Confessions of a Junkie
Jim Aldrich
11/25/2017
Let me set the backdrop for what follows. I
take a keen interest in life. In part this is because I am not only a
participant, but an observer of the often times whacko ways of the world around
me. For more years than would interest anyone, I have been and remain a
political junkie. As a junkie, I need my daily fix. A fix that is collected
from many different sources.
Starting out in my younger years my interest
in politics was based on the more traditional definition; the practice or study of the art and science of forming, directing, and
administrating states and other political units; the art and science of
government; political science. Quite a mouthful.
As time went by, I noticed a shift in my way
of looking at politics. This new view provided a much broader perspective, a
view that found me looking for the complex
or aggregate of relationships of people in society, especially those
relationships involving authority or power. More recently, I took the next
step in my development of a personal political view. This new approach finds me
looking at those activities concerned
with the acquisition or use (misuse) of power.
All this to set the stage for my current view
of politics. Having been a Democrat, then a Republican and then back to being a
Democrat I felt I had no real choices in the voting booth. The very idea of
voting for the lesser of two evils is repugnant to me. Growing tired of some
fat cats choosing my ballot choices is equally disheartening. For these reasons
I have taken a leave of absence from being an active participant in the traditional
political scene.
Why such a radical step? Through learning from my experiences,
I don’t foresee any hope for change beyond what a voter can do at the local or
state level. So, where does that leave me? Many of my
political (life) views are compatible with the Libertarian views, but even here
I find the most important attribute a voter can have is missing. The view that
I should be able to do what I believe to be in my best interest is somehow
off-base. I see the need to take personal
responsibility for the choices I make. Choices driven by doing what is right,
not only for myself, but for those people I share my world with.
I am a
Personalist. That is, a person whose actions include a
philosophical, spiritual, and action based balance that stresses the value of
persons. I have found that when I view the role politics plays in every area of
our lives, the valuing of others is my highest priority.
