sockparade

why are you so sure?

[my current laptop wallpaper -- Le Bon Marche in Paris, France]

Lately I’ve been avoiding political conversations.  Partly because I feel really uninformed and partly because I feel like the loudest people around me are also pretty uninformed.  I was doing this subconsciously until yesterday when I got a NYTimes News Alert in my inbox saying the following:

“U.S. Plans to Curb Executive Pay for Bailout Recipients

The Obama administration is expected to impose a cap of $500,000 on the compensation of executives at companies that receive large new infusions of federal bailout money.”

Good news, right?

Strangely, instead of being happy that some sort of accountability was starting to take place in the financial sector, I caught myself cringing at the thought of what was going to be slung all over Twitter and Facebook and all the snide and sarcastic comments that I would have to hear about the crappy economy and the crappy bailouts that day, regardless of any progress.  Sometimes I feel like no matter what the news of the day is, someone always has something negative to say about it.

I think I have a general understanding as to the reasons why people feel compelled to do this:

• boredom
• humor
• small talk
• overconfidence in their own assessment
• passion

I think it would bother me less if people were truly passionate about the topics.  I don’t know, I’ll admit I’m often more passionate than I should be on some topics that are way over my head.  It gets the best of all of us sometimes.  But lately I think I find myself simply wanting to help people see that they could be wrong.  I don’t want people to admit they’re wrong, I just want people to admit that there’s a possibility.  Even the people I agree with!

Especially on issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Gaza strip.  I think it’s REALLY difficult to read a news story or blog post and make an assessment.  I think it’s helpful when we have dialogue and meaningful conversations about different tidbits we’ve learned here and there — in an effort to learn together and hopefully come to a more informed opinion.  But even after I formed that opinion I would still want to or try to leave room for doubt.

With our floundering economy, it really bothers me to hear pure capitalists talk.  I don’t think politicians are all stupid.  I don’t think their economists and advisers are all incompetent.  I think there are a lot of political factors that interfere with them always making the best decision.  It’s unfortunate.  But on top of that I also think there is some mercy (and perhaps a bit of pride) involved in actions like the financial bailouts — not just flawed economics or politics.  The diehard capitalists who want to see the whole system flushed out need to stop rooting for that.  Yes, if you were playing TheSims and you wanted to fix the economy, you might want to reset the economy by starting over.  But when there are human mouths to feed and human bodies to clothe, going through another Great Depression is just not something people should ever root for.  Especially not people who have the slightest empathy for those who would be hit the hardest.  Now on the flip side, those who think the government should just keep pumping out money to save people who bought $800,000 homes on $70,000/year salaries — you have some serious thinking to do, too!  Just because the bank was willing to loan people the money, doesn’t mean they had to take it!  I know there was a lot of shady dealings with aggressive realtors and whatnot, but we have to admit as a country that we haven’t really excelled at common sense in the last few decades.  I don’t think you can completely slam the bailout and I don’t think you can root for more bailouts either — I don’t understand how people can be so comfortable doing both!

It is just really frustrating to me when people make blanket statements or post inflammatory links or quotes.  Even people who are crusading for worthwhile causes — like ending wars and violent conflicts.  It gets so frivolous when people chant sayings like, “give peace a chance,” because honestly I don’t think you can advocate for peace without addressing somber things like fear, poverty, pain, history, power and oppression that cause people to disrupt the peace in the first place.  It’s a gross oversimplification.

Sheesh, I haven’t ranted like that in awhile.

I guess this is what I get for being a Christian and a social worker.  Surrounded by polar opposites and crazy loudmouths.  (I say loudmouth as a term of endearment.  IMHO, what’s worse than a loudmouth is someone who has no opinions on anything and doesn’t care to have an opinion.)  I’m not as upset as I probably sound, this has just been building up over the past few months.  I’ll try to blog more frequently so that things like this don’t happen as often.  Please take no offense to the post, it’s just something to think about.

