Think about it — as a Coke (or Pepsi) fan — how often do you have a choice, should you want such a beverage? Most of the time we’re a slave to what’s put on our plate (or in the soda machine).

Holy shit! You’re right! I never realized that before. The only time you have a choice between Coke or Pepsi is when you go into an actual shop to buy soda. When you are out at a restaurant, you will order “A Coke” and the waitress will reply, “Pepsi okay?” And you say, “Sure!”

Because he had a task to do (I believe it was a commerce/trade meeting) that was more important than a parade, he wasn’t assumed to be busy, or unavailable - no, he was anti-pride, and shoud be hated for it.

I thought it was a very amusing side to much of N. America’s dealing with minorities and special interest groups like the glbt community - if you aren’t actively supporting and holding their hand all the time, if you are absent for something else - the play the guilt-and-shame card, saying you’re “against them”. It has reached the point where people feel bad if they can’t make this pride event, or that cultural festival.

It seems to me that some dark, dangerous, and chaotic unconscious force is always the winner when things get broken down into this black-or-white way of thinking. I picture Leviathan rubbing his hands greedily, knowing the battle is going his way.

It also reminds me of Coke vs. Pepsi, the most notorious of all one-side-or-the-other battles (at least for me). The funny part is — whoever loses, they both win. By that I mean, all they want is people to pick a side and become a fan of soda. Think about it — as a Coke (or Pepsi) fan — how often do you have a choice, should you want such a beverage? Most of the time we’re a slave to what’s put on our plate (or in the soda machine).

Whether it’s maliciously done or not, it seems like there’s hardly an important issue in today’s society that doesn’t get drawn out according to this strict linear axis of for and against, though the terms get jumbled sometimes to make it seem like there is no negative option: pro-choice, pro-life, family values, gay rights, freedom, security, etc. Politics is simply littered with these types of simplifications, as they seemed designed to break diverse groups of opinions down to very basic emotionally-laden arguments.

So true! By eliminating options, politicians (or whoever really makes decsions) prevent us from actually thinking any rational thoughts.

Sadly, it works…

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/lot49/

It is exceedingly relevant to your post.