Hyper Individualism

I think that a lot of our problems as a society come from a culture of hyper individualism. Basically a Rand-ian attitude of "Fuck everyone else", "I'm gonna get mine". For some, even the suggestion of any other alternative can seem like an endorsement of socialism.

Let's look at the gun control issue that has been talked about so much lately. I think that the most compelling point that "anti-gun control people" make is that if you were there when a robbery, rape, mass shooting or whatever was taking place, wouldn't you rather have a gun than not have a gun? A well publicized article in the Atlantic (published a couple weeks before Newtown) articulated this well, though you don't have to read any further than the second half of the title of the article to see that it makes a case for more gun control. Even Bill Maher admits to owning a gun for his protection. The idea is that "responsible" gun owners are not the problem (and some would take that argument to the next step... they are actually the solution to the problem). But if you look at the statistics...

- Thousands of children die from self-inflicted gun injuries (suicides) and accidents every year. Many of these are because "responsible gun owners" don't properly lock up their firearms to keep them out of the hands of their children or their children's friends.
- Introducing a firearm to a problem can often make the problem worse. Example: someone gets mugged. They pull out a gun to "defend themselves" and the bullets start flying. Which is worse, giving up the cash in your wallet or a high probability that someone gets shot?
- Even when "responsible gun owners" legally own firearms and use them for their own protection, mistakes happen.
- Mother Jones did some research on mass shootings that is very interesting. Note that there wasn't a single example where a gun was used to stop the shooting. Even when the shooter was stopped by someone that was armed, the firearm was not used.
- When people use a gun to settle a dispute, it's not gonna end well.

I think what people are saying (from the left and from the right) is that we are responsible enough to own weapons and we will make sure that no accidents happen, our guns won't fall into the wrong hands and we would never lose our temper and use our gun in an irresponsible manner but we need to be careful about what we allow for other people though, whether we advocate stricter background checks and assault weapons bans or better recognition and treatment of mental health issues. There is a clear difference between what we believe is acceptable for other people vs. what is acceptable for ourselves. This seems arrogant to me. Or maybe we are just to far removed from seeing ourselves as a member of society that we are unable to recognize the hypocrisy.

It's a similar issue with government help and the need for a "social safety net". In short, people that benefit from these programs are "moochers" and by supporting these programs we enable an ongoing refusal to take personal responsibility. But when we ourselves need the help, these programs are necessary to help us get back on our feet and contribute to society again. This hypocrisy was most hilariously exemplified by Paul Ryan and Craig T Nelson.

I think that we need to get rid of the stigma around the word "socialism". In my opinion, we need some socialism to help democracy and capitalism survive. Without it, we will inevitably end up with all of the power in the hands of a few, which will eventually result in violent revolution. It's a broader issue than just gun control and a social safety net. We have to start seeing ourselves as members of a society, not just individuals. In this society, we should have the expectation that we will be offered a helping hand if we fall upon (or are born upon) bad luck or hard times, and we have a responsibility to help others out. A rising tide raises all boats.

Every time I get in my car, I note the driving habits of people in Philadelphia. What I am always most amused by is when drivers go out of their way to cut people off or stop them from going where they want to go for no reason except possibly out of spite. It doesn't help them get anywhere any faster, and in many cases they actually slow themselves down int the long run. If I am completely honest, I fall into this trap too. And that's the point. I consider myself a competent and responsible driver, but I still act in ways that do not benefit the system sometimes. In a dog eat dog world it's hard to be a vegetarian.

Resurrection

I've decided to resurrect this blog after 2 and 1/2 years of hiatus. Why? Well, I just want a forum to formulate my thoughts on things. I have my professional blog, but I want to use that mainly for training advice and articles. I realized when I wrote a couple articles about doping that I might be crossing the line into opinion and analysis that may not be well suited to that blog. Still, I have opinions about things. I don't think that they are that unique, intellectual or even necessarily the best informed. Really, I just feel that the act of writing something helps me to organize my thoughts. Read if you like, comment if you like. I feel very strongly about some issues, but I am a pragmatist. I believe that one of our biggest problems as a country is that we don't try hard enough to see the other side of issues, so we end up arguing constantly about the most decisive parts of issues instead of trying to empathize, find common ground and actually get something done. Real changes doesn't usually happen quickly. Change comes bit by bit; step by step. Sometimes we move one step backwards and two steps forward. Sometimes we sidestep. This is frustrating to progressives but it's the price we pay for Democracy. I am hopeful that the next generation of leaders will understand that.

But one thing is clear. Change doesn't just happen, we have to fight for it. There are always powerful forces that stand to lose when we move forward. Though not all of us are able to be on the front lines of those fights, it is our duty as citizens to at least be informed and educated. This means making an effort to understand the point of view of people that we disagree with. Know your enemy.