VOTE today

If you're an American and you haven't already voted today, be sure to vote!

I rarely if ever discuss politics on this blog. Unlike many others, I don't think the discussion about the origin and setting of the Book of Mormon has anything to do with American politics.

I post political stuff here:

https://rationalpoliticalpositions.blogspot.com/

However, thousands of people read this blog and I think that, for Americans, voting is a civic duty that everyone should take seriously.

Much of the political dialog in the US is a distraction from the core issues and policies that affect us all on a daily basis. Many of these policies directly implicate the progress of people individually, society generally, and the advancement of the Restoration specifically. 

I also find it fascinating to see how so many people are polarized because of the media they consume. Democrats and Republicans both promote narratives based on fake news, hoaxes, and innuendo, all of which succeed to the extent that the consumers of their narratives are unaware of relevant facts and are thus unable to make informed decisions.

I'm fine with people believing whatever they want, of course. I just encourage people to make informed decisions.

The political divisions in the US are similar to the divisions among Latter-day Saints regarding the origin and setting of the Book of Mormon. Those who promote a particular agenda typically seek to control their followers by denying them relevant facts, conflating assumptions with facts, etc. That's why I'd like to see politicians, as well as LDS intellectuals, apply the FAITH model of analysis instead of resorting to misleading tactics to promote their respective agendas.

https://nomorecontention.blogspot.com/p/the-faith-model-of-analysis.html

And that's why I seek clarity, charity and understanding in the pursuit of no more contention, whereby we can all make informed decisions while recognizing multiple working hypotheses.

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JD Vance: “No matter who wins, half the country, as you said, is gonna be, at least partially disappointed.”

“We are all fundamentally on the same team however we voted.” “If you vote the wrong way, in my view, I'm still gonna love you. I'm still gonna treat you as a fellow citizen.“ “If I am lucky enough to be your vice president, I'm gonna fight far hard for your dreams and for your family over the next 4 years.”

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I posted the following on FB the other day and got a variety of responses, so I thought I might as well post it here, too, if only to generate a discussion.

I don't talk about politics on Facebook, but I'm fascinated that this election is supposedly close. I'm optimistic that we're about to enter the Golden Age, with these elements:

- Make America Healthy Again with RFK Jr. solving the problems of abuse and corruption at the FDA, NIH, USDA, etc., including the regulatory capture problems in the pharma and food industries.

- DOGE (Dept. of Government Efficiency) with Elon Musk, Ron Paul, and others reorganizing the federal government to make it effective, efficient, and responsive to voters.

- Secure borders with plentiful legal immigration of people who want to be Americans and want to contribute positively.

- Dismantling of the military-industrial complex that promotes wars around the world.

- Reemphasis on common sense law enforcement, regulation, economic policies, energy production, etc.

- Focus on productivity, optimism, and enthusiasm for the future through technology and traditional values (including family values).