From: Francis Hwang <sera@...>
Date: 2004-11-03T23:55:19+09:00
Subject: Re: [OT] US Presidential Election


On Nov 2, 2004, at 11:33 AM, J. D. wrote:

> Francis Hwang wrote:
>> I'm voting for Kerry this year, and have volunteered a little bit 
>> this year to help with the Democratic get-out-the-vote operations. 
>> I'm actually much further left than Kerry, but if he gets in the 
>> White House I'll consider that a big sign of progress.
>
> There is no such thing as the 'left' or the 'right'.
>
> There is only the very wealthy who intelligently and very effectively 
> divide the masses into opposing groups that will remain deadlocked.
>

I've considered myself on the left pretty much every day of my life 
since I was a child, so what would you say to me? You're not saying I'm 
part of the masses, brainwashed by the very wealthy, am I? That reminds 
me a lot of that old "false consciousness" blather the Marxists used to 
talk about.

Yes, we live in a climate where there is too much political sniping, 
personal and partisan attacks, and distrust. But there are also genuine 
differences in opinion about certain issues. For example, I have 
genuinely strong opinions about those "cultural wedge issues" like gay 
marriage (for it), abortion rights (for it), gun control (for it) and 
prayer in schools (agin' it). There are many people in the U.S. who 
agree with me. There are also many who disagree with me. I may 
passionately disagree with those people, but I respect those opinions 
as genuinely held.

Francis