Attack of the Russian Bots?

So, as I have been doing many things, first and foremost of the New Year, New Me things, I get a random message from a guy on Facebook that I have known for several years, even if we aren't always in contact with each other. Honestly, part of the New Year, New Me thing(s) I am trying... Quit smoking, lower stress and aggravation levels, speak my mind more openly even if those things on my mind are potentially offensive or otherwise call people out, get into a shape that isn't round(ish), and avoid the news and Facebook in general.

So, here we are a few weeks into the New Year, the no smoking thing died on a slow trip in snow to Virginia Beach. Seriously, there is no need to go twenty miles per hour in the snow with your caution lights blinking. If you are that nervous about driving in “God's Dandruff” don't go out, or get off the road, better yet, just don't go out if its going to snow. Anyway, I get a message from a gentleman I haven't spoken to in some time, our last conversation was a while ago, talking about a man who believes Tupac is still alive somewhere. We had a divergence of opinions about this last Clinton run, and he is an ardent support of Clinton, while I was firmly a “Nope, never gonna happen” camp.

So, his message to me was about a mutual friend, one he claimed to be a Russian Bot. Now, at some point, I won't argue or deny that there are Russian Bots on Facebook. Actually, I am pretty sure that there are more than anyone can count. But it just so happens I know this person, I know this person in person, not as a bunch of pixels on Facebook, I talk to this person daily. Hell, we share the same house, and I am related.

So, here is crux of this, and it goes for everyone. Some people are wrong on the facts, some people are in error, some people believe some crazy things which they repeat. Not everyone gets the same sources of information, or chooses to listen to the same sources. Sure, they might be wrong, they might even sound crazy, but thats the world we live in. A world where news isn't so much reported as the opinions about the news are. Hey, its like watching sports, if you want to watch the game without everyone's opinion, best to do it on mute and while being alone. Everyone has an opinion, right or wrong, and as of today, they can express it.

That being said... Just because you don't like an opinion, or how someone expresses it doesn't always make them a troll, or a Russian Bot. Certainly they can be a Fox News Mouthpiece. They might even be a teaparty whackjob. They could also be an equally frustrated person who is expressing themselves in a manner that they are able (poor grammar and all). One thing is certain, nothing is going to get solved the way things are being done. There is a complete lack of listening, or even discussion. Here is a personal example... I have made no bones about my support of gun ownership, as long as the parties involved can legally own firearms. I have repeatedly stated that the laws we currently have are good, but can be improved, mostly in the enforcement areas. Certainly more recent events have shown that people can abuse the current system, but any system can and will be abused by people with plans. That doesn't make me a blow hard conservative, it just means that on some issues I am not entirely liberal, because the truth is, people are shades of political ideology.

Things have gotten bad people, really bad. But the truth is, they have been on this path for a long time, and fixing it isn't going to be a short term proposition, its going to take a while. I am no fan of giving certain individuals air time, some ideals should be locked away so deeply they never see the light of day. Give a racist a platform and they will take full advantage to recruit for their race war. But not everyone who believes racists should be given a platform so they can be talked to is also a racist. Its just their mindset that these people can be shown that racism isn't acceptable, and that minorities aren't what they believe them to be. Just because someone says give Trump a chance, doesn't mean they are fully on board with his plans. Personally, I believe Trump to be totally incompetent, a hack best suited to telling people “You're Fired” on a craptastic reality television show. I won't comment on his business skills, or knowledge of real estate. I will say he is a branding genius, he created a brand for himself while running, and I will give him credit, he is sticking with it.

As for his plans, most of us know how they will pan out in the end. If you aren't aware, I'd like to take the time to introduce you to Lead Balloon, careful now, it has a tendency to roll around on the ground, and if thrown falls down rather quickly. Back on point here, I cannot say it enough, listen to people, if their grammar isn't good, but you can understand their point, don't rail against them or their opinion because of how they said what they said. Until people start really talking and listening, things are just going to get worse, and finger pointing will continue. Trump's failures as president will become apparent before the end of his term, and the more I think about it, the more painful it will be... But only as long as we don't resort to nitpicking. When his policy tanks the economy, we shouldn't be the ones saying “I told you so,” but being the ones who say “Alright, this is what we do.” While doing that, we also need to be the people not labeling others. Overall this isn't an “Us versus Them,” deal, this is we are all going to suffer, and we need to have the dialogue with opposing views for multiple reasons.

