Second: How Do You Listen? Fourth: Is Arguing Your M.O.?

Short and Sweet: Do you engage to understand, to have your awareness expanded, to learn something, to enjoy someone else’s perspective/idea/view? Or…do you respond to input by disputing, denying, deflecting….are you an arguer?

If your way of being is to argue, consider the question: how much/in what ways has your mindset/opinion changed over the years? Or are you the same, with the same understanding, the same view, the same assumptions as you were 20/30/40 years ago?

Be honest. If you are the same because you argue anything that doesn’t fit your already established view, then it’s time to recognize that you are a closed mind.

A closed mind is a terrible thing to waste. It should be used as fuel to heat homes.

If you are consistent in your values, yet you have different thoughts/opinions about things/policies/people, then you are a thinking person.

Do you want to be: A) A closed minded person. or B) A thinking person?

Before you lock in your final answer, recognize…..understand….that choosing B means you will have to change your mind about some things some times. You will have to admit…out loud…..and………to yourself!….that you were wrong about some things.

If you don’t know how to do that, email me and we can walk through it. It is actually freeing. And allows you to use your brain and intelligence for good. Let’s go.

Son of Liberty 2020

amliberty2020@ gmail.com

taverntalk.locals.com

First: Values Drive. Second: Listening to Understand. Third: What Are Your Sources?

Short and sweet: 1) When did you last vet your sources for news, information, understanding? 2) Why do you believe your source(s) if you haven’t checked them?

Vetting of your source(s):

  • who owns them/who runs them
  • how do they get their money to keep operating
  • how does getting their money affect what they present and how they present it
  • how do they check themselves…do they do internal reviews, that they then share with their viewers/readers
  • there is more….to be covered later

Example of a source for many people is CNN. CNN is on television (cable), and gets its money through advertisers paying for views/clicks. In order to get more views/clicks, CNN present the “news” in certain ways.

For example: CNN regularly (meaning daily, even almost hourly) talks about Trump. Even though Trump is no longer President and hasn’t been for 2 years. Yet……….CNN sees that Trump brings them views/clicks.

When you consider your source, do you understand that CNN pushes/focuses on Trump for views/clicks?

If you do, do you understand that CNN presents the information/topic in a way that stokes interest? And that such a presentation is not concerned with accuracy…or truth?

(If you are unclear, then review CNN’s 2 year long “reporting” on “Russian collusion”. Which was false. And has been debunked. But…not by CNN. The “Cable News Network” did not do basic journalism regarding “Russian collusion”. So….as part of your vetting…you must ask: why not? Why didn’t CNN discover this?

Back to the larger topic: once you recognize that CNN, in this example, has other reasons for presenting information as they do, then what do you do to combat that? Do you seek out/listen to other sources?

If not…..ask yourself why you don’t.

We are rebuilding our country and society. Ask yourself the hard question. Why don’t you seek out other sources, knowing your sources is biased?

Do you like being led? Do you like being shaped in your understanding? Being sheep?

Sorry if that makes you bristle. If it did, turn those bristles on those who are manipulating your understanding.

And then vet your other sources (MSNBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post, ABC/CBS/NBC/PBS, the BBC, Fox News, …).

Critical thinking requires effort. Let’s make it.

Son of Liberty 2020

amliberty2020@gmail.com

Taverntalk.locals.com

First: Do Your Values Drive Your Thinking? Second: How do You Think/Listen/Discuss?

Short and sweet: Do you listen to respond? Or do you listen to consider and understand?

Listening to respond includes: being silent while the other person is speaking, but not actually listening or considering what they are saying. Just waiting til they stop so you can speak.

Listening to respond includes: grabbing words they said and misusing them. Or adding on to them things the other person didn’t say or mean. And then using your projections to have a full blast for your view.

Or….

Do you listen with curiosity? Curiosity does not mean agreement. It might even be the “that makes no sense…what are you talking about?” response. Which….still…..is you trying to figure out what the other is saying.

So many people today, particularly the talking mouths on tv/cable/internet, do not seem to be curious.

They have already decided.

They already know everything they need to know.

They know everything they need to know.

They know everything they need to know.

(Pssssst…..hey…..at what point do you see the absurdity of that mindset? At what point do you recognize that it is a way to shut down the challenge…to keep you from having to consider your own understanding….to actually do some work?)

