much more firm in your beliefs.

This echo chamber effect happened all too often when I was in college. Of course Berkeley is the liberal epicenter of the universe, but they must be about intellectual challenges and the great battle of ideas!

Wrong! See Above: Riots. All I saw were heads nodding in agreement with every word the professor said, except when he was teaching Hayek or Friedman, of course. I imagined a bit more intellectual skepticism, but did not see much of it.

Feelings vs facts, as nobody can deny your feelings. These college students get offended by any opposing viewpoint, and the use of micro-aggressions, trigger warnings, and safe spaces are absurd. Offense culture? Well I’m offended by easily offended pussies. Fair enough? Echo chamber.

I visited the Woman’s March in downtown Los Angeles, and spoke with a number of men and women. I would approach them politely and asked simple questions such as “if Trump isn’t your president, who is?” They not only didn’t respond, but often said something to the effect of “oh, you’re one of those.” The people I encountered have never had their viewpoints challenged, nor have they been asked to define or defend their principles. The group even denied pro-life woman’s groups from participating equally in the march. It’s not about women’s rights; it’s about woman-who-we-agree-with’s rights. Echo chamber.

By far the worst of the worst in relation to echo chambers and lack of opposing opinions was presented while in college. I talked at length about this during this Podcast, so I’ll keep it short. College is a place to challenge your ideas and worldview. It is a place for critical thinking, questioning, playing devil’s advocate, and being skeptical. It’s not courageous to be progressive on a college campus, because everyone agrees with you. It’s not fighting “the man” or resisting authority, because everyone agrees with you. The professor would say something about socialism being misunderstood and “if only we practiced it this way…” and all I saw were students nodding their heads in agreement. Not one dissenter, even though no doubt someone else in the class of 200 must have disagreed! If you want to be courageous, or fight the man, or resist the establishment, then debate from the conservative point of view, even if you don’t believe it. That’s courage, skepticism, and intellectual rigor. Have some balls, some cojones. Try it. LEAVE THE ECHO CHAMBER!!!

Name Calling as a Debate Tactic and The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf

Calling someone a name is not a great debate tool, nor does it foster discussion. So stop it. Too many examples to pick from. See above.

In regards to Trump, the left has to either 1) take him seriously and critique him, his words, actions, etc., OR 2) call him a dumb idiot fraud. But you can’t have it both ways! But when they say Trump lies, and then take other things he has said seriously and critique them, this is awfully convenient. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. The left has to either take him at his word or not. Political convenience should not be a factor, as there is plenty to critique either way.

In a larger sense, as Tomi Lahren once said, once you get called a racist so many times, it starts to not sting as much. You see, if you call everyone a racist, then when an actual racist comes along, nobody will believe you. Furthermore, it takes away from the actual racism that has occurred in this country’s history. Racism isn’t voting for Trump, racism is not allowing blacks to drink from the same fountain as whites. Come on, let’s be honest here. This is the issue with Black Lives Matter, anti-trump protests, and woman’s marches; if everyone is a racist, sexist, etc., then it becomes impossible to distinguish between real and fake. Stop crying wolf. Conservatives are guilty of this as well, especially when we look at potential scandals about Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama that ended up not being true (i.e. birther movement). When conservatives do this, it takes away significant credibility when an actual scandal hits, such as Hillary’s health issues.  

Solutions:

The first step in uniting the divided electorate is to talk. Talk openly, talk often, and talk publicly. The CNN debate between Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Ted Cruz on healthcare is a perfect example of the direction we need to go. They were honest about their positions, to their credit, and both Bernie and Cruz supporters that I talked to (anecdotal, I know) enjoyed the debate. They stayed on topic, and for the most part stuck to the issues at hand rather than name-calling and slandering. Whether you are a conservative student on campus or a senator on national TV, open debate is highly necessary, as it shows that discussion between opposing parties can occur. Even if the opposition’s ideas are in disagreement with your own, or if their words hurt your feelings, that’s OK. More than OK, becoming uncomfortable can lead to tremendous growth and is often a catalyst for either change or a deeper understanding of one’s own value set. As trainer Jeff Cavaliere says, “get comfortable being uncomfortable” if you want to reach success.  Constructive conversations are a major player in fixing things.

