09-14-2008, 10:34 AM
I think the issue is very pertinent to Hawaii.(you all knew I couldn't resist to take the bait. . .)
Common sense: How about common ground too?
Surely we can agree that diversity, in culture and ideologies, is as as valuable to a society as diversity may be to the health of an ecosystem. Diversity may be a value to applaud, but condemned once it crosses the line to divisiveness. This issue is important to Hawaii, as divisiveness is engrained in the local culture. This divisiveness obviously must be strictly condemned by all our diverse groups and eliminated.
The Minuteman organization is divisive, for example, and uninformed to boot. The reason that immigration policy isn't enforced is that agriculture, construction, meat packing, and many other industries with powerful lobbies behind them RELY on illegal labor to maintain profitability. If illegals couldn't get hired, they wouldn't cross the boarder. Dealing with illegal employment is a much more sensible and humane place to start than silly GI JOE fog light battles by the border.
I agree that the problem is near unsolvable. However, I doubt the future is what many project. I see a future where government here in Hawaii or on the mainland more or less becomes a pointless, powerless appendage. The financial system and tax base that allows for invasive public policy is falling apart before our very eyes, and if you don't believe it, tune in Monday morning. Municipal Tax revenues in many areas face near 90 percent reduction, and it will be lucky if city hall can keep the lights on let alone enforce the PCDP. In fact, I'd go so far to say if there's anybody out there drawing a wage enforcing some of that misguided policy while schools can't afford busing, or as in my neck of the woods, we lose our fire station. . .this is criminal misuse of tax revenues, chasing silly pet issues at the cost of real ones.
Glen's ideas are often very sensible and well though out, and I enjoy hearing them. He and I agree on a lot of issues(except one glaring BIG one, LOL! but that's a matter of taste). Certainly anyone who has firsthand felt divisiveness is often much more sensitive to its bitter flavor, and often more empathetic as result. Frankly, as an educated, straight, white, empathetic and progressive male I really feel I'M the one left out in the cold, and often end up being the real minority voice. Especially as I'm very often singled out as the root cause in a snap--regardless of what I believe or my track record.
It's nice you bring this issue up. I just posted a very interesting article with George Soros on my blog today considering the very same issues. Asked similar questions about what Soros sees are the widespread loss of civil liberties and of a free society in the US--who can disagree with that?--he observes that it's more or less the government that the American population wants. We are far more interested as a culture in personal profit and success than truth, and are drawn to whatever seems to best personally benefit us. Of course, that makes us a population ripe for exploitation, perhaps by design, and exploitation is exactly, to my mind, what I see happening.
The losers are us.
Common sense: How about common ground too?
Surely we can agree that diversity, in culture and ideologies, is as as valuable to a society as diversity may be to the health of an ecosystem. Diversity may be a value to applaud, but condemned once it crosses the line to divisiveness. This issue is important to Hawaii, as divisiveness is engrained in the local culture. This divisiveness obviously must be strictly condemned by all our diverse groups and eliminated.
The Minuteman organization is divisive, for example, and uninformed to boot. The reason that immigration policy isn't enforced is that agriculture, construction, meat packing, and many other industries with powerful lobbies behind them RELY on illegal labor to maintain profitability. If illegals couldn't get hired, they wouldn't cross the boarder. Dealing with illegal employment is a much more sensible and humane place to start than silly GI JOE fog light battles by the border.
I agree that the problem is near unsolvable. However, I doubt the future is what many project. I see a future where government here in Hawaii or on the mainland more or less becomes a pointless, powerless appendage. The financial system and tax base that allows for invasive public policy is falling apart before our very eyes, and if you don't believe it, tune in Monday morning. Municipal Tax revenues in many areas face near 90 percent reduction, and it will be lucky if city hall can keep the lights on let alone enforce the PCDP. In fact, I'd go so far to say if there's anybody out there drawing a wage enforcing some of that misguided policy while schools can't afford busing, or as in my neck of the woods, we lose our fire station. . .this is criminal misuse of tax revenues, chasing silly pet issues at the cost of real ones.
Glen's ideas are often very sensible and well though out, and I enjoy hearing them. He and I agree on a lot of issues(except one glaring BIG one, LOL! but that's a matter of taste). Certainly anyone who has firsthand felt divisiveness is often much more sensitive to its bitter flavor, and often more empathetic as result. Frankly, as an educated, straight, white, empathetic and progressive male I really feel I'M the one left out in the cold, and often end up being the real minority voice. Especially as I'm very often singled out as the root cause in a snap--regardless of what I believe or my track record.
It's nice you bring this issue up. I just posted a very interesting article with George Soros on my blog today considering the very same issues. Asked similar questions about what Soros sees are the widespread loss of civil liberties and of a free society in the US--who can disagree with that?--he observes that it's more or less the government that the American population wants. We are far more interested as a culture in personal profit and success than truth, and are drawn to whatever seems to best personally benefit us. Of course, that makes us a population ripe for exploitation, perhaps by design, and exploitation is exactly, to my mind, what I see happening.
The losers are us.