Democrat vs Republican. Left vs Right. Liberal vs Conservative. Donkey vs Elephant. Blue vs Red.
We all scream and squeal and whine like little girls at members of the alternative political affiliation, but have you ever really stopped to think about what the difference is? Maybe you’re not quite sure WHAT you believe and wished there was a test for which school of thought with which you should align yourself.
Are you for lower taxes? You’d be crazy not to be! So maybe you’re a republican. But you also realize that the earth is a fragile place that needs to be protected. So maybe you’re a democrat.
I’d like to propose what I believe to be the single deep-rooted issue behind the schism of political self-righteous; the fundamental view of the world which ultimately determines which side of the philosophical line on which we fall.
Question #1 (of 1): Which do you feel to be more important, optimizing society for the individual or for the collective?
Neither is “better” in the absolute sense. It’s like asking whether a Ferrari or a Bentley is a better car. Both have their merits, but the answer can only come from knowing more about the question. Are you looking for performance or luxury? Speed or space?
While the question doesn’t hold up for all political differences, it’s a pretty good starting point. I’ll be expanding on a few examples over the next couple weeks. On which side do you stand on the major issues? Are you an individualist or a collectivist? Consider taxes, education, re-distribution of wealth, CEO pay, healthcare, unions, entitlement programs, foreign policy, etc.
More to follow.
2 comments
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August 22, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Justin
I think the better question is, does either major party in the united states represent the philosophies that they profess in order to get elected?
I think what folks in this country are figuring out is that both parties are ideologically bankrupt, and have used wedge issues to divide people in order to keep their attention away from what the main issues are for politicians of both stripes: power and money.
How long have liberals said they are going to end poverty? How long have conservatives said that they would ban abortion? cut taxes? fix social security? on and on and on…..
These issues are used to divide people so that politicians can keep dipping into the public trough for their own personal benefit. Remind me again why people spend millions of dollars for a job that pays 200k a year?
August 22, 2010 at 8:14 pm
fastnhappy
My lost faith in both parties is the genesis of the title of this blog. So i’m right there with you. But you have to be pretty cynical (or a conspiracy theorist
to believe that’s their intent. I think people run for office thinking they can change things, and once they get elected, they realize how hard it is to change anything and spend all their time trying to stave off the other party’s change. It’s a zero-sum game which leaves us billions poorer and hope-starved.
But that’s not necessarily part of the conversation I’m hoping to have in this particular post. I just want to define the dichotomy.