Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Globalism

Dec. 9, 2008



An acquaintance of mine told me about a month ago that the latest financial crisis proves that capitalism had failed. I disagree. Since it's a worldwide crisis, I think that globalism is the thing that has failed us.
But there's no going back. We have to find ways to make the global economic system(s) work once again, but how?

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Introduction

11-29-08

I'd like to welcome you to my blog on day one. I hope you come to enjoy it.

Since this is my first blog here, I'd like to introduce myself, I'm Mark A. Cohen, 54, originally from Brooklyn, NY. When I was a young man, I thought my life story would be about how I overcame overwhelming shyness, but that's not the whole story by any means. My life's been filled with politics from the time I was about five until now. However, I didn't realize to what extent it was woven into my life until one of my aunts passed away in 2004. I traveled back to NYC to pay my respects to her but the odd feelings I experienced during my last visit to my aunt's apartment in Manhattan led me to be more introspective than normal when I got home. My (as yet unpublished) book, "From the Left to the Right" (or, how I changed my mind politically) was the result.

My parents taught me from an early age to be open-minded, to question everything, and to change my mind as new facts are presented. I hope I can bring all of that, plus my conservative views to this blog. Although it may be the result from time to time, my aim will not be to anger anyone, but to encourage a fair debate of political points.

I've noticed that liberals and conservatives, aside from the obvious - that they see the world differently, they each may hold some preconceived notions about the other side, and each may believe in different stereotypes of each other. In most cases those stereotypes are not true because we are all individuals and no one thinks precisely the same way. For example, the stereotype that all liberals oppose the military is just as silly as the stereotype that all conservatives can't stand gay people. Perhaps people tended to believe them in the past, but the world has changed and open-minded, enlightened people absolutely shouldn't believe in them now.

So, here's to a new era, where liberals and conservatives get along better. When we take a deep breath if we become upset. When we can exchange ideas more frequently than verbal jabs. When the mainstream media exchanges partisan rhetoric for factual reporting. The only way to make things better is to try.

Int