Many people mistakenly believe that the Eastern Martial Arts like Karate, and Jiujitsu are about violence. They are really not. Rather they are about the application, direction, and management of force. Whether it is physical, mental, or in some cases political.
One of the best and easiest to learn lessons of martial arts is that if you are being attacked, it is often for the best to not meet force with force. In fact what is best is if you can just move out of the way of the enemies attack, and let their excessive force cause them to over balance, leaving them vulnerable to your attack. What is even better is if they have put so much energy into attacking that they end up damaging themselves without you having to lift a finger.
Now I hear you asking, "How does this apply to politics?" Well consider this exchange between President Obama and Arizona Senator (and Not The President) John McCain,
"MCCAIN: I would just make one comment. Why in the world, then, would we carve out 800,000 people in Florida that would not be -- have their Medicare Advantage cut? Now, I proposed an amendment on the floor to say everybody would be treated the same. Mr. President, why should we carve out 800,000 people because they live in Florida to keep the Medicare Advantage program, and then want to do away with it?
OBAMA: I think you make a legitimate point.
MCCAIN: Well, maybe....
OBAMA: I think you do.
MCCAIN: Thank you very much."
And there you have it my Brothers and Sisters. Right there in that brief exchange is the symbol and symptom of everything that is wrong with the Republican party.
They are so consumed with being obstructionist and resisting even the least little common sense idea from Democrats, that McCain quite literally does not know how to respond when Obama, not agrees with him mind, but when he does not resist him. When Obama does not meet rhetorical force with force of his own McCain quite simply does not know what to do next and so he just stops.
Sometimes this can be our best tactic when engaging with Republicans. Don’t meet force with force, but rather be fluid like water and let them simply speed past you into the brick wall their own obstinate obstructionism has built for them.
Keep The Faith My Brothers And Sisters!
(This article originally appeared at The One About...)