Part two: advice to my leftist counterparts. Let us say, for example, that both Ben Shapiro and Milo Yiannopoulos are arriving on campus the next day to give lectures. Some of your comrades plan a protest, invite you, and throw on some Che Guevara tee shirts, scarves that cover their faces, and make signs. Instead of shutting down their lectures, which gives them publicity and actually grows their popularity, there is a better route to destroy your opponents. Show up, and wait for the Q & A section at the end of the lecture that both speakers do every speech. Then, since your ideas and worldview are superior, debate them. No, embarrass them! BURY THEM! Make them fumble on their words and look foolish and hypocritical! Not only is this effective, but it happens on camera. On their camera. The footage goes on their website. Go onto enemy turf, and embarrass them at their own show on their own platforms. This will deal a much harsher blow then chanting “no racist! No KKK! No fascist USA!” a million times. We’ve heard it all before. Again, all this does is grow the audience of your opponent. Beat them at their own game! Give them a taste of their own medicine!

Now onto the slurs. The racism, misogyny, Islamophobia, etc. The best way to beat these disgusting ideas is to shine light on them, not crying wolf. If someone is an actual racist, with evidence, then letting them speak (at a college campus, for example) is the best thing to do. Why? Well, I believe that most Americans, especially college students, are smart enough to think “hey, this guy is promoting hate, racism, and terribly divisive ideas. Bad!” Done. If you, however, believe that Americans and college students are dumb enough to believe every pretty face that graces a lectern, then perhaps you have the terrible worldview. Therefore, if you believe that Ben, Milo, Gavin, or Richard Spencer are hateful racists, then allow them to tell everyone about it. Sunlight is often the best disinfectant.

Getting uncomfortable and having those tough talks are not only the (very partial) solutions to our political divide, but to the old “babe, we need to talk.” It all boils down to a little something I learned a few (20) years back:

            “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

**This article was written (not published) prior to the Milo/pedophilia debacle and was not edited to reflect recent events.

**See podcast #2: Speaking…Freely? For more on this topic. www.GenerationWho.com/podcasts.html

**Feedback: mike@generationwho.com

Trump VS Hillary: Round 1

After the first debate between Hillary and Trump, the debate analysis from the media is unsurprising. Trumpsters say he did well, and “held back,” that next debate he’ll really dig into her. Clinton supporters (AKA Trump haters, as not many actually support the secretary) claim she was poised, healthy, and actually alive with a pulse. They even claim she wasn’t a robot. I concur, hesitantly. The last third of the media, who either dislike both candidates or are decently objective, believe that Trump won the first 30 to 45 minutes of the debate, while Clinton won the remainder. Many ideas have been analyzed, including the idea that Trump is used to being on the debate stage with 17 people, and the 1-on-1 style debates fare differently. Political pundits further discussed the fact that Hillary was well prepared, to the point of sounding robotic, while Trump was completely unprepared, making him look less stable.

But they all missed one major point. A point so HUUUUGGEE that it completely neutralizes all other analysis. A point that, once discovered, explains why many Americans know in their minds that Trump lost, but in their hearts they felt it a victory for The Orange One. It’s the difference between facts and feelings, between objective fact and subjective emotion. This overlooked and under-analyzed fact is this:

Trump is not a politician.

Sounds obvious. But take a closer look.

Trump not being a politician means that he’s playing on Hillary’s home turf. As an example, in high school, a group of friends and I were hanging out. Half of us were football players, half baseball players. The baseball players were talking trash, saying they could “pancake” us if we went head to head. So, the baseball players got their biggest, baddest dude (“Troy”), and the football players got their hero (“Joe”). Now, if they tied, the baseball players would never stop bragging, because football is Joe’s powerhouse. He’s expected to win. So nothing other than an utter, bone-crunching pancake by Joe would suffice. Luckily, when the two put on pads and helmets and lined up a few yards apart, Joe knocked Troy a few yards back an onto his rear, while Troy had difficulty getting to his feet. Utter destruction. Nothing short of that would do.

