Yeah, the Clinton scandal. Good example, but I just feel uneasy about dragging Hillary’s comments in on this. Anyone in her position would respond dismissively and incredulously. It’s human nature. But, I really couldn’t say if that statement was political or not.

I won’t say that Marxist political ideologies are above the American Culture Wars, but I think in some ways Marxian thought has been a marginalized part of American politics. So, on some level there is a culture war between Marxists and non-Marxists, Capitalists and non-Capitalists.

Of course, that’s what defines the Marxist outlook—that struggle.

I am in no way a centrist. However, I will dichotomize the person from the passion. I have friends who are extremely pro-life. If you define pro-life as being against abortion, yes, I am pro-life, too. But I’m also pro-choice. This is not a contradiction. Pro-choice does contradict pro-life when carefully defined. I think abortion is disgusting, too. A fetus has been shown to feel pain.

However, I am against legislating anti-abortion laws. That is not the solution. The solution is to educate and to address the plethora of other social issues connected to abortion (read the book Freakonomics) i.e.: poverty, crime, healthcare, women’s issues etc. This is not to say we educate with biased and methodologically inferior and slanted research. Show women the truth, and let them make a genuine choice.

However, if you address the issues that cause the desire for abortion, the problem will dissolve. Note the theme, “you don’t have to be fascist about changing the world.”

People think the answer to problems comes in two forms: money and laws. The problem with these methods is that money is the root of all evil and laws create criminals. Throwing people in jail for smoking a little pot only creates the need for more jails and stretches the law enforcement thin.

Build more rehab centers, increase drug education programs, fight poverty, and, heck, abolish private property and you kill all three of those birds with one stone.

We are at a point in human history where we’ve exhausted politics on social issues to the point where we’re being more destructive than productive. You can’t win a swordfight with a rubber chicken. Likewise, public policy doesn’t always guarantee that social issues will be conquered.

You’re a true idealist, Evan.

While I don’t pretend to know the particulars of British politics, here on this side of the pond, the Bill of Rights clearly states that whatever freedoms are granted aren’t granted at the expense of the rights of others. Speaking from the perspective of journalism, I wouldn’t at all feel comfortable with publishing addresses due to concerns about the invasion of privacy. A while ago, someone who was angry about the amount of information about ordinary citizens Google made available online, and posted private information about one of the Google executives. (I can’t seem to find that online at the moment, so I might not be remembering all the details.) But even if the information is public, putting it all together in a context of threats and intimidation is unethical.

Education is the key to fighting intolerance… and intolerance (and extremism, and hatred) can be found across the political spectrum. Nobody gains when people say “You would say something like that, you are a [label].”

Remember Hillary Clinton blaming rumors of her husband’s infidelity with Monica Lewinsky (and other attacks) on a “vast right-wing conspiracy”? Looking back at that time in Clinton’s presidency, it seems to me that she was dismissing issues she didn’t want to talk about, in much the same manner that some parts of society lump a whole set of issues under “homosexual agenda” (as if there is only one opinion that every homosexual person can take on the whole range of issues that are sometimes invoked with that vague term).

Mother Teresa said if you can’t feed thousands, feed one. If you can’t support a whole starving nation, feed one person, today.

If you can’t change worldwide intolerance and bigotry, show one person, today, that you’re willing to listen to someone you disagree with, and show that person that you’re really not as scary (and intolerant) as the cartoon image of you that the other person fears.

Thanks for another heartfelt post, Evan.