I can't help but blog a bit about something that has risen in my consciousness this past week or two: competition. Don't expect news links here or anything... it's simply that a number of interesting situations recently have added up to a single point of curiousity for me. Can it be that many of our political differences can be attributed to how we view the spirit of competition (good or bad)?
My 4-year-old niece recently lost at Scrabble Junior (apparently for the first time ever). She looked at me and said, "You and I both won!"
I said, "Nope. I won but you played a marvelous game!" and extended my hand for a handshake in the spirit of good gamesmanship.
She wouldn't shake it and instead answered with, "Well, it doesn't really matter who won."
What, I ask you, are they teaching her in pre-school? That if YOU aren't the winner then it really isn't necessary to acknowledge the game well-played?
While listening to a radio talk show just yesterday, I heard a caller say, "What ever happened to the spirit of unity?" when referring to American foreign policy.
I wanted to scream at the caller, "Unity is only possible after one side gets their arses kicked, you idiot!"
THIS my friends is the root of many of our political differences, I believe. Liberals want us all to simply "get along" and not worry about who wins. Conservatives value competition and understand that it makes us a better society. I really have come to the conclusion now that the differences in our American political parties are really simple. It's about how we handle competition -- Conservatives say it's good for America and we play well with others; Liberals say it's a bad thing for self-esteem and they take their ball home if they don't win.
Can it really be that simple?
My 4-year-old niece recently lost at Scrabble Junior (apparently for the first time ever). She looked at me and said, "You and I both won!"
I said, "Nope. I won but you played a marvelous game!" and extended my hand for a handshake in the spirit of good gamesmanship.
She wouldn't shake it and instead answered with, "Well, it doesn't really matter who won."
What, I ask you, are they teaching her in pre-school? That if YOU aren't the winner then it really isn't necessary to acknowledge the game well-played?
While listening to a radio talk show just yesterday, I heard a caller say, "What ever happened to the spirit of unity?" when referring to American foreign policy.
I wanted to scream at the caller, "Unity is only possible after one side gets their arses kicked, you idiot!"
THIS my friends is the root of many of our political differences, I believe. Liberals want us all to simply "get along" and not worry about who wins. Conservatives value competition and understand that it makes us a better society. I really have come to the conclusion now that the differences in our American political parties are really simple. It's about how we handle competition -- Conservatives say it's good for America and we play well with others; Liberals say it's a bad thing for self-esteem and they take their ball home if they don't win.
Can it really be that simple?
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