On the Spectrum
All humans reside somewhere along the spectrum
And life as a human involves various spectrums
From personal to political,
And life on the spectrum changes as we mature
Mature in our focus from self to other.
Especially in politics we all tend to shift right
As we age and mature, sometimes because
Our ideals have been softened by reality
Often when our increased wealthy and property
Makes us want to protect it from the needy
Greedy reach of the Nanny State.
Emotional, spiritual and psychological spectrums
Can be nuanced and complex
While the political spectrum is more cut and dry;
At one end total government
And at the other, no government.
These are the two wings, left and right
Of political discourse and thus disagreement
Because they are fundamentally incompatible.
Yet people compromise, to get along
And meet their own complex and nuanced
Emotional, spiritual and psychological needs,
So most people support a middle of the road
Mix of limited and unlimited government intervention.
Most people of course don’t even think of it like this
They think of what is good for me, and
What is just and kind for others
Without ever thinking about what form of government
They have enabled and empowered
To fulfill their needs.
In the end it’s always a compromise
And yet given the ways and means
The compromise always skews left
As more and more resources become available
To meet the needy and greedy demands
Of the growing Nanny State.
In the end we compromise our freedom
For our comfort and security
A tightrope walk down the middle
Of a life of compromise
Which is another way of saying
A compromised life.
(9/15/26)
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