The same is true with Trump and Hillary. Hillary, politics being her wheelhouse, must completely and utterly dismantle Trump. She must knock him on his rear, and laugh at him while he staggers to his feet.  But she didn’t.

Let us imagine Trump as former NFL star Marshawn Lynch. Both are polarizing figures, everyone has an opinion on these men, they both have an aura and mystique about them, but we must respect their mastery of their craft. Whether it’s Lynch with the ball, or Trump with real estate or on reality TV, their skill set is obvious, whether you love them or hate them. Let us imagine Hillary as Kobe. Both legends in their respective arenas, as Hillary is a masterful politician. This does not mean she has been beneficial for the American public; rather that she has mastered money, power, and influence and used it to remain relevant. Plus, both have a few scandals in their past. If Kobe and Marshawn Lynch were to play a 1-on-1 game of basketball, and we were forced to bet money on who would win, most would gamble on Kobe. Both are athletes, both are legends in their respective sports, but when Lynch walks into Kobe’s house to play Kobe’s game, we expect Kobe to blow Lynch out of the water. 10-2, 10-3 would be acceptable scores. If Lynch loses 10-8, although he lost, he would not only have gained respect, but some would walk away thinking that he had won a moral victory, or an emotional victory. Yes, he didn’t “win,” but he “won,” similar to how Bernie Sanders didn’t “win” the democratic primary, but “won” in the sense that he gained influence, popularity, and stoked passions among the American left.

Trump lost 10-8 to Hillary. Yes, this is a loss. But he played Hillary’s game, a game in which she’s been playing for 30 years, on her home court, in front of a home crowd, with a “hometown referee” (Lester Holt, the moderator).

Trump lost that debate. I agree with many in the political realm who believe that Trump won the first 30 to 45 minutes of the debate, then Hillary got under his skin and shook him up, taking the ultimate victory during the last 45 to 60 minutes.  

But there’s more to the story. Lynch played Kobe in basketball and proved competitive. Must be a quick learner, an athlete. Trump must be a quick learner, too. He’s been a politician for less than 4% of the time that Hillary has been one. Imagine if Hillary entered into real estate or reality TV, without insider knowledge (see her cattle futures scandal), and attempted to compete with The Donald. He would crush her. Knock her back 3 yards on her rear; she would stumble trying to regain her footing as if she were walking to her van on a scorching hot 77 degree afternoon in New York. He would crush her 10-2, and she only scored because he gave her a free shot.

All in all, it was a loss for Trump. Was it a moral victory? A “feelings” victory? An “emotional” victory? An “image” victory?

Trump versus Hillary round two. October 9th. We’ll see if he really is a quick learner.

This election cycle is like a mental tug-of-war. Or, I could be going crazy here. Definitely a possibility.

Either way, I’m having fun. Hope you are, too.

PS: I bet Marshawn Lynch wouldn’t exactly be pleased with the idea of being compared to Trump. But I love Beastmode, fellow Golden Bear!!

www.GenerationWho.com

Hate Both Candidates? Here's What To Do.

Hate Both Candidates? Here’s What To Do.

If you are anything like me, then this election is giving you cognitive dissonance overdose. On one side, we have an evil, corrupt liar who has defended a child rapist and traded favors for foreign donations, many of those donations coming from countries where killing homosexuals is seen as morally warranted. On the other side we have a man whose ego and narcissism has no limits, who flip-flops on nearly every single issue, and who has openly bragged about sleeping with married women. Most Americans dislike both candidates, and of those who rabidly support one candidate, view the other as “Hitler.” These observations are based on the fact that both candidates have record-setting unfavorable ratings, and the obvious sense that this election cycle has manifested vast quantities of hatred not only for the opposing candidate, but for supporters of the opposing candidate. During Romney vs. Obama 2012, if one supported Romney, it was rare for that individual to be slandered. Currently, if someone comes out and supports Trump, people are called all the typical empty descriptors such as “racist,” “misogynist,” “Islamophobic,” and the like.