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Amen, sister. I’m guilty at times for being passionate but ignorant. Your words articulated what I’ve felt these past few years. Thanks for posting!

good post, becky. i really admire the way you express yourself on your blog. while not being afraid to put forth your own well-formed opinions, you show charity to positions that aren’t your own and disagree well with others — an example that i’d like to emulate, as i’m often tempted to let my emotional investment in an issue get away from me. especially when there are certain figures in my head from my past that i’m still reacting to, consciously or unconsciously — the evangelical pastor who’s thoroughly wedded his christian beliefs to neoconservativism, the knee-jerk secular humanist, etc.

i struggle with the tension of truth and humility. i do think there’s a time and place for polemic – there are things worth saying strongly or not at all. but more often than not, there’s plenty of room to reexamine my own position and see where my passions and prejudices lie, as well as the fault lines in my logic. it’s probably better to err on the side of humility.

How about articles from the nyt about how NYC is over now and DC’s the new kid on the block? They’re kind of funny. This one reads like a whitepeoplelike blog: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/opinion/03brooks.html?_r=1&em Ward Three Morality

What I’m saying about those NYT articles is that everyone’s whining now how horrible life is now that their star playa is out and DC guys are running the show. So you get these crazy headlines and negative comments even about good things that are happening.

Linton, I didn’t know you read sockparade! Welcome. And congrats!

Nick, I definitely struggle between the two as well. I want to be cautious not to lose my convictions in my attempts to invite open and honest conversations. Unfortunately, strong convictions about certain truths usually deter open conversations from people who disagree. But I think there’s a big difference between speaking loud and clear about a belief you hold deeply (in intellectual thought and in heart) and speaking loud and clear about a belief that is popular to support because of the environment you are in or because of a convincing piece of news media that you’ve happened upon.

April, that article is hilarious. It really does read like a humor piece. I especially like the part about being flattered and feared at work and then having to go home and clean the gutters. Haha, thanks for sharing.

“But I think there’s a big difference between speaking loud and clear about a belief you hold deeply (in intellectual thought and in heart) and speaking loud and clear about a belief that is popular to support because of the environment you are in or because of a convincing piece of news media that you’ve happened upon. ”

This is interesting. Do you think people have the capacity to know when they’re doing which? I feel like social context and emotion are always tied up with belief. I don’t know if it’s possible to disentangle them.

Thanks for the post I thoroughly enjoyed it.

PS just saw “Last Chance Harvey” in your sidebar. It was good?

Nick, I think most people have the capacity to know the difference. I just don’t think it’s often that they are pushed to assess which one it is. I think it’s mostly about the investment of time they’ve spent thinking about it — whether someone has really tried to search for the truth or if they believe something and can only superficially explain why.

Jen, I liked Last Chance Harvey but I don’t know if it’s for everyone. I have a really soft spot for romantic comedies so I don’t think I’m a good gauge. This one was pretty subtle and quiet. It didn’t use the usual comedy gags. It felt more realistic? But still had a bit of a fairy tale feeling to it. Well, and I really like Emma Thompson…

I think you’re right that people aren’t often willing to be placed in situations where they have to account for their positions. Being in regular contact with those with whom you disagree is a good way to hold your convictions at a critical distance and to reevaluate them.

On the other hand, I don’t think it’s always a bad thing that people have their opinions formed by their surroundings; they should admit to it with humility, rather than repent of it. I don’t put that much stock into the “individual search for truth” and priding myself on views at which I arrived by my own volition. We’re always being shaped by the fundamental communities to which we belong and their respective grand narratives of the world. The question I have to keep asking myself is, to which community do I find myself most frequently in service? One reason why I try to be a Christian and not a Friedman capitalist or a Marxist (although Marx and Jesus probably would have some interesting conversations).

“The question I have to keep asking myself is, to which community do I find myself most frequently in service?”

That is a really great question. Unfortunately, the community I frequently serve is usually not the one I intend to serve. Thanks for jogging my thoughts, I need to think about this some more.