What Am I?
Published June 04, 2007
I found myself in a really odd position the other night, when a long-time friend informed someone else, in a matter of fact way, that he knows for a fact that I am a Republican! I guess surprise and shock was evident on my face as he stopped speaking and then stated, "oh! you're not?" "Of course not!" was my reply.
Then you MUST be a democrat!
"No!"Green Party? Communist ?
No and NO!Some confusion reigned at the table as I tried to explain my position...I do not believe in aligning myself to a particular political agenda. My opinions will always be issue-based. I will think about the issue at hand and then decide which candidate or political party or group has similar thoughts and ideas. If I find one, then I might back them, for that issue alone.
Well, the reason for this post wasn't to clarify my political affiliations, or lack of one thereof. I was intrigued by the vagaries of human nature. Just because you propose a different opinion from the person whom you engage in a dialogue with, you are automatically classified as belonging to the "other" side! For most people, affiliations and opinions are either black or white. There is no place for shades of grey that is usually abundant in life. I mean, I have been categorized by different people as being a democrat, right-winger, republican, liberal and various other unprintable types! For instance, some of the folks that I hang out with, decidedly swing to the right (or more promptly to the Republican party agenda), When I disagree with some of the views that they express, I am immediately classified as being a "liberal". When I argue with the aforementioned friend (who is decidedly a believer in left-wing ideas), I am classified as being a Republican!
It seems like the thought, "if you are not my friend, you are my enemy" holds true among most human beings. Most people look for some sort of affirmation and when they don't get it, they suspect a hidden agenda - in fact, along the lines of opposition! I mean, we're humans - we're opinionated, self-obsessed, egotistic and short-tempered. We can't all be expected to hold the same views and opinions (a la "1984") - I mean, most of us have disagreements on where to go for lunch, and how can one expect a rational human being to align himself or herself perfectly with everything that one person believes in? In fact, dissidents abound in every major political party the world over. Hey, if party leaders can rarely agree on what is a "correct" course of action (is there such a thing?), then why must someone from the general populace pick just one side and agree with all the baggage that comes along?I mean, you might pick the Democrats because they are more "liberal", but may not like their socialistic ideas of medicare or increased taxes. Perhaps the Republican party's ideals of fiscal responsibility may be your thing, but you may not like their ties to the oil industry. The Green party's ideas that everyone should do what they want perhaps makes sense in the larger scheme of things, but you may not like fact that people could get easy access to pot and cocaine!
- What Am I?
- Published: June 04, 2007
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Politics
- Filed Under: Culture: Society, Politics: U.S.
- Writer: Sibin Mohan
- Sibin Mohan's BC Writer page
- Sibin Mohan's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
People like to put everyBODY in little boxes.
That's where they feel comfortable living--they don't have to think or make any real decisions that way.
Humans are pattern-seeking animals. Biologically speaking, it's a relic from the days when we were still foragers and hunters and lived by a set of reliable natural rules: green fruit taste bad, avoid things with sharp teeth, approach the herd from upwind, and so on. You played the percentages. You didn't need to stop to analyze whether the thing with sharp teeth was hungry at that particular moment, you just got the hell out of there because that way you increased your chances of safety.
So even though we're blessed with intellect, most of us choose not to use it much and allow ourselves to fall into the habit of categorizing everything. It allows the sheeple to delude themselves (for example) that Rudy Giuliani's against abortion because he's a Republican, when in reality he's not.
I feel I should clarify that last sentence, which was crappily written by my standards. I meant that in reality Giuliani is not against abortion. However he is, of course, a Republican.
Catorization is most beneficial to the politicians. I believe most people find themselves in the same position as Siban - neither side satisfies.
Reminds me of this far side comic.
Uumm Dr. D,
"...approach the herd from upwind..."
Haven't done much hunting, have you?
Clavos #6:
Huh?
[scratches head, quickly sketches diagram on back of envelope]
All right then, downwind, dammit! Sheesh - can't anybody make a mistake around here?
Anyway, I could be right. Herds in prehistoric times had a notoriously bad sense of smell. Maybe that's why they're extinct.
;-)
's okay, Doc. Just couldn't resist it...:>)
Too much time on my hands today.
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/64830)
Interesting post. People do like to put everything in little boxes, don't they?
One polarizing aspect of partisan politics is that voters tend to feel forced towards one of the big parties because of a perception that a smaller one, which may reflect their personal views more closely, has no chance of being elected and therefore they don't want to waste their vote... which is ironic, because what is a vote for someone whose platform you don't believe in but a wasted vote?
This leads to cynicism - a general feeling that neither electable party is worthy of governing - and voter abstinence. Now that really is a wasted vote.
I'm fortunate to be a citizen of Britain, which does have a viable third party, the centrist Liberal Democrats. Because of the way Britain's first-past-the-post electoral system works, the Lib Dems are not anywhere near as strong a force as Labour and the Conservatives in terms of seats, but in voter numbers they are never far behind the other two parties in national elections - in fact they occasionally beat one of them. Labor and the Tories still vilify them as irrelevant, but that's because they are seen as a threat by both sides - a party that can take away millions of potential election-winning votes.
Interestingly, voters seem to be realizing the true power that the Lib Dems have, and are turning to them more consistently instead of simply as a protest. They've gone from near-oblivion 30 years ago (when they were the old Liberal Party) to having dozens of seats in the Commons - and the number is increasing at each election.
Britain does seem to be heading towards a truly meaningful three-party system. It'll be interesting to see what that means for stable government, since we're a stubborn bunch and only seem to go for coalitions in wartime.
Why am I rambling on about the Liberal Democrats? Well, because in a way they represent my own political journey. I guess I'm a rarity in that contrary to most people, I've got more liberal as I get older. When I first reached voting age I supported the Conservatives - mainly because my Dad did. But it didn't take long to realize that anyone with half a functioning brain cell can see that no one ideology has a monopoly on good government. I didn't like the anger and social suffering that Tory policies were causing, and wouldn't touch Labour (who were still socialistic at that time) with a ten-foot pole. The Lib Dems seemed to espouse balance and common sense.
I've stuck with them ever since; although ironically, since Labour underwent an extreme makeover in the 1990s to render them electable, the Lib Dems are now further to the left in their outlook than Labour is.
I still think the Lib Dems espouse balance and common sense. I do still have a viable party that mostly reflects my own opinions. To my mind, Labour aren't sincere. They're just saying things to make people like them.