Talking . . .

. . . about politics . . .



(from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anna-post/the-etiquette-of-talking-_b_87893.html)
1. Just the facts, ma’am. Stick to discussions of general knowledge: What is a candidate’s stance? What did they say in the debate? What are the latest headlines? Stay away from anything too personal, opinionated or judgmental: Who are you voting for? I hate the (insert political party here)! How on earth could you support that candidate?!

2. Have an exit strategy. It takes two to argue, and if you choose not to participate the other person will run out of steam fast. Have a stock answer ready to get you out of a heated conversation: I guess we just don’t see eye-to-eye; or: I’ll have to consider that; or: For me, it’s private.

3. What’s your position? Think about what your purpose is for the conversation. Are you there to learn? Are you there to try to change somebody’s mind? If you’re going to do that, I would strongly suggest doing it in a respectful manner. Or are you just there to vent, to dump on somebody? That’s neither productive nor helpful to your own cause.

4. Know when to fold ‘em. There are still times I’d strongly advise avoiding political topics, especially if it’s liable to get heated. Weddings and holidays are risky; they are memorable events, and you don’t want the memories to be bad. When meeting new people it’s best not to broach such a personal subject—think your girlfriend’s parents or a new client.

5. Assume nothing. No matter how perceptive you think you are, you can’t possibly know what someone else’s personal beliefs are. Don’t presume that someone agrees with you—or disagrees, for that matter.

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html  or at
http://www.ohomusic.com 

My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills

(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)

Get your copy of OHO's  Where Words Do Not Reach now!
The Ocean City Ditty Video is now on YouTube
Also, be sure to visit: www.rayjozwiak.com and www.ohomusic.com

Tweet  

Follow me on Blogarama

Shooting. . .

. . . ourselves. . . 

(from http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/18/opinion/brazile-democracy-in-danger/index.html?iid=article_sidebar) Donna Brazile says our democracy is endangered.  ". . . Not by the Russians, North Korea, the Iran regime, or even terrorists. To quote Pogo: "We have met the enemy and he is us. . . "

Knee-jerk partisanship rules. Abraham Lincoln said, "From whence shall we expect the approach of danger? Shall some trans-Atlantic military giant step the earth and crush us at a blow? Never...No, if destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we will live forever or die by suicide."

People must go back to talking to people. It's okay to disagree.  Just disagree civilly.  The IRS debacle, the Department of Justice's tapping of reporters' phones and the congressional investigation of Benghazi all illustrate the danger of NOT talking, really talking.

We all need to stay focused on facts, causes and solutions. The inspector general himself said that it was bureaucratic mismanagement and no evidence of any political motivation or influence from outside the IRS that brought about the first of the three.  The focus must shift to solutions.

Leaked White House e-mails allegedly showing a coverup of a terrorist attack in Benghazi were actually shown to be altered.

The Department of Justice secretly obtained phone records of reporters as the result of a serious security leak. In short, Obama is not in charge.

Both Democrats and Republicans have misused and abused their constitutional powers. In a nutshell, Donna Brazile says, in her quite convincing way, that we're shooting ourselves in the foot.

What do you think?
Tell me at  
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Tweet