Interesting...

I liked this article (linked below).

I've been fortunate enough to have been exposed to all kinds of different people in my life, and I find that people on the extreme ends of the political spectrum (both ends) are some of the scariest individuals I have ever met. Even more disturbing is the fact that most of the people in the middle, who would not be considered "extreme" are basically unconscious--they are empty vessels, waiting to be filled, and those on the far right or far left are more than happy to top them off in an effort to gather more people into their ideological flocks. Of course, this is a sign of insecurity on either end--when you are stepping out with some very bold statements, it just feels better to know that there are others who feel the same, even if you had to talk them into it.

I think that the difference between the right and the left is that the right is the more forceful side, using bold scare tactics to bring you into the fold. The left, on the other hand, uses their supposed moral superiority.

Yesterday, I went to a concert--it was an all-school orchestra concert, and, since my daughter plays the violin, she was there in support of her school and orchestra. When the guest conductor was introduced, they handed her a microphone, and within the first three sentences of her short presentation, she informed her waiting audience that she had played at Carnegie Hall.

It's not that this woman is not a passionate, talented person, and I'm not saying that she is somehow less dedicated to music education in our public schools just because her opening salvo happened to be "I'm so much better than you people...". The problem is that she seemed completely unaware that her attitude didn't help. No wonder it's so easy for right-wingers to get people fired up against "liberals". I mean, I'm a fairly liberal person myself, and, I didn't like the guest conductor much, right out of the gate. Her superiority complex did nothing to further her cause. Only someone who is themselves jockeying for position in society would have found that endearing enough to ingratiate themselves to it. Luckily for public school music programs, those societal up-and-comers happen to have money.

Anyway...just some thoughts...here's the article:

Are Liberals Pathetic? | | AlterNet