Often the most compelling political questions are the simplest, encountered in everyday life. Tonight’s question came from walking into a municipal office with an open door and lights left on. An adjacent bathroom also had lights left on.
Yes. So? What difference does it make?
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Well, that’s why things like that happen, of course. Because people have the idea that it doesn’t matter. That the development and practice of ecologically friendly habits does not matter. (The office, incidentally, has an independent heating capability from the rest of the facility, so the door left open means the heat goes out into a much larger space, and it stays on in the office almost constantly to try to raise the outside space, as well, to the programmed temperature. So a lot of additional energy is wasted aside from that used by the lights.)
Getting ‘buy in’ can be a hard case to make, indeed. I hesitate to call it ‘political correctness,' anymore. That term has become so pejorative, it seems to elicit push-back wherever it is used.
The question isn’t one that just appears in small context, in concern for frivolous energy use. A friend of mine, a political campaigner I respect as much as anyone I know, just led a fight for one of the finest Democratic candidates I have seen in quite some time. The candidate did not win, which my friend was inclined to think meant that the work did not matter, that it made no difference. Consequences like that can ‘tr0ll’ us, make us think our efforts have been in vain. Can make us question, the next time, what difference would it make.
We encounter it with ‘our’ voters all the time, who, election after election, do not turn out.
Oh we lost by thousands of votes. My vote wouldn’t have made any difference.
We all know the fallacy of that kind of thinking, in that context, but does it mean we are immune to the question in other contexts? Don’t we all fight it to a greater or lesser degree? Cynicism, apathy, ennui …
How important is caring? How important is being invested in our fellow human beings, and in our work?
Of course, what I am talking about pertains to all human beings, regardless of political affiliation. But, to me, lack of caring tends to characterize Republicans more. Their political goals are more characterized by it, more served by it. Selfishness, small-mindedness, petty jealousies, cynicism (particularly about government!) - we see it often in our political adversaries in their relating and political initiatives. Further, they have more to gain from widespread belief in the idea that things do not make a difference, that WE do not make a difference. Climate denial, governmental efforts on behalf of ALL , caring about the welfare of others … Every time there is denial, in fact, that what we do matters, they benefit, politically. Part of the idea behind voter suppression is what difference does it make. The more impediments they can shove in the way of people acting to make a difference, the more likely those people become to believe that it doesn’t make a difference. The more likely they are to give up, to stop fighting, to stop working toward improving things, by the vote or in other ways.
The only hope here, in this country, in today's political environment, is with Democrats. Because we can see the value of caring. We can see the value of investing in ourselves, in investing in and supporting our fellow citizens, in MAKING a difference.
We have our own challenges, however. What do we do when we become discouraged? When we find ourselves believing, in one or more contexts, that our efforts make no difference? When we find ourselves believing that how we conduct ourselves makes no difference? Republicans violate and disrespect the rights of others, why should we care about treating them courteously? (Or anyone who disagrees with us, for that matter?) The argument we often hear is that they ‘deserve it.’ Perhaps. I do not know. I don’t know what people deserve and I don’t know when they deserve it. What I have a clearer sense of is what they deserve from me. And that is the courtesy and respect I like for myself. The benefit of the doubt. For me, behaving courteously and respectfully has to do with what I deserve from myself, not what they may or may not deserve.
Does it make a difference? The extent to which it might make a difference to them is something I may never know. But one of the great challenges of politics is binary thinking, that only two need be considered. There are others out there. Undecideds. Apathetics. Those too young to vote. They see what we do, just as clearly as our adversaries do, as our allies do. They may also see how closely what we do conforms to what we say. That is one of the weak points for Republicans, and one of our greatest opportunities. If our behavior contrasts with theirs, our arguments are reinforced. We may not be able to always see what difference that makes, but I believe in that difference.
I've written before of my penchant for plucking paper, cardboard and plastic bottles or aluminum cans out of trash cans. It strikes me as wrong to throw those away when they may be recycled. Others may think it doesn't make a difference, I believe it does. Are they the impediment to progress and more responsible living on the planet? Or is it that nasty question: what difference does it make?
Which came first? The chicken or the question?
This little video is a woman reading Maurice Sendak's great little children's book, Pierre, A Cautionary Tale, about a little boy named Pierre, who did not care. And about something that happened to convince him it was perhaps not the wisest course.
On to tonight's comments! Compiled and formatted by brillig! (Thank you so much!)
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From Mopshell:
For me this definitely ranks as one of the best comments of the year! In Zenbassoon's diary BREAKING: Obama Is NOT The Antichrist, Dumbo (who emphatically is not a dumbo!) wrote this glorious comment
From akadjian:
Great comment from Dallasdoc about how we each individually do better when we all do better.
Top Mojo for yesterday, February 15th, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you
mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary
FAQing Top Mojo.
1) Dear John of Orange by ExpatGirl — 145
2) When does the treason trial start? by anastasia p — 139
3) I like the Title. by twigg — 131
4) Other retorts by Rolandz — 98
5) Boehnerisms , by indycam — 90
6) RWNJ posts are cause for instant unfriend by Positronicus — 85
7) I liked the title, too. by Angie in WA State — 78
8) Au Contraire: The title is why I read it by NonnyO — 78
9) Thing is... by PvtJarHead — 73
10) Off topic: just posted a short by Denise Oliver Velez — 73
11) So he admits he knowingly invited a by Dartagnan — 72
12) I'm sure a nice boycott of their advertisers... by Ole Charlie — 71
13) So my Rapture Insurance is useless! by GreenPA — 70
14) Let's be really clear about ground rules. by Ian Reifowitz — 67
15) LOL Whoknu! Sum Of Us Have PH.D In Trolling... by leonard145b — 66
16) You're seeing the power of propaganda by Puddytat — 63
17) No charges after Bush caught eating live kitten. by xxdr zombiexx — 63
18) If the poster thinks this important topic by Dallasdoc — 62
19) Huh huh, mistake, uh huh. by CwV — 62
20) Optical Illusion: Ur Doin It Quite Well Akshully: by leonard145b — 61
21) I ended a friendship of over by Rosalie907 — 61
22) Doesn't fit the parameters of 'treason'... by markthshark — 60
23) Please Rec This Diary by JekyllnHyde — 59
24) Ah, thanks takes me back to my AP Am History by a2nite — 58
25) thank you for this. by el vasco — 58
26) Meanwhile banksters by mosesfreeman — 58
27) Of course they did nothing to deserve being by Paleo — 56
28) My non-church going parents attempted... by reflectionsv37 — 54
29) sekritarmy be watching you... by kerflooey — 54
30) Conservatives, if they are asked to by Remediator — 54
Top Pictures for yesterday, February 15th. Click any picture of a cat to be taken to the full comment. Thank you
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