Each side has their fanatics. Hollywood celebs such as Katy Perry have staked their post. Conservatives such as Sean Hannity have done the same. We even have people such as Mark Levin who basically says he’ll vote for Trump, but that doesn’t mean he likes the fact that he is doing so. Then, there is the #NeverTrump crowd, who are conservatives who claim they do not want to sacrifice their values in order to push for a weak candidate who does not align with them ideologically. Last, we have the far left (i.e. Jill Stein) and the far right (i.e. Gary Johnson). Of course, we have Sean Hannity saying that not voting is a vote for Hillary, while Obama says not voting is a vote for Trump.

So what is the average American to do? You know, people who are more pragmatic than ideological. People who could care less about the D or R by the candidates’ name, and care more about their plans for furthering this Nation’s greatness.

People who, like me, dislike both candidates.

Well, making arguments against each candidate is easy. But trying to figure out whom to pull the lever for is much more difficult.

Here’s my approach:

I honestly and viscerally hate Hillary Clinton. Her policies are destructive to our nation, to our freedoms, and she lies so much I don’t even listen to her most of the time. Not to mention that evil chuckle thing she does. Everything she touches catches on fire, burns to the ground, then a stray dog walks over the ashes and defecates on it. See: Benghazi, “Russian Reset,” Haiti earthquake relief, Iran deal, Clinton Foundation, etc. etc. etc. as infinitum.

Trump was not my first choice in the primaries. He was, however, one of my top two or three picks for VP. He is great at bringing eyeballs to the Republican side, and his attitude is something that the party has needed for years. He isn’t afraid to get in there and throw a couple haymakers, knowing full well he will be hit a few times. So when he won the primaries, I wasn’t thrilled, but I also wasn’t upset. I figured Trump could win, and with people like Cruz, Gowdy and the like in his ear, perhaps he would be a good representative of traditional American values. The longer this campaign has dragged on, the more disenchanted I become with Trump (although I was never on the “Trump Train”).

So here’s the brass tacks. Trump is a guy who goes big (HHUUUUUUGGEE) or goes home. He either makes a few million, or claims bankruptcy. He either bangs (a few) models or he’s having a petty argument with Rosie O’Donnell. Therefore, I believe his presidency will be the same. He will either be the best president since Reagan, or he’ll be the worst since, well, Obama. I think the chances are roughly 80% chance he’ll do terrible, 10% chance he’ll do great, and a 10% chance he’ll do something in between (these are very rough estimations). That’s a gamble, a roll of the dice. Presidential Roulette. Trump runs into a major problem if he enters office, because no matter how well he actually does, the media will crush him. He can do no right in their eyes. The man could cure cancer and the media will claim it’s due to greed and racism. Whether it’s hard news like CNN, or the late night comedy shows like Colbert, he will constantly be hit with brick after brick. Are you willing to bet on those odds? The best case I have in voting for Trump is that it will “trigger” a lot of uber-leftists. This is a fun thing to do. It would make many of the know-nothings of the far left go crazy, lose their minds, and I would pay good money to watch that happen. If, however, Trump does poorly, then that scar will take years to remove from the Republican party and the conservative movement. Is it worth the risk?

I cannot justify voting for Hillary with one exception. You see, with Hillary, we know exactly what we are getting into. Another four years of Obama, of the status quo, only with an adrenaline boost. It will be more of the same, but with more intensity, with a shot of caffeine. Furthermore, Hillary ruins everything she touches, including her husband and her aid Huma Abedin (married to Anthony Weiner). So we can assume another four years of disastrous policies both at home and abroad. This is good and bad news. The good news is we know what’s coming. If you’re fighting Mike Tyson, that’s going to be a rough night, but at least you can prepare for it. If you don’t know who you are fighting, and George Foreman shows up, good luck. The bad news is that Hillary will further take away our freedoms and damage our nation. This is the part we can use to our advantage.

