tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post4016388003342080340..comments2024-03-21T05:30:03.220-04:00Comments on Science teacher: Do somethingdoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901661320505882735noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-50344141589309796512012-09-03T06:55:39.069-04:002012-09-03T06:55:39.069-04:00Dear Jeffrey,
To get elected beyond very local el...Dear Jeffrey,<br /><br />To get elected beyond very local elections (town council, school boards, etc.) requires accumulated power and money of others, at least here in New Jersey. These powerful interests have agenda.<br /><br />That wealth affects attitudes may be true, but there is some self-selection in that many people who could makes far more money than they do choose not to. I would not apply too much biological meaning to a particular culture's behavior--history abounds with myriad cultures that had much saner relationships with accumulated wealth than ours.<br /><br />Combine "the end justifies the means" with an essentially politically illiterate population that chooses positions and candidates with less care than they root for their fav NFL team, well, you get what we got.<br /><br />(Besides, I'm biased--my mom and "Georgie" grew up together.) doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12901661320505882735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-2188769171232851222012-09-02T22:18:15.441-04:002012-09-02T22:18:15.441-04:00I disagree with Carlin: lots of good people run fo...I disagree with Carlin: lots of good people run for office, and many good people (well-meaning, I mean, rather than people I neccesarily agree with) are elected (granted, along with a LOT of jerks). The problems begin as they begin to accumulate (1) power and (2) money. Research shows that even the IDEA of wealth or power affects EVERYONE'S attitudes (regardless of political stripe) towards other people. It seems to be adaptive: the poor are most generous, because they might easily depend tomorrow on the one they help today; but, if you're secure enough, you simply DON'T NEED ANYBODY. I could go on about the f***ed-up priorities of politicians and others who think winning the next election trumps the needs of the electorate (because if I get re/elected THEN I can do all that good, so the end justifies the means), but I'll stop here.Jeffrey Michals-Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11875231268940338643noreply@blogger.com