Society shifting..........

Red and blue.... Red and blue.......
Repub or Demo, lib or consy,
rural or city, them vs us.

I was musing on the variations in our society.
Striking to me are the different attitudes that
seem so conflicted and irreconcilable.
Like oil and water, some things just don't mix
without trouble.

With all parties amenable to a live and let live
attitude, harmony can be attained. As soon as
one party decides their religion/plan/feelings/etc
must be enforced on all, then harmony is not on the
menu.

As I was considering the ramifications of this,
I remarked to myself: "Self, this is why all those
people came to America in the first place!"
Folks moved to these shores in an effort to get away
from those who would control them. They sought
freedom of thought, expression, worship, and everything
else that mattered to them. Most especially, they moved
here to be left alone.

Well, 'Self' responded with: "Yes, that's true Self, but
that can't happen again. There are no new frontiers
left on the planet. There's no place left to move to."

Hmmm.... Self has a good point. Moving to a new land
in search of freedom is a non-starter now. Short
of boldly going where no man has gone before, we are
stuck on this crowed planet, unable to really get away
from the wackos who dream of controlling their neighbors.

Naturally, Self wasn't finished. Next comes this: "Listen Self,
there is more to this. Just because there is no frontier
doesn't mean people won't strive to set themselves
apart. New nations are still being formed, although
it's a bloodier process since there's usually already
someone there living on the land."

Good point, as Self usually has. New 'areas' or nations are
still being formed as the teaming masses shift. The world
is not locked into it's form yet, by any means.

What about the people in this nation (Good 'ol USA!) who
are unhappy with their neighbors reaching into their
pockets and their lives, dictating how they
will live and love?

Hmm.... that set Self back a bit. Given no new frontiers,
could the USA be looking at a population shift
as people search for freedom inside our own shores?

Leave it to Self to come up with a cockamamie answer:
"Look Self, listen up dummie. It's already happening!
Do you remember the blue/red county voting map of
the 2004 elections?"

I will not be seen talking to myself in public again, so I just
nod and keep walking.

"Listen Self, you dummy. I know you can hear me. People
are already shifting to new lands. The red/blue map
proves it. That map shows a lot more than just whacky
voting swings. It also shows population shift.
Look what else the red/blue counties share!"

Drat.... a challenge to think, and me almost totally unarmed....

Ok, what else do the red/blue counties share?
Blue... Concentrated population, higher crime rates,
higher welfare rates, lower tax revenues, restricted civil
rights, violence towards opposing viewpoints,
class warfare, poor family structures... (Yuck).

Red..... well, less or none of the above. More freedom, better
recognition of civil rights, tough family structures, strong
work ethics, tolerance of personal differences.....

I guess Self has a point. The American people are already
separating themselves into different lands with different
purposes, and doing so with a minimum of blood shed.
So far. I say so far, because I don't think we as humans are
any different than we were in the 1600's, 1800's, 1900's, etc.
Always willing to kill a few million to make a point and get a
better spot at the table.

My own family is a tiny case in point. We moved to where
we live on purpose. We looked at the schools, taxes, laws,
and a host of other points before we bought our home.
Could we have moved to the nearby city? Sure.... and Lot's
of people do. They moved into the city for many of the
same reasons we avoid it like a disease.

Our nation has split into distinct lands. The melting pot has
tipped over and gone out of business. What spilled from
the kettle is coagulating back into separate elements,
apparently having never been truly mixed in the first place.

What does this mean?
Are there forces behind it?
Is it a natural progression?

A thought:
In difference is energy.
In energy is power.
In power is control.
Those who support difference are likely
in search of the power to control.


Well.... that's the end of thinking for this morning.
Family has found six reasons to interrupt and derail
the train of thought so far... I give in. Let the brain
cells go dormant again.