My father in-law is an amazing writer and recently sent us a reminder of his prowess with prose.
Defining People by their Actions and Ideas
In America, we have shown a real inclination to label people. Often the labels are gross exaggerations or ad hominem attacks for political or ideological purpose. That doesn’t necessarily mean that labels are a bad idea, but maybe it would be better to derive labels from specific actions and ideas. Here are some examples:
• Starting a war and refusing to institute a tax to pay for it – irresponsible
• Believing that lowering their taxes would encourage businesses without customers to stay in business and create jobs – detached from reality
• Deregulating the financial markets to enable short term profiteering – destructive
• Preventing Medicare from negotiating prices with pharmaceutical companies – corrupt
• Destroying the environment for short term profit – pillager
• Using tax policy to redistribute the wealth to the rich – thief
• Allowing soaring health costs and declining public health in the name of maintaining a failed health care model – blind
• Denying science and making laws according to evangelical dogma – fanatic
• Eliminating the citizen soldier so that the poor-as-mercenaries fight the wars for the rich – sacrifice averse
• Hoping, as Rush Limbaugh does, that the government fails in fighting the economic crisis – traitor
Check out his book My Brain My Future
Heading to the tub,
Head Bather
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