Do you want to understand more than you did?

Or do you want to ossify into a closed minded statue who can only be chiseled at because your mind no longer has blood flowing through it…is no longer curious….?

Let’s give curiosity a chance. It’s actually much easier than the arrogance of thinking you know everything you need to know.

Son of Liberty 2020

amliberty2020@gmail.com

taverntalk.locals.com

Sources of Information

When your sources of information are limited to CNN, MSNBC, CBS/ABC/NBC/PBS, and the Washington Post/NY Times…..

….then………………………..

…………………………………………………you are a member of the flat earth society circa 1450.

Flat earth society members:

  1. Believe they know and understand everything.

2. Dismiss any question, let alone challenge, by categorically denying the question.

3. Belittle and attack Fox News. Never stopping to consider that Fox News is not the only alternative.

4. Label anyone or anything that does not fit their framework as a “misinformation”, “conspiracy theory”, “racist/sexist/…phobe”, “alt-right/far-right conservative/bigot/white supremacy/etc.”

So….if you are a modern day CNN flat earther, consider this question:

….when was the last time you learned something that you didn’t already know….that you had to acknowledge was a mistake/flaw/bad on your side? (ex.: Trump did not collude with the Russians in 2016. And Hillary Clinton paid for the Steele dossier, which was essentially election interference. And the FBI used that fabrication to spy on Americans.)

Any liberal/progressive Democrat CNN-ite should be able to acknowledge the errors in their understanding and assumptions. You don’t have to change your fundamental views to recognize and admit that you were wrong.

Kryptonite: admitting you were wrong.

If that previous statement describes you, then see the above CNN Flat Earther description. And own it proudly. At least at that point you’ll be honest with yourself.

If you are able to admit you were wrong…misunderstood…made bad assumptions…etc., then you are not a closed mind. You are, in fact, someone who is learning, exploring, and modifying your understanding based on new information.

Are you stuck with an understanding from 1973?

Or are you working with 2023 information?

If the former, then ask me how I can help you open your mind to the 21st Century.

If the latter, ask me how to reconcile your hopes and beliefs with what you actually know about the Democrats.

Let’s begin the process of challenging ourselves to a better understanding.

Son of Liberty 2020

amliberty@ gmail.com

taverntalk.locals.com

Values vs. Control

Thought of the day: “When your values are about personal liberty, freedom, and autonomy, then you will reject thought control by the government…or by others.”

Consider the question: do you believe that certain words should be forbidden? Should not be allowed to be said? And/or that some people, because of their race, are not allowed to say certain words?

For example: do you believe white people should not be allowed to say the “N…..” word?

For example: One Representative in the US House of Representatives was saying that white people should not be allowed to criticize “people of color”.

If you believe that, then who determines what a criticism is?

What constitutes a criticism? Who decides whether the white person has violated this commandment? Does the commandment mean that even if a white person is quoting a “person of color”, even in a positive way that is agreeing with them and what they have said….does it mean that the white person is still forbidden from saying the words?

What if some “people of color” think the white person should be allowed to say the word(s), but others don’t? Is the white person allowed to speak only if ALL “people of color” approve? Does the approval have to be in writing?

And….if…..after all that….you answered “yes” to each of those questions….

…..how long before white people say:

“F*ck That” ?

If, however, you value personal independence, rights, and liberties, you would think that each person has the right to say whatever he or she wants to.

And if others don’t like what they heard, then that’s their problem.

That the answer is NOT to suppress the speech of some, especially because of their race.

But instead for “people of color” to go back to being strong and independent themselves. Who don’t wait for white people to validate them, as if they were not equally worthy of rights, liberties, and freedoms.

Question to consider: when you take away rights from some people, how long before you lose your rights?

Son of Liberty 2020

amliberty2020 @gmail.com

taverntalk.locals.com

What Do You Value? Have You Thought About It….?

I have thought about it. Here are some things I value.

I value: Rights, liberties, freedoms.

I value: personal autonomy, both bodily and in thought.

I value: each person making up his/her own mind. And….I value each person’s RIGHT to their own view.

I value: questioning, challenging, even saying “show me” or “prove it” to those who declare things to be so.

The list is not complete. More to come.

What do you value? And then, how do you bring that into your thinking and responses to topics, politics, culture, etc.?

