DiscussMormonism.com

This Christmas, I was given President Clinton's book, "Back to Work" which I recently finished.

While I thought there were many points in it worth discussion, at the core of it are these two statements. The first is simply stating his view of our national identity and what, at some basic level, we may hope all American's could say is a shared belief regardless of political position or affiliation:

"Amercia at it's core is an idea - the idea that no matter who you are or where you're from, if you work hard and play by the rules, you'll have the freedom and opportunity to pursue your own dreams and leave your kids a country where they can chase theirs"

The second statement is about process -

"If you ask the right questions, you may not always get the right answers. But if you ask the wrong questions, you can't get the right answers."

I know a lot of people who represent a wide range of views about politics, the US, the world at large. And I have my own opinions about politics as I know most people do whether they are vocal about sharing them or not.

But while I've thought much about the answers people have, and the concerns, I've come to wonder about what people feel are the most important questions that we should be asking in order to get "right answers". How much overlap is there in the questions we ask regardless of what our political views might be?

I'm curious, what do people think ARE the right questions?

This is an interesting OP, honor. I would reply except for the fact that political threads usually only draw the usual suspects I have on ignore. So depressing is their take on things I don't even want to see their remarks quoted.

Maybe we can talk about this in chat some night?

I'll say this though, I did think that this sentiment: "and leave your kids a country where they can chase theirs" was part of the common understanding of America until recently. At least in terms of the discourses of the far right, which have made such consistent inroads into the mainstream in the last 25 years or so, this seems to have been forgotten. “F” the future and "I had a crappy life why should anyone have anything better?" seem to have replaced this.

I hope though, that I'm just over-generalizing from the lunatic spectacle of recent Republican campaigns. Things have gotten pretty bad when I can look back at Nixon and remember the "good old days." And maybe people are starting to wake up?

Still, I blame the consistent and calculated destruction of American education, going back 30 years or more, for the state of public discourse. It's no wonder Americans have lost a historical view point and an ability to think abstractly. And it will take decades of hard work before public education in this country again is at the standard it was when I was in high school (which itself was not the best standard). I doubt I'll live to see it. But, dedication to the future, or a future---what Gramsci termed la Citta futura---is why I became an educator and why I remain so even in the face of enormous opposition.

Anywho, asking fundamental questions about a decent society is always a good thing and I'd be happy to talk about it sometime. I'd also like to hear more about Clinton's book, too.

(ok so I wrote more here than I though I would : ) Check your pm's)

Hmmm...the right question(s)....


"Why does the one true Church of God answer the questions people have about the history of the restoration with wrong or misleading or deceptive answers?"

For instance:
Q. How was the Book of Mormon translated?
A. By the power and inspiration of God.
Q. Sorry, I mean exactly 'how' was it done?
A. Err, by the Urim & Thummim.

Another example:
Q. You believe that God was once a man?
A. I don't know that we teach that....

"If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"

— Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (The Gulag Archipelago: 1918-1956)

honorentheos wrote:But while I've thought much about the answers people have, and the concerns, I've come to wonder about what people feel are the most important questions that we should be asking in order to get "right answers". How much overlap is there in the questions we ask regardless of what our political views might be?

I'm curious, what do people think ARE the right questions?

Don't remember this thread, but it's an interesting topic.

We should ask about people's values, not policies. Most people have values in common, but diverge immensely on how to honor them. Values are what everyone should be focused on; that's the only way to unite a divided country.

Blixa wrote:... I have on ignore. ....

a.k.a., ask the question and then simply ignore the answers you do not like and wait for an answer you will agree with...because "can't even".

Perfume on my Mind wrote:We should ask about people's values, not policies. Most people have values in common, but diverge immensely on how to honor them. Values are what everyone should be focused on; that's the only way to unite a divided country.

That's essentially where I've come down, too, Schmo. It's still not easy because it seems people find it easiest to focus on where someone is the least like them and start there rather than seek common ground but atleast there seems to be common ground if we can get to it.