Seizing the Zeitgeist

We live a world today where people really don't believe or trust anything or anyone. All facts are manipulated or false. Everyone is part of a tribe and holding a certain opinion automatically makes part of one camp or another. There is no middle ground, no room for individuality.

Whether we like it or not, we're in the centre of an ideological war.

If, for example, I express a negative opinion about Brexit, I am a communist remainer who's a traitor to his country. If I express a positive opinion regarding the current incumbent of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I am a racist and ignorant backcountry hick who married his cousin and has too many guns who is a traitor to his country. On both sides, the same extremity of opinion is common.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong but, technically speaking, one can only be a traitor or accused of treason during wartime. It used to be OK to hold an opinion. Some of my best friends were those I could dehate long into the night with and have the contest end because both parties got bored, realising no opinion would be changed tonight.

Stalemate.

That was OK and we remained friends afterward because the debate was the whole point, not the winning.

So; the Zeitgeist, the spirit of the time...

I feel every generation is looking for answers and think it's odd that we have access to all the information in the world (sort of) at the touch of a button yet appear less certain than before the internet existed.

People who are less informed still insist on an opinion which is, of course, their absolute right but it is not fun to debate any more!

Therefore that's it boiled down "do not educate yourself, listen to me, not to him!"

Listen to Me, Not to Him

Let's think about that for just a minute.

We are told that these are the unquestionable facts of X and anyone who believes otherwise is the enemy of everything we stand for.

To me, that's downright dangerous talk!

No-one is my enemy for simply disagreeing with me; they're an opportunity to learn.

"If you cannot defend the position in opposition to your own, you have no right to defend your opinion"