Labeling Each Other
The current tendency to judge and label each other is regrettable. Labeling others often says more about the labeler than the labeled. There are some popular complimentary labels, but most are derogatory. Two extreme labels are Angel and Asshole. Maybe some of us are so simple that a single word describes us, but most of us are much more complex. Some of us probably even act like Angels sometimes and like Assholes other times.
My Label Preferences
I don’t want to be labeled a Conservative or a Liberal, a Republican or a Democrat. I am a conservative person, but I can’t identify with the Republican party which claims to be made up of conservatives. I like to think of myself as an informed rational thinker, but I don’t want to wear that label either. I know that sometimes I am uninformed and irrational.
I had a co-worker once who labeled me a phony. I don’t know what he was thinking but decided that it was his problem and not mine and just ignored it.
I am a Christian doing a poor job of following Christ’s instructions and hoping and praying for improvement in that area. So, feel free to label me Christian but please resist adding any judgmental modifiers to that label.
Being Christian means living by those greatest commandments Jesus gave us, loving God, family, neighbors, friends, and enemies. It also means not worshipping or coveting or being obsessed with money. Only God judges how we are doing but I guess we are not doing well at this time.
Money Issues
With respect to money, being conservative means balancing the budget, matching spending and saving with income, and avoiding debt. Both Republicans and Democrats, Conservatives and Liberals, are expert failures in that area with respect to their government responsibilities. Their failures are driving up debt and inflation, bad for us and for the nation.
So, my hope is that our leaders in Washington DC will express their love for the American people by working together, co-operating rather than criticizing and competing, using rational thinking, to establish responsible, debt eliminating, inflation controlling, taxing and spending levels. And I hope they will forget about spending our money on us to get re-elected and get richer.
Then maybe we can label our senators and representatives Wise and Unselfish and will find them easier to love and respect.
In the meantime, let’s quit hating and labeling each other and focus on loving each other and on being more lovable. Maybe we can get a better agreement on who we are or at least on who we want to be and on what we demand from our elected senators and representatives.
The Data and Supporting Information
Below are government data which prove my point. Annual data are available only through 2024. Data for the second quarter of 2025 is available and shows spending was at an annual rate of $7.3 trillion and income was at an annual rate of $5.6 trillion. And some of us were gullible enough to believe that DOGE was going to make a difference. And for any who might blame our presidents for the spending problem, check out the AI Overview statement below.
Data above, responsibility below:
Try not to laugh when you read the reason for federal spending in the screen shot below. Click on the screen shot to see the source.
