Quitting Facebook a week ago has brought me much peace. Occasionally I will lurk briefly, and it always tells me I did the right thing.
But then I wonder, am I failing in my obligation as a well-informed citizen, to do what I can to persuade my fellow citizens of the best way forward?
A fine sentiment to be sure, but there is zero evidence that I have ever been instrumental in changing anyone’s opinion about anything. So what’s the point?
The only other reason I can think of for facebooking, is to just be on the record. The record of course will later be used as evidence for or against your true colors, depending on how things turn out.
Facebook is making blogs obsolete, but a blog is actually better for the purpose of creating a record than is Facebook.The disadvantage of a blog, especially one like mine that nobody reads, is that there is no interaction, which, based on my Facebook experience, is not necessarily a bad thing.
Bring back blogging! Death to Facebook!
The tweet-length post has triumphed everywhere, I’m sad to say, along with fake news and alternative facts, not that these did not exist before they were named. I rarely if ever reply now to the ocean of political posts from liberal friends washing up on my FB page; nor to the defenses by the very few Republicans among my FB friends. Jesus Christ, the guy won, let him play his hand, no? Yes, I think he’s an uninformed, shallow, vain, embarrassingly silly junior high mind, but, hey, well, he won, so he gets to deal. Right? But, to get back to your original point, no one really wants to think seriously through anything anymore, or so it seems. Even the most liberal Democrats have decided that in this conflict they must be ruthless rhetorical warriors like you. Ah, I have such fond memories of the good old days when, as crazy as it was, some of us believed in truth and in the possibility of expressing it. Now, arguing politics is like arguing religion. So do you believe there are supernatural entities with magical powers whose only concern is the well-being of all humankind? Yes? Hmm…oh, man, seriously, where do we go from here? Prayer? If only it had power! Threats, warnings, bombings, nukes? Hey, my next door neighbor chugs four beers and doesn’t give a shit how many armed cops show up to keep him from beating his wife. He’s got his gun and his pride! Way back in 1965 one of my creative writing professors, Dr. Will Jumper, criticized one of my stories for my taking what he called “the Olympian view.” So many of us suffer and die in hell. So many of us prosper and die in heaven. Such mystery!