More to come. Keep thinking. Keep challenging yourself, as I am trying to do. Let’s push to new (old) places of being aware of what we value, and THEN looking at situations/topics.

Son of Liberty 2020

taverntalk.locals.com

amliberty2020@gmai.com

Who’s Running Biden? Who’s Running the Country?

Who’s responsible for the decision not to come clean about Biden’s possession of classified documents in unsecure locations right before election day in November 2022?

If that question intrigues you, or makes you think that we should know the answer, then consider the next and much more important question:

Why did they share it now?

When you have considered that question, young jedi, then try to work out the answer. Possibilities include: distraction from the ongoing and coming economic problems caused by Biden’s actions, actions of the Democrats in Congress printing money and throwing it around, and the terrible impact of covid shut-downs/lock-downs/mandates by Democrats running states and cities.

Possibilities include: getting Biden out of office and allowing someone else to run in 2024.

Possibilities include: clearing the way for Kamala Harris to become president.

If you think it is the third possibility, then listen to Master Yoda: “please!, oh”

Politics are necessary to the running of a country. Most obviously a representative or parliamentary democracy. And….politics are a distraction so the media shills and running mouths can fill the air with their hot air to distract, deflect, and disengage from the basic issues of economics, crime, schooling/education, illegal immigration, etc.

What do you value? If your values determine how you view things, then you will not protect politicians or the media who distort, misrepresent, and deceive for their own gain.

Do you believe in party first? Or do you believe in the country first? With the individual citizens being first?

Consider. And we’ll discuss so we can rebuild this country.

Son of Liberty 2020

amliberty2020@gmail.com

taverntalk.locals.com

Values vs. Political Posturing for Gain

Thought of the day: “When your values are what drives you, then you are consistent in applying those values. Your task is then functional, to make it work.”

Example of a value: “my body, my choice”. If you believe that, and you then say abortion, for example, is your choice because it’s your body, and the government should not force you into something you don’t want…. Then you would believe that government should not mandate the jab for covid to those who don’t want to take it.

If your values form your basis of thinking, then you would be consistent in opposing governmental controls/restrictions regarding medical procedures.

If, however, you think “my body, my choice” when it comes to abortion but believe the government can/should deny the livelihoods/businesses, freedom of movement, freedom of association to those who refuse the covid jab…. Then you don’t operate by values. Instead you operate by your preferences, your own views.

You operate by what benefits you.

A word of warning from history, both hundreds of years ago and ten minutes ago: government will take away your freedoms. Government is made up of people….who operate by what benefits them. And…inevitably….they will deny what you want.

Then where will you be? Having abandoned values, what will you stand on? How will you operate in freedom?

Action: 1) Decide whether you truly value rights, liberties, and freedoms.

2) Decide whether you’re willing to support those for others, even if you happen to disagree with some of their thinking or actions?

3) Decide how you will support those who are being attacked for their values and principles (not just their ideas/actions).

4) Stay with #3. Because you have to work hard at it. It’s not easy. And those who don’t operate by values of rights, liberties, and freedoms, are manipulative. Recognize that you can be manipulated (practice humility enough to admit you can be duped).

5) Stay with #3.

6) Come back for more. We will re-build our country and are values.

Son of Liberty 2020

amliberty2020@gmail.com

Taverntalk.locals.com

President Biden: The Great American Demagogue

Barack Obama: Bitter clingers to their guns and bibles

Hillary Clinton: They are deplorables. Irredeemable

Joe Biden: MAGA Republicans (not MAGA supporters…but MAGA Republicans)

Do you see how they think? And…that attitude has been consistent for almost 2 decades now. And……please note…..long before Trump!

Question: Why does Trump prompt such reckless (albeit honest) reactions from those in the inner circle of power?

What does he represent to them?

Why are they committed to destroying people who don’t think like them? Is it they don’t want people to think for themselves? Are they essentially showing that they are intolerant of any dissenting views?

President Biden giving a speech denouncing a group of Americans….while standing in front of the American military…lit and back lit in fiery red…..

……..who is it who is to be feared?

……..who is it who is undermining our democracy?

………who is it who has declared a group of Americans enemies of the state?

Son of Liberty 20202

amliberty2020@gmail.com

Taverntalk.locals.com