A drug addict cannot get clean until said addict decides to help themselves. Nobody can do it for them. That drug addict must hit a “rock bottom” before they make the decision to get help. Just like the addict, the Leftists in this country (not all democrats, just Lefitsts) must hit a “rock bottom” before they decide to help themselves, open their eyes, and begin to believe facts, history, and common sense. Perhaps, by electing Hillary, these next four years will be so disastrous that they will wake up one day and think “man, this is not going well. Maybe I should look into other options.” This opens the door for conservatives to truly make a case for their values, and act as an interventionist or a rehab counselor. Here are our values, here’s why we know they work, and here’s our plan to fix this mess. Next, in four long years, we can have a true conservative ride into Washington to fix this country. Someone like Ted Cruz, whose opponents’ biggest concern is that his face is ugly, or Trey Gowdy, my personal favorite.

Maybe, just maybe by voting for Hillary (heartburn…), we can have a strong conservative uprising without having the brand of conservatism tarnished by a false conservative named Trump.

This is a long-term view, this is postponing gratification. This is the kid who doesn’t eat the first marshmallow with the promise of having two marshmallows later on.

Or, you could vote for Trump, and roll the dice.

Your call, America.

                                                                            www.GenerationWho.com

Why Politics Matter (Especially to Millennials...)

#1. Why Politics Matter (Especially to Millennials...)

        Politics? Who cares...plus Scandal is on after the football game. Plus, politicians are all bought and sold by campaign donors, controlled by lobbyists, and only care about serving themselves and their elitist friends. Our meager single vote doesn't make a difference anyway. So politics do not matter. Well, they sort of do, but there isn't a thing I can do about it.

        I remember when this was my mindset. Luckily, I have a father who enjoys and appreciates paying attention to the political landscape. Through osmosis, perhaps, I ended up watching what was going on, and holy cow! You can't make this stuff up! Drugs, sex, death, money, and power - all things that catch our eye in movies and TV shows. The point is this: politics do matter. And it's actually extremely entertaining watching these guys sweat when you're aware of what's really going on. Furthermore, the importance of politics for the Millennial generation is even more pressing. We're either going to have to clean up this mess and continue to be the great world power that we are here in America, or we are going to have to run out of this burning building before we collapse from smoke inhalation. I like the former idea rather than the latter (I live in California, so...), but make no mistake about it; the house in on fire. Like, NOW. Smoke alarms are going off, the walls are warm to the touch, the stench of burning plastic is filling the air. We have to do something. And the first step in the process of extinguishing the fire, cleaning out all the debris, and rebuilding is to be aware of what caused this massive issue in the first place. Without paying attention to politics, we live our lives unaware of the state of the Nation, which may have detrimental effects to our daily lives, or may give us a sign of opportunity for the future. Either way, politics do matter.

        Here at the Generation Who Blog, we don't use all the political jargon and the boorish language of the typical political pundits, because we aren't typical political pundits. In fact, we aren't political pundits at all. We are simple people watching what's going on in our nation, and we want to fix it. However, we think it truly is up to us young people to do the fixing. After all, we didn't dig this hole, we were raised in it. So a fresh viewpoint and fresh ideas for fixing the problems facing the nation is necessary. Many people of the older generations think we're a bunch of whiny, self-entitled, weak, sensitive, pot-smoking, good-for-nothing weenies who are essentially useless. We will artfully and forcefully dispel these and many more myths about us Millennials in a later post, along with in our first Podcast episode (www.GenerationWho.com or look us up at The Generation Who Podcast).

        Back to the importance of politics...

     

        History is key to understanding anything. It has a boring wrap, but many of these stories are captivating (see: Dionysian Mysteries or how Socrates was sentenced to death via charges from a fictitious play). After all, if you're on a first date with someone, you ask a bunch of questions about their history in order to form a fuller picture of them. If history does not matter, then neither does where your date lives, works, or even their criminal record! In Ancient Greece, voting was not only a right, but a duty, and not participating in politics was punishable by law. Modern-day Iraqi's risked their lives to vote. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost to assure African-Americans the right to vote in America. And you think Scandal is important? Well, maybe it is, but after it's done it would behoove you to check out what's going on in the world for five minutes.

