Sunday, February 20, 2011

I am a contemporary adult, will someone please help me with this subtle issue?

Like most contemporary adults,  I am the product of today's public schools, faith based institutions, political climate and the Fourth Estate.   Consequently I am very fuzzy on the whole "good" vs. "bad" thing.  Like most of my contemporaries, I don't really have any strong opinions or beliefs, which coupled with filing an annual income tax return makes me a good citizen.  I am proud of being a good citizen. The recent government turmoil in the Middle East and in Wisconsin have made me very concerned.  I am having moral, emotional and intellectual crises that I have no training or experience to deal with let alone resolve.  I am desperate for some authority figure to step forward with the proper attitude.

I know the rioting in Egypt is "good".   I know Egypt must be a "bad" country because they are US allies, which makes us, good citizens obligated to support the democratic uprising in that country aiming at overthrowing  the bad government (ally)  that has denied democracy to their freedom loving people.  I realize when the celebrating Egyptian throng beats and sexually tortures a Western reported because she was suspected of being Jewish, that we good citizens should not condemn their behavior because it shows how intolerant of cultural diversity the US is.  This is just a good mob doing the things a good mob does.

And by the same token,  Iran must be a "good" country because they are the enemy of the US and their leader is revered  by the freedom loving countries of the UN and the EEU.     When uprisings occur by the people in Iran I know that is "bad", because that promotes instability in the Middle East and could lead to US (and Israeli)  hegemony in the Middle East.  I realize when the celebrating Iranian security forces beats and sexually tortures the demonstrators because they suspect that they are being influence by the Jews, that as a good citizen, I should not condemn their behavior because it illustrates how intolerant US citizen's are of cultural diversity.  Another case of a diverse mob doing what a culturally diverse mob does.

So I understand the two general principals: US enemy is "good", US allay is "bad".  And mob violence can never be condemned without being  opposed to cultural diversity, which is not only bad it is also very uncool. 

So that brings us to the Wisconsin, where anti-government demonstrators are trying to overthrow the government.  It is obvious that mob violence in Madison must not be condemned because that would be culturally insensitive.  So that gets me down to the "good" and "bad" thing.  And I admit, years of contemporary culture has kept my moral compass spinning so that  I am woefully inadequate to understands the subtleties of this conundrum.  Are the anti-government mobsters "good" because they are attacking a part of the US? In that case, a state would be similar to a US ally.  But if you call all the states US allies doesn't that insult all the many states like Wisconsin and California and New York that have done so much to undermine and oppose the US government?  States like Wisconsin and many others have worked tirelessly to undermine the US abroad on a wide variety of issues from immigration, to national defense, and internally in opposition to the US on a range of issues from law enforcement to fiscal responsibility.  Therefor states cannot are not  US allies but US enemies.  Or can they?  This is the crux of my moral spinning ; are the protesters in Wisconsin, the "good" Egyptian kind rioting and looting in the name of democracy.  Or are they the "bad" Iranian kind of rioters trying to promoted US global dominance?  Can someone PLEASE tell me what to think before my head explodes, so I can  watch TV WITHOUT a moral headache?