Tag: politics

Is the move from big cities permanent?

Carl Setzer
Map of the US

My son and a number of my friends have asked what I think about all these people moving out of cities. Well, a Twitter friend, Bernie, posted this to his blog today: Iowa shows why the move from big cities may be only temporary. I agree with his assessment: cities offer more than affordability. I lived for the better part of 10 years in downtown Seattle and loved it. Arts and culture are a part of my soul. Having galleries, coffee shops, restaurants a short walk away delighted me deeply. One my favorite times in my life.

Anyway, Bernie references an article that looks at Iowan politics that might impeded this desire to attract the coastal urban dwellers to the mid-west*: Wood: About that public narrative we’re crafting to attract out-of-state people to move to Des Moines. Summation: the state’s anti-progressive agenda will impede growth. It’s an interesting point of view. For me, personally, politics might be a part, but, ultimately, the whole urban west coast thing is who I am. Even if they had the fastest internet on earth, I doubt I’d be heading east in a U-Haul.

 

*As a life-long west-coaster, I have long loved calling the middle part of the US the middle-east. 

Famous Moments in History, Reimagined By Centrists

Carl Setzer

Here’s a comic from The Nib that gave me pause. What are the bounds of free speech? A what point does “centrism” enable the destructive forces of hate?

Comics provide a unique voice in the modern political climate that I value. This particular series was created by Kasia Babis. The link will take you to a large list of their work. You really should check them out.

Politics, The Death Star, And The Place Of Memes

Carl Setzer

Saw this thread today:

My mind immediately pictured the scene in A New Hope where Obi-Wan senses the destruction of Alderaan. Doesn’t seem like a positive message about a candidate to me. Anyway, I whipped out this meme in response.

Obi-Wan & Alderaan
Obi-Wan & Alderaan

A little cheesy and amateurish, but thought “what the hell”. I might regret it as there possibly will be an explosion of crankiness. Or maybe not. Might be one person who likes it and it fades into oblivion. In the end, I thought this silly little meme sums up my feelings succinctly.

May the Force be with you All.

My Thoughts On Seth Godin’s “I’m Sorry Takes Guts”

Carl Setzer

I greatly appreciate the mind of Seth Godin. Here’s what I read from him today:

“I’m sorry” takes guts

I recently saw two men arguing about who got to use the urinal next.

As a result, neither got what he wanted, and neither could honestly say that his day got better.

The need to win every interaction, the inability to apologize, the short-term over the long-term–this isn’t a sign of strength, it’s a symptom of immaturity and weakness that almost always leads to suboptimal results.

If apologizing engages the network and makes it more likely that we can stay in sync, it pays for itself many times over.

For years, so much of what passes for debate in our culture isn’t, well, debate. So often it’s simply shouting past each other. How many social media posts are titled “My political person just pwned yours”. We don’t value thoughtful discourse, the exchange of ideas, and the basic notion of respect. Right now, we’re about “winning”. And even the illusion of winning gives us a sense of satisfaction. This will not move us forward.

We will never work together, fully, as a society with this model. As long as we value this our divisions will remain. And whatever potential we have will remain unfulfilled.

 

What is “The Light”?

Carl Setzer

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p style=”font-family:"font-size:21.6px;”>Light in, darkness out 

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p style=”font-family:"font-size:21.6px;”>What’s the light? Needs clarity 

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p style=”font-family:"font-size:21.6px;”>Is my light brighter? 

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p style=”font-family:"font-size:21.6px;”>Thanks for reading! Check out other poems, or follow me on Instagram and Twitter. 

Thoughts on this political season 

Carl Setzer1 Comment

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p style=”font-family:’Helvetica Neue’, Arial, sans, sans-serif;”>So much ugliness 

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p style=”font-family:’Helvetica Neue’, Arial, sans, sans-serif;”>Hatred’s vanquishing of grace 

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p style=”font-family:’Helvetica Neue’, Arial, sans, sans-serif;”>Expands misery 

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