The Beginning of the End

    Well, Cunning Linguist is off and running, but now, while we're still at the start, it seems like the logical time to for what I believe will be a rarity in my blog. For the first time (obviously), and hopefully for the last time, I want to tell you what you should think. Most of my postings will be me displaying facts, and bringing to public attention my observations and opinions. It will ne clear when I am expressing an opinion or a fact, and my opinions may not be correct for everyone. Typically I will be pointing out the things that are wrong, and I won't necessarily have the right answer. I only want to highlight what is root if the issue, and help guide you in making your own decisions. This one time, however, I want you to really seriously consider taking my advice, which is how I try to live my life. Perhaps I might call it The Chaba Doctrine if I were the first person to say it:

THINK FOR YOURSELF

    Before you jump to any hasty conclusions about that or anything ever, let me tell you my reasoning. Especially in America, we are constantly being bombarded with the opinions of others, and outside forces regularly try to influence your own opinions. What's worse though, says this observer, is how little resistance the majority of Americans put forth to prevent themselves from being influenced. Whenever someone, anyone, from politicians and religious officials to advertising companies and their clients, tries to sway the perspective of the masses, there is always some goal they are trying to achieve, sometimes obvious and sometimes covert. What really gets my goat is that so many people, 'the masses' one might say, mindlessly bend toward these authoritative voices without so much as a mental double-take to try to identify ulterior motives. Therefore, I find it fitting, to give you, perhaps what I'd call The Kevin Corollary to The Chaba Doctrine:

QUESTION EVERYTHING

    The only people who do not welcome their message being questioned, in my experience, are those who have something to hide or whose message does not stand up to scrutiny. Apparently I'm in a shriveling minority, in that while I was growing up I was constantly encouraged to ask questions. Because of this, I have a very strong "bullshit" sense. I can smell the bullshit that wafts out of Jesus pamphlets, and I can't even watch TV during major elections due to the bullshit that pervades political ads. When people are discouraged from asking questions, it teaches them to blindly accept blatant bullshit, and pointedly ignore subtle bullshit. As I go about putting myself out there on the Internet, blogging my opinions, I will be bringing to the populace the questions I have with society, and I look forward to my ideals being questioned. It demonstrates a desire for understanding before a decision is made. So if you get nothing else from the entirety of my blog, I hope to spread this message to THINK FOR YOURSELF and to QUESTION EVERYTHING!