We need this dialogue to sharpen our message, one of a better future for all. A future where all people have medical insurance, where all people have enough to pay the bills and eat at a table under a solid roof, regardless of what they do for a living. A place where all people are welcomed, regardless of skin color, religion, or gender, without fear of being shot in the back by police. We need this dialogue so that people can feel that their concerns are being addressed. Eh, what am I talking about, we are all hung up over this candidate or that, and they were all shades of lousy. We are more concerned about animals freezing in the streets, or a starving kid in a third world nation, while our own is circling the drain. Some can claim it is because of Trump, but they don't want to take a dose of truth, these thing has been circling the drain longer than I've been breathing.

We failed people, and epic fail doesn't do this justice. For too long we've allowed ourselves to sit in echo chambers, isolating ourselves from dissenting views, and allowing ourselves to be divided on issues that don't even matter anymore, or even worse, matters in which we agree but lack the will to push for more. Top of the list, the PPACA, if we had pushed for more, a single payer option (or system), then do you think Trump and the GOP Congress would have been able to repeal that? I can tell you, they wouldn't have. They could defund it, and would have had hell to pay, likely even lost their jobs. But no, we went with a half measure, because it was politically acceptable at the moment, and look where we are, a bunch of idiots in office because people were forced into an unacceptable plan. But if we'd have had this dialogue back before this went down, if people would have said perfect isn't the enemy of good, we'd be looking at an entirely different situation. But no, we'd rather take what we can get right away, knowing that short term investments aren't nearly as good as long term.

We are in this mess because of a lack of dialogue, and an inability to work together for the greater good. Everyone has ideas, everyone wants their plan in place, but they never take the case to those who oppose it. And when they do, it is in a condescending manner, one in which alienates those who you need to work with you to get things moving along. Seriously, I once talked a hardcore conservative into supporting universal income. But I was only able to do so because I actually spoke to the man, and made sure I made my point clear to him. That is how you resolve racism for many, that is how you get police held accountable for shooting unarmed people, that is how you put an end to Trump's insanity.

You won't get there pushing to continue down the same path as you have been on, people are tired of it, and this is where the Russian Bot nonsense comes into play. My Mom, the Russian Bot in question, has disliked Clinton since the 90s. She didn't like Clinton in 2008, and nothing had changed in 2016. I personally disliked Clinton's ideals in 2008 and 2016, and like so many other people, I wanted this nation to go in a different direction, and that didn't make me a Berniebro or a Russian Bot. I am just a mostly liberal guy who sees a lot of peoples and felt that Clinton is ill prepared to do the things that need to be done, just as most members of the Democratic Party are ill prepared to do (see the PPACA as proof). But the blame doesn't stop there, the GOP is as ill prepared to do the things that need to be done, rather than actually sit down and have dialogue with opposing views, they'd rather tell you this is the way it has to be. Both parties are equally as guilty in this regard, neither side listens, and this is a reflection of how we as normal everyday people act.

The fight is ultimately going to be 99% versus 1%, and until we hash things out down here in the 99%, the 1% will win, but we have to stop the nonsense of labeling people that we don't agree with. Okay, the exception being the hardcore racists, those people are a$$holes. A side note, just because someone says racist crap doesn't mean they are actual racists, insensitive yes, pricks certainly, ill informed, or frustrated by the current situation, yeah. I know someone who sounds racist, but if you listen to them, the frustration of being passed over for promotion because of laws is evident. They are appalled by African Americans being shot by police, but always point out that it isn't just one group, its a lot of people being abused and murdered by police. They aren't racist because they point it out, they do however get labeled as racist because of the way they point it out. Not everyone who is against Israel is an anti-semite, they simply are against the use of violence against Palestinians. All in all, when you encounter these people, it will become very evident who is the real racist/antisemite/Russian Bots and who is frustrated with a dysfunctional system, when you really take the time to talk to them.