Have you found yourself on Facebook constantly fighting with someone who posts something you disagree with or when someone disagrees with one of your posts? Have you found yourself debating, yelling, and bickering non-stop with the same person over and over again? Have you come to the realization that nothing has changed since the time you have spent rambling on about your position? I would be a liar if I said I had not realized that for some time. But I have come to the realization that although healthy debate is useful , for those of us that approach a debate in good faith of opposing views,it gets us no where. We can bicker for ages over if the state should exist, or if there should be a limited government, or a bigger government in certain areas.
As anarchists, liberals, conservatives, libertarians or whatever you call yourself it should be apparent that politicians are not doing much to help society progress. Be it for the poor, the middle class, equality, healthcare and so many other essential areas of concern for people. So what are we doing as people to help each other because arguing helps no one other than our intellectual egos.
We all have many friends that we disagree whole heartedly on many subjects, but we are still friends. A good friend of mine, and one that challenges me intellectually, is a left leaning anarchist. I have another good friend who is a constitutional libertarian and we can bicker for years on end over the existence of the state. I have good friends who are typical republicans and typical democrats. What do we all have in common though? We all typically want to help everyone else. None of us like people being poor, lacking healthcare, or being unable to pay for life's necessities. We all have different ways to help provide people with these things but we all want to help them.
So what can we do with one another to further help society? Legislation is hard to get passed for all the things people want so that probably is not the best way. What path has the most efficacy?
I think our best bet is to start locally in our own communities.
Have a liberal friend who is disgusted that the poor have such a hard time getting food? Grab that liberal friend and do something about it. Donate to local food banks, if money is hard to come by go volunteer your own time. Help people grow gardens so as to help them become more self sufficient, because not even liberals want people to be dependent on government.
Have a conservative friend who is disgusted over our failing public school system? Grab that conservative friend and go volunteer at tutoring centers for the subject which bests suits you. There are kids out there that need help and who are looking for it, I would know private tutoring paid for many of my hobbies throughout high school and college. Parents know that schools can't physically help each individual student so help them out. Make your community smarter by helping kids think through physics or algebra problems.
You have an "other side of the road" anarchist friend who you disagree with fundamentally on many issues as I do? So what, shake their hand, and go out and help your community in whichever way you best can.
Lastly, live a life of kindness and humbleness. Live your life to help each other because none of us can depend on anything but each other to promote the advancement of society. Whatever your ideology is, or your friends, go out and make a difference in this world because sitting behind a keyboard just arguing will get us nowhere.