        I'm not going to give you the standard, boring reasons why politics mater to your personal life. Yes, it's a citizen's right to vote, yes people died for your right to vote (regardless of gender or ethnicity), and yes, people around the world would trade places with you in a heartbeat; but we all know this at some level. Like I promised, we keep it real here. Let's be honest; politics are boring. The politicians are liars and fakes, the media is in bed with these guys (both Progressives and Conservatives), and they are all bought and paid for, bowing to the almighty dollar. What I am going to do is this: show you how politics affects your life now, how politics shapes the future for better or for worse, and how we can elicit change in the political landscape. 

       
        Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee once said that there is “one problem with politics: the word politics. It comes from the Greek Poly- meaning ‘many’ and tics meaning ‘blood-sucking leeches.’” This comment, although hilarious, is chillingly accurate. Governor Huckabee’s definition of politics explains why many Americans, especially those of us in the Rising Generation, despise the political process. After all, being born in the 1980’s to mid- 1990’s, let’s think about our political memories. First, we had George Bush Senior’s “read my lips, no new taxes!” line, just before he raised taxes. Then, we had Bill Clinton, who was not only accused of rape but was caught with Miss Lewinsky. After Bill came George W. Bush, which needs no explanation, especially after one of our generation’s favorite entertainers went viral for claiming that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” (just another gem from Kanye West). Finally, we had a bright star in Barack Obama, which of course turned out to be incorrect, as he failed to fulfill just about every single promise he made, along with not being half as “cool” as we thought and lying about “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. Period” (We’ll dive into these issues in detail in another article). Mix in the Tech Bubble that popped, Y2K, The Great Recession, Hurricane Katrina, one big-ass earthquake in Japan, another one in Haiti, Tsunamis, Anthony Weiner’s ironic sexting, Blagojevich selling Senate seats, and growing up on The Backstreet Boys, and we’re doomed to think that these guys running the show are incapable of common sense, and that our teeny tiny little vote isn’t going to amount to much without a blank check attached to it. ***THIS IS EXAMPLE OF REAL POLITICS BEING MORE EXCITING THAN K.U.W.T.K.*** After all, millions of people vote, and we have the media constantly telling us that only a few Swing States like Ohio and New Hampshire matter in presidential elections, along with certain states automatically voting a certain way (i.e. Texas=Republican, California=Democrat). Then, the technicalities. The hell is the Electoral College, anyways? Why do we only have two parties, and why do they both suck? Plus, I can’t be a Republican, that’s the party of Old White Men who hate the poor and anyone who has a bit of pigment in their skin (We’ll get rid of this myth later, too. Note: I AM NO REPUBLICAN. Nor am I a Democrat. I just dislike non-truths.) Politicians spend in billions and chatter in trillions, we all know their smiles are perfectly practiced and fully fake. We know they don’t actually like that person they’re standing next to laughing with, that person is simply a prospective campaign donor. Money, sex, drugs, coercion. And we can’t do a damn thing about it. Or can we?

