Twilight in Northwest Georgia: Wisdom from the Ages

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Wisdom from the Ages

Voltaire, whose real name was Francois-Marie Arouet was one of the most prolific writers of the 1700s. He used his pen to write plays, poetry, and to express his views on a host of political and social issues, some of which earned him time as a prisoner in France's infamous Bastille. My impression of Voltaire is that, though he was strongly opinionated, he had the intelligence to realize that opinions are preferences...beliefs not usually based on fact. He stated that concept most clearly when he wrote:

"Doubt is an uncomfortable condition, but certainty is a ridiculous one.”

Think about that. Think about that in terms of today's issues in the United States - Afghanistan, immigrants at the border, Biden's present administration, Trump's past administration, Covid masks and vaccinations, Roe vs Wade, racism, the economy, freedom of choice, etc. According to many polls roughly half of us Americans know the truth about these topics. We are absolutely certain of our positions. The truth and certainty that the other 50% of us espouse is false. And nobody knows the truth better than the Democratic far-left...and the Republican far-right. Both are passionately certain that they know the truth and will spin a topic to any extreme to prove it.

I don't know who coined the term RINO - Republican In Name Only, but I suggest that the definition be changed to Reasonable In Name Only. A friend recently wrote to me that the present situation is not just a political war, that it is also a cultural war. I think that there is probably some truth to that viewpoint, but to me it's more than that. It's not difficult to sit back, take a macro view of the present turmoil in this country and see it for what it is...a war on reason. A war to defend one's opinions and beliefs come hell or high water, regardless of whether they can be supported by evidence.

I don't think that it is 100% of us Americans who are actively involved in these wars on politics, culture and reason. I want to believe that there is this vast silent majority who is sitting back, shaking their heads and thinking that we should be so much better than this.

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What this blog is about

Hi. My name is Tom. I am a long-time blogger, having started in my native Wisconsin some fifteen years ago and continuing during my ten years living in Peru. I all but stopped posting to my blog when my wife and I returned to the United States and moved to Rossville, Georgia in July of 2017. We don’t actually live in Rossville. We live in one of those census-designated places, a term I really don’t understand and am not interested enough to learn about. The only practical difference I can see is that the city does not pick up our trash.

I’m starting a new blog because my old one was Peru specific, and that was yesterday. I chose the title ‘Twilight in Northwest Georgia’ for two reasons: twilight because I am old and for me age is playing an ever-increasing role in how I view myself and the world around me. And Northwest Georgia for obvious reasons. It’s not a great title but it identifies and introduces what it needs to. Good enough.

This blog is not going to have a central theme…it’s not going to be about anything specifically. I like to write and will post about anything and everything that may interest me at the moment. I do know that my wife Maribel will be mentioned frequently because she is everything to me.

A comment here about my writing style and philosophy might be in order. We live in an era of political correctness…a time when the broadcast and print media, politicians, and petty people in general are lined up like vultures, eagerly waiting to pounce on anyone for the slightest faux pas, no matter how innocent and unintended. The media do it to sell their services. Politicians do it to advance their careers by degrading others. Petty people do it because…well…because they’re petty people. It is never my intent to be politically correct, politically incorrect, obnoxious or offensive. I can be critical and sometimes very critical but try my best to be objective. I do like to praise when praise is warranted. I do have pet peeves, am very opinionated and can be very vocal about them, which in the past has drawn the ire of some readers on my old blog. But that’s life. We all have different likes, dislikes, values and beliefs. The key is how we handle those differences.

The purpose of this blog is to provide a platform for me to write. I am opening it up to the public simply because someone may find something of interest in my ramblings. Any reader comments or criticisms, provided they are civil, are welcome.