Tribal Warfare - 1-12-2022

Too bad tribal warfare isn't just a game.

 
In performing my morning ritual this morning, reading the Wall Street Journal and having my coffee, I couldn't help but think how badly divided we are in my beloved United States. All topics, all discourse seems to be between entrenched camps, each getting facts, figures, and news that is totally manipulated,"spun" if you will, to meet the desires and needs of the political party to whom the echo chamber of choice belongs. And "We the People" have fully aligned ourselves with one echo chamber or the other for richer or poorer, for better or worse, in sickness and in health. The political leadership, media, mass and micro, and the loyal followers are aligned into what has been often and very accurately described as "tribes".

Me? I'm fed up with the Republican party, but still conservative. I'm totally opposed and completely alien to the Democrat/Progressive Liberal tribe. That still puts me in the Republican/Conservative tribe. Has to. That's how we shake out now. It's one or the other, this or that, my way or the highway. So I'm stuck with a bunch I'm fed up with and nearly ashamed to admit I'm a part of most of the time. I could continue with this piece and expound on my frustrations with Republicans or my opposition to Democrats endlessly, but I don't think it's necessary. But all this little piece is intended to do is to point and laugh at our collective stupidity. Yes, I said stupidity, OUR STUPIDITY. Yours and mine, whether left or right, it's on us. Three simple issues to show the divide. I probably can't be brief, so I've decided to just list them, short as I can.

1. Voting rights. One tribe wants nearly no rules, a free for all that makes everyone, citizens, non-citizens, registered, unregistered, resident or passing through, "all-ee all-ee in come free" to vote. The other (my tribe) wants controls and security in place one person one vote citizens only verified identity and voter ID. Neither sides positions are acceptable to the other in any way shape or form.

2. The virus. Each side has it's own doctors and scientists. Each side focuses more on the issues with which the other side disagrees and the flaws they believe exist in the other side's logic, independent of independent thought, opinion, or expertise. There is no independent thought. One tribe believes only what they are told in their echo chamber and blames to near the point of deliriousness the other for every negative aspect of the virus. Independent thought is unacceptable. Anyone who disagrees with the mainstream positions of the tribal leadership is a heretic and should be cast aside and shunned. BOTH tribes are guilty of this. Fauci is either the messiah or a demon of Satan.

3. President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. One side is totally blind to how inept and incompetent Joe Biden is, the other to how unacceptable Donald Trump is to too many people who won't claim membership in either tribe. How many is too many? Probably enough to ensure he will lose again if her runs in 2024, in my opinion.

It's a mess. We don't think for ourselves anymore, at least not nearly enough. We think we do, but we're fed all our information from our own tribal echo chamber. Many of us, myself included, are more appalled at what's happening in the other echo chamber than we are enthused about what's happening in our own. Yes, it's a mess. But I'm short on time, I need to sharpen my spear and knife, gather my shield. I must rally to my tribe! We must not be defeated!