Saturday, July 14, 2012

Who Is Like Me?

Driving today, I hit up different radio stations.  Every one of them was discussing the political maneuvering du jour.  Apparently one side wants to convince me that a certain candidate is a gazillionaire, so he's not like me.  He has Swiss bank accounts, so he's not like me.  He travels the world, so he's not like me.  He hasn't had to worry about being laid off, not having an income, so he's not like me.  And so forth.  And so on.  And so on.  And so on ....

Now, whether I like or dislike this rich dude, whether I agree with him or with his detractors, that's irrelevant for the moment.  What I noticed is one underlying presumption in this argument:

What's "like me" is assumed to be "what I have."  

Silly me -- I thought that "what's like me" had a whole lot more to do with my values, my thoughts, my opinions, and my perspective on societal issues and political issues and religious issues. 



So, what makes somebody "like me"? 
Having the same stuff? 
Or having the same ideas?



That in itself speaks volumes about the perspectives of those who are trying to woo me.

1 comment:

  1. Most excellent. An original insight that provides refreshing clarity. Thank you for sharing this.

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