Ok, I tend to sometimes try to avoid religion and politics. Who am I kidding, I love talking about both. From a semi-respectful perspective. Here is what I mean by that. I respect you and want to hear your opinions. I want to know how people besides me think. I am fascinated by both religion and politics (lately, those two topics keep getting closer and closer and closer to really just one topic). I am NOT always respectful of the topics themselves. I am irreverent and critical and sometimes even hateful to both topics. It makes people uncomfortable but I am at least fair and balanced with my vitriol. 

Let’s do politics today. 

I don’t think there is a huge difference in the main two parties. Hear me out. Sure, each side has its “norms” and its pet issues. Sure, they don’t agree on how to run the nuts and bolts of the country. BUT, both sides do agree on several things. They will likely never say this but it is obvious in how they act and how they talk to us. Here is where they align:

• Both sides think and profess to “know” how to run the country
• Both sides “know” that the other side is dead wrong
• Both sides think that government is the answer. Whether that is through manipulation in the Federal Reserve, military dominance, social programs, legislation to give one group  or another a “hand up” or a “hand out”, through tax breaks or punitive taxes, through regulation of industry or imports or exports. No matter what the specific answer is, the broad answer is that the government knows.
• Both sides not only think they know the answer, more importantly, they know it infinitely better than we do. We should just trust them to take care of us.
• Both sides keep us fighting on topics that really DON’T matter that much or topics that will literally NEVER be resolved. Take abortion for example, it will not be possible at this point in our culture to reach a consensus on this topic. Period. But, we still fight and fight and fight on it. We have people that dedicate their lives to taking one or the other stand. Which means, those people are NOT involved in the fights that we can solve. 
• Both sides know more than what they tell us. Whether it is about their skeletons, about the stuff that actually endangers us, or whatever actually makes things happen. We are in the dark. And worse, we will stay in the dark because we stay distracted by the junk we can’t solve. This completely eliminates context of what their ideas are.
• Both sides spend like crazy. Just on different things. 
• Both sides want more and more and more of your money. Some want to give tax breaks to this group or that group to “stimulate” something or another (read, pander to their base) and then tax other groups. Either way–they all want more to spend. 
• Neither side actually cares about you, the individual. There might be some individuals within the sides that care. And I’m sure there are some noble politicians still out there, but ultimately, the parties don’t give a damn about you. Their only goal is to gain power and keep it.
• Both sides want to keep topics like this one taboo. If we never talk about politics or religion or wages or anything that is actually important in our daily lives, we will never challenge them and we will continue to fracture our culture. Think about it–we are programmed to think that talking about politics with our friends is a great way to ruin a friendship. WHY!!!?????!!!!??? Who better to talk politics with and test your own level of understanding and challenge yourself with? You should already have a level of respect for your friends. Talk about it. Don’t listen to the people that dont’ want you to challenge them!!!
• Both sides use media to manipulate you. Think about this, the greatest, most successful form of censorship is NOT controlling what is said, it is choosing what is NOT said. Social media is the supreme ruler of this method–it only feeds you what you already say. You DON’T EVER get both legitimate sides. Ever. 

I know this is not a popular topic. And I am certain that some people reading this won’t like it. And that’s ok. We need to have the ability to discuss and share and vet out ideas. We need to start talking again. We also  need to hold our leaders accountable and solve the problems we can actually solve. And above all, we need to respect each other more than we respect the machine we live in. 

Is there an action step with this email? Maybe. Think about it. Take off your party hat. Read it again. Test what I am saying against your common sense–not against your programmed talking points. If it makes sense, call me. Let’s get coffee and talk politics.