Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for January 28, 2022

If no one claims to be them, we all must be us.

Sigh! another pronoun war?!?

“Us, and them.

And after all, we’re only ordinary men.

Me, and you.

God only knows it’s not what we would choose to do."

Actually, Wiley, it should read:

Those People

and

Real Americans.

That’s why we have all those sayings about how all people are the same color on the inside, walking a mile in someone’s shoes, seeing things from the other person’s viewpoint, etc. And those things actually do work. Some. From time to time. For people who are already inclined that way…

Follow that wall off into the distance only to find that it wraps back around to the other side, only with the sides reversed.

It’s the Möbius Frontier.

At least they are decides.Not like the undecideds yesterday

One of the difficulties in our society (not that other societies don’t have similar issues, but I’m only focusing on ours for now), is that we are a society focused on winning. From an early age, we teach our children that winning is pretty much everything. The contests we enter our kids in at an early age puts incredible pressure on them (I certainly remember it), and it never ends. The focus our schools put on competitive sports is intense. This rolls over to other aspects of life. We “win” at business by beating the other guy even if we have a comfortable share of the market already. We win at politics not by governing but by “owning” the other side.

I don’t know how to change that mentality, but I don’t think we’ll get very far if we don’t stop teaching our kids how to make a virtue out of beating “them”.

Must be Pink Floyd fans.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDbeqj-1XOo

It’s not for nothing that the word “Ukraine” means “Border area”.

And after all we’re only ordinary men.

The sign at the Mexican border has an arrow pointing into the US and says BEINVIETO! whereas the one at the Ukrainian border says “PROTECTED BY THE LIVES AND BLOOD OF YOUNG AMERICAN SERVICEMEN”. Its all about priorities. Come on, man.

They really know how to do it at this India-Pakistan border. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12cBeHhvMA8

That’s about right. Take away from us and give it to them, until we have none and then become them.

This mistrust/fear/anger derives from maybe a billion years of evolution. Our ancestors survived because they realized instinctively the value of tribalism – anyone different is simply a competitor for a limited food supply. I saw this exemplified in a couple large flocks of identical Canadian geese waddling through a park. I noticed that one flock each had a tiny leg band, while the other had none – no exceptions. With the advent of civilization, this has become more than a nuisance; thus the Bible exhorts us to rise above our instincts and be “Born again.”

We They Us Them Who Knows Alka Seltzer

The REAL never-ending border is the one between those who want independence and those who want dependence. It’s self-determination vs. tyranny, and morality vs. amorality(also known as Moral Relativism).

Biden is a traitor to America. Here he is caught red handed (again, this happened in Florida too). He is fliying illegal aliens to Westchester New York in the middle of the night!

https://nypost.com/2022/01/27/biden-is-hiding-illegal-immigration-with-secret-flights/

Here is Biden releasing them from a migrant center by the bus load to be brought to airports! No kids, no famililes, nearly all adult males who are illegal aliens!

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2022/01/25/watch-biden-admin-mass-releases-single-adult-migrants-into-texas-border-city/

Impeach the man engaging in human trafficking: Joe Biden!

Completely aside, search for videos of the Wagah closing ceremony at the India/Pakistan border. Pretty interesting to watch.

It is troubling how we put labels on ourselves, and others, at an early age and then remain “loyal” to those labels for life, even when the object of the label (an “R” or “D” ie) changes completely and repeatedly over our lives. Politicians know this and that 40+-% of us are going to vote based on the label, no matter what, because we are self-conditioned to at least distrust, if not hate, the other side(s). After all, if their side isn’t wrong than ours must be and that’s just unthinkable (god forbid that we could BOTH be right). The more unscrupulous politicians can then concentrate on swinging just a few percentage points, mostly by pandering to ego, fear and tribalism, while ignoring the principals, morals, integrity and honesty we all think our side is grounded on. And we are stupid enough to let them get away with it, over and over and over. If we are unwilling to hold our own to our high standards what does that say about us?? Maybe we should stop looking to the other side to find our troubles, and look to ourselves instead. Probably impossible since, at the moment, only one side seems to even try to play by the rules.

Take away the signs and this would be a more secure border with Mexico and USA.

The more walls we build the more tunnels they build. Employment for many and enjoyment for some. How cool would it be to have a bar/lounge in a tunnel directly under the wall.

Plus ca changé, plus c’est la meme chose

Perspective. Empathy is that narrow strip in the middle.

And after all, we’re only ordinary men…

What’s a border, asks our sorry-ass excuse for a POTUS.

I’m going to the side with the nicest pavement

we have met the enemy…

All good people agree, And all good people say,All nice people, like Us, are We And every one else is They:But if you cross over the sea, Instead of over the way,You may end by (think of it!) looking on We As only a sort of They!

In the old “Saturn Cafe” in Santa Cruz, CA, the bathroom doors were labeled “Us” and “Them”. (Nobody asked)

Here in Canada, on that side of the border is USA, and on this side of the border is us eh.

This one made me stop and think.Who is promoting this divide. Certainly the “gatekeepers” who not only put up the sign, but most probably the wall. Of late, with all the polarization in our world, I have become skeptical of the motives of some of the institutions we depend on for guidance on the complex issues of our time. It’s a hard argument to make that a healthy skepticism is a bad thing. I do believe if you do carry this belief into the fray, you might want to understand your part in the problem. I’m suggesting that if we took down this wall we most likely will find that them ain’t so different from us. The gatekeeper may be out of a job, (it sometimes pays well as I understand it) but we might all see a more reasoned, emotionally mature and stable world for it.

Wiley is the winner today. Great Strip!!!

Now there’s a reich-wing wet dream.

The narrowes part of Texas. It’s the US right and left, but THEM along the wall.

I thought that they removed all funding for a wall…

LOL ………… good one Wiley. Wouldn’t it be great if country leaders grew up and concentrated on the planet’s needs instead of their egos?

Aw,just pole vault over the useless thing.

WARNING!!!! All of US better run and hide, because THEY are now complaining about ANOTHER awful event that will bring on the end of Civilization as we know it!!!

Minnie Mouse is getting a couple of new Outfits to wear at Paris Disneyland, including “GASP” A PANTSUIT!!! OH, THE HORROR!!

And I wish that I was making this up… but I’m NOT!!

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/disney-minnie-mouse-gets-a-new-pantsuit-candace-owens-says-its-making-her-more-masculine-230129623.html

Biden cares more about the Ukrainian border than our own! Murderers and rapists and cartel gang members are coming across unchecked – and the Demoncrats DO NOT CARE!

The world over. So sad.

“We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us”

After all, we’re just ordinary men

We are all “them” to the 1% who run things. Because “We” let them. We pretty much deserve what we get. We could change things, but We are just too stupid.

Us (us, us, us, us) and them (them, them, them, them)And after all we’re only ordinary menMeAnd you (you, you, you)God only knowsIt’s not what we would choose (choose, choose) to do (to do, to do)Forward he cried from the rearAnd the front rank diedAnd the general satAnd the lines on the mapMoved from side to side………

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LezoMi3yftM

Please take note of Wiley’s stupendous, quiet use of the useless ‘Trump wall’.

Looks like the center aisle in the chamber of the US Senate.

If they don’t look like me or thinks like me the have to be the enemy.

Ok, I just got it. Us and them go each way at the same time, which makes no sense.

And violence perpetrated by one side only. When assault rifles were banned in 1994-gun deaths went down 43% and when it was allowed to expire in 2006 it went up 239%!

Sounds very inclusive, but with a cordon sanitaire to help matters along …