What do you think are the top three problem we face as a country? This topic is of great interest to me. My perception is that there is a huge disconnect between the actual (root) problems we face as a country, and the attention given to those problems, as well as the attempted remedies.
What inspired me to write this diary is a conversation I had with somebody I met at the RootStrikers conference on April 20th in San Francisco. I tend to think that for any given issue, there is an absolute truth. The person I was talking to didn't quite agree with that. He said that the "truth" is kind of relative; that for any given individual, it depends on their worldview, their culture, their beliefs, etc.
My argument is that there is an absolute "truth" to everything, but that those very things about us (culture, world view, education level, beliefs, race, ethnicity) prevent us from being able to know the truth in the purest form.
And I argue that if we are able to (or try to) transcend those limitations to the best of our ability, in the search of "the truth," then we may be able to get close to finding it, about any given subject.
So, having said all that, here's a list of the top three problems (in order of importance) we face as a country, and a proposed solution to each. I see these as "absolute truth," but I want to test that conclusion by comparing my "truths" with "yours."
- Plutocracy: Problem: Control over our government by a moneyed elite (ALEC, Koch brothers, corporatist cartels and think tanks). Solution: Expose (oppose, and combat) the corruption no matter where it leads.
- Media: Problem: A corporate media conglomerate that disseminates false narratives, misinformation, lies, and propaganda, capable of influencing (and manipulating) the majority of the population. Solution: Engage in a 24/7 counter-propaganda campaign.
- Powerlessness: Problem: Lack of real power by the population due to ignorance about the current state of affairs, which leads to fragmentation. Solution: The formation of a coalition of progressive groups capable of becoming a cohesive (peaceful) resistance movement able to act in concert against the plutocracy in a highly-organized and strategic (and relentless) manner.
Notice that I don't mention political parties, nor do I mention how dastardly and obstructionist the Republicans are.
There is a specific reason for that: I happen to think that viewing the serious problems we face through a partisan prism is a waste of time (focus and energy).
Now, I would like to think that if I were to engage in a debate using the Socratic method, that I would be able to show that at the root level, those are the three problems we face.
But, again, I want to test my assumptions here by comparing them with yours.
Remember, I'm only interested in the "objective truth." So I don't mind having to change my assumptions about "the truth" about the top three problems we face.
Finally, do you agree with me that the there is an absolute truth for any given subject?