Meaning is the ‘idea or thought’ that you are trying to convey by talking, hand movements, signs, drawing or by whatever other means of communication that you can devise. Some conversations have very little value and that is referred to as chit chat. Carl Jung said, “The least of things with a meaning is worth more than the greatest of things without it.” (without meaning or value) An artist will usually paint, sculpt or whatever his artistic medium is, with some message or meaning in mind. Without that meaning the art piece will have less value, or no value at all. It will be artistic chit chat. The rest of this thought that I am trying to express may not be appreciated by a person with a liberal mind set. However, it is unlikely that a person with those leanings would be reading a thought in a volume such as this anyway. Most everything in life has meaning or substance and therefore some value. The other day I listened to a conservative humorist whose statement was meaningless, yet, it expressed an idea, an idea that had a great deal of meaning in a mocking sort of way. That was a comedian who was invited to a Fox News, ‘Mike Huckabee show.’ He was a political satirist who with only a paragraph or two, spoke nonsense very fast, mixed in with a few politically correct words. It was very funny! He was trying to portray a liberal politician who has the politically correct jargon down well enough to keep being re-elected. A man who, in his career, has accomplished absolutely nothing of value for the people he supposedly represents in his home state. It was not only funny but it correctly portrayed so many liberal politicians who are sent to Washington year after year. They have value only to their party leaders, party leaders whom they follow in a lockstep fashion for fear of being ostracized and lose the support of their party. An example of that is when ‘Obama Care’ was approved. It was not conceived of, nor written, by those politicians whose job it was, but rather by a University professor. The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, told her drones; “Let’s pass it so we can find out what’s in it.” Apparently 100% of the liberal democrats passed the bill without having a clue as to what was in it. At that time, the democrats controlled both the House and the Senate. From what I understand not one Republican voted for it. Good and common sense is often in short supply in politics.
The Fox News guest portrayed that political event so well with his formal sounding, but meaningless, jargon. It was so sad for the nation, but liberal politicians were proud that they were able to accomplish something, even though it was a negative for their constituents.
In 1952, after a characteristically brilliant speech by Adlai Stevenson, the Democratic nominee for President that year, a supporter is said to have bellowed, “Every thinking American will vote for you!” Stevenson shouted back, “That’s not enough, I need a majority.” Obviously there were not very many thinking Americans in 1952 either. The health bill cost the American public billions of dollars, adding significantly to our national debt. That my friends, represents the same kind of liberal, nonsensical and meaningless political garbage that Huckabee’s comedian guest portrayed in his liberal and meaningless jargon. That is what Carl Jung meant when he said, “The least of things with a meaning is worth more than the greatest of things without it.”
A properly proposed and discussed piece of legislation that had some well thought through value for the country would have made ‘thinking constituents more pleased with the quality of our elected officials. You might ask how on earth do they get away with it? They get away with it because the majority of the nation’s populace has no interest in politics, That is obvious when Fox News Correspondent, Jesse Watters, questions the man on the street. Even university students, who are majoring in Political Science and/or Public Administration, know very little about what is going on in Washington or who the ‘players’ are. For example a young university student was asked by Watters, who the current president of the United States was? Her answer, after much careful thought, was a hesitant, “George, …ah, is it George Washington?” May God help us as a people and as a nation. Yes! Sense is often in short supply in politics. Meaning is even in shorter supply. Politics as well as all serious conversation should follow the advice of Isaiah; “Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.” (Isa. 41:21) and; “He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good. And whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.” (Proverbs 16:20) If we are smart we will; “Say what we mean and mean what we say.” A wise person said of friends; “Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don’t say.”
Let our conversations have meaning, for all else is chit chat.