        The first step in changing anything is to pay attention to it. This may sound cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason. But how does the political landscape affect one’s everyday life? Simply put, in just about everything one does throughout the day. The clothes you wear had to go through customs, the money you spend is minted by “The Fed,” the food you eat is regulated by the FDA, and most importantly, your paycheck is trimmed by taxes. I’m writing this article from California, and it’s painful to look at my paycheck, as nearly 40% of it gets eaten up by different kinds of taxes. If you have any investments, like stocks or mutual funds, these are affected by current events, good or bad. The Keystone Pipeline, relations with Vladimir Putin and Russia, Tesla car fires, and the effective tax plans of the party in control all affected my investments in recent years. Paying attention to politics isn't as difficult, time-consuming, or boring as it may seem. Maybe back in the day of the radio, or even with just the TV and a few major news outlets, but today we have literally endless news outlets in multiple forms from podcasts and YouTube to the traditional MSNBC or Fox News. The point is, make a commitment to tune in for a few minutes a day. explore different hosts, shows, and forms of delivery. I have found that I love listening to talk radio in the car and podcasts while I'm doing dishes or chores. These are things I have to do anyways, so I'm not losing any time. After a few months, I was able to sift through different hosts and sites, and learned who I liked and disliked. An important sidebar must be taken into consideration: know your host. Is this person a Progressive or a Conservative? Republican or Democrat? Do they work for or represent a major news corporation or are they independent? Do they have any affiliations or friendships with politicians? It's perfectly OK if they are any of the above, as we all lean left or right, but the awareness is key, so you can look for and recognize when their bias is getting in the way of the facts. Furthermore, I highly recommend having a 1:4 ratio of ingesting information from either side. Simply put, if you find yourself to be more of a conservative or Republican, and you enjoy listening to Michael Savage, Mark Levin, Ben Shapiro, and Bill Whittle (all amazingly talented, smart conservative hosts by the way), then you ought to listen to Thom Hartmann as well (who is liberal and a very talented host as well). This is to put things in perspective as well as catch your own biases. This happens to me all the time, and is a natural mechanism of the human psyche. So listening to an opposing point of view is helpful, even if it makes your blood boil. Plus, this is what the men and women in Washington cannot or will not do. They jump in their respective battle stations, and start firing away and slinging mud back and forth. If they would shut up and listen to one another (and I mean listen, not just wait anxiously to speak again), they might actually achieve something. Never mind listen to us, the American public, who normally are not as stuck in their political ideologies as much as the politicians, and would prefer a common sense, pragmatic solution rather than an ideological victory.

        The next step is to vote. This is a must. This is how we kick out all the bulls running around the china shop breaking everything. Damage control is primary. To cite Governor Huckabee once again, "If a pipe on your sinks breaks and starts flooding everywhere, the first thing you do is stop the flow of water. Then you clean it up, THEN you fix it" (Note: this is para-phrased, not an exact quote. It was live TV, but I wrote down the quote as close and as fast as I could!). So first, we must stop the water from flooding by educating ourselves about politics and paying attention. Then we clean up the mess by voting out the useless and the harmful politicians from both our local, state, and national governments. And with mail-in ballots, it's literally as easy as filling in a few bubbles. Once we've stopped the flow and cleaned up the mess, it's time to rebuild and repair the problem. That is the focus of the rest of our blogs, podcasts, and videos (for more visit GenerationWho.com).

   

        The next step is to discuss. Discuss what you've learned with people. Discuss what you saw on TV, what you heard on the radio, or what you saw on YouTube. Discuss how it affects your life, and how it may effect theirs. Ask who they like and don't like, especially this year, the year of the Presidential race! Play Devil's Advocate, and debate with them whatever their position may be. This clarifies and brings new insight to both them and you, and I have found this to be a very powerful tool in life (Thanks Dad!). I know the old rule to never discuss politics or religion on first dates or family get-togethers, but the divorce rate is well over 50%, so it really couldn't hurt. I do it, and I've had great luck on the dating scene. My Grandpa and I trade books all the time, which gives us stuff to talk about and laugh about, which is called bonding, and is good for any relationship. Don't shy away, just don't be an ideological jerk when discussing these issues. Don't be that guy.

        The next step is to get involved. This is not mandatory, and may take on different forms. Very few of us will ever run for office in our lives. But, if you enjoy this blog thus far, that means you're probably a practical-minded person like myself and you would probably do much better than the demagogues there now. You can also donate to a pundit you enjoy, start your own Podcast, write a book, attend rallies, volunteer on a campaign, or do countless other things to get involved in the local, national, or international political scene. Do you have to become 'active?' No! But if you end up enjoying the brain stimulation you get from paying attention and putting the pieces together, then you will probably want an outlet for the frustration from lack of common sense in politics.

        Simple, yet effective. We can save the burning building. We can fix the broken faucet. We can save this Great Nation. But it's up to us. The politicians won't fix it. The older generations broke it. We need to fix it. And we won't get there by being divided into sects, colors, and genders; we can only fix it by uniting as Individual Americans.

Oh, and PS: Pick up a copy of the Constitution. Then read it. It will only take you a matter of minutes to finish it. Or, download the app (yes, there's an app for that!). Just search "US Constitution."