From where I’m sitting, ‘politics’ is a bad word.
And for that matter, let's go ahead and add the words Republican, Democrat, liberal and conservative while we're at it. Here's an infinite paradox for you: I love to hate politics AND I hate to love politics. Yowza, that hurt.
The point I'm trying to make is, our political system is so divided with our two-party ideology of government that I often shudder away from political conversation with people because:
#1 - it seems like everyone just wants to know what side of the fence you are on. "Are you a Republican or a Democrat? -- Voting for Obama or McCain? -- Liberal or conservative?" and so on and so on. That is precisely one thing that I hate about our political system. Why do I have only two legitimate choices when it comes to a U.S. Presidential election? Did I ever say that I wanted to choose from only two people from two significantly different schools of thought who could feasibly become the next leader of my country, and the most powerful leader in the world? I think not!
What if I don't agree with either of them on what issues are important and what possible solutions may exist for those issues? What if I don't even particularly like either of them for reasons other than political beliefs? I'm not suggesting that this is how I feel about our current major-party Presidential candidates, but merely speaking hypothetically of our political situation in the U.S.
Do I think that our system is this way because people believe in the inevitability of either a Republican or a Democrat taking office, and therefore disregard any candidate besides those who champion the causes of either of the major parties? YES!
#2 - I don't want to pigeonhole myself by placing a divisive label on my political beliefs. Sure, my general idea of what a government's role should be will inevitably stick me to some label that identifies me with others of that belief, but I'm probably never going to agree with every opinion on every issue with any political party. All I could do is compartmentalize and compartmentalize and compartmentalize within our party system until I find myself with a very exclusive crowd of people who share every single opinion in common with me, and I'll bet I can even predict the size of that crowd now: one.
Everybody comes from a different background. Everybody reasons through and understands things in a vastly different way, even though their conclusions may often overlap. If the conclusions don't match, it doesn't mean by necessity that one person's reasoning is sound and the other's is not, or that one person's conclusion is right and the other's is wrong. All you can know with certainty is that the reasons, whether compelling or not, that led each person to a conclusion were simply different.
It should come as no surprise, then, that I am a registered Independent voter. I do have opinions on issues that I feel are important, and I do have an opinion on what a government's role should be within a country. If you are curious, just ask me -- but please, when I answer, don't do me the injustice of sticking me to a political party or another political figure because of my answer.
Let's just talk openly about the issues and what leads us to believe what we do. I ask for this courtesy because, just like everyone else, I come from a different background, and I have a different set of experiences and a different understanding of the world and a different method of reasoning than the rest.
August 3rd, 2008 - 01:37
A friend of mine recently asked me “If I’m pro life but for gay marriage, which am I?” and I became very alarmed.
As a political science major, I often get the question “so which are you?” and I become very alarmed.
It’s all very alarming. I think you hit it right on the nose with this bit:
“Did I ever say that I wanted to choose from only two people from two significantly different schools of thought who could feasibly become the next leader of my country, and the most powerful leader in the world? I think not!”
My friend and I have been exploring the idea of “room temperature” politics in which everything isn’t described as left or right (because everyone knows going too far left or too far right just makes a circle and brings you to the other). Perhaps I’ll explain to you in person some time.
I’d really like know your thoughts on specific issues.
August 3rd, 2008 - 04:24
First — thanks for sharing!
Your “room temperature politics” sounds very much like what I am a proponent for. I dislike weighing everything out on a definitive scale (or circle, as it were) from left to right.
To elaborate a bit further on the opening line of the post, I feel like the labels left and right, conservative and liberal carry so much negative weight that they not only discourage meaningful talk about the actual issues, but they constrict people into feeling like they have done something wrong to find themselves on the opposing side of another issue from the side that they agreed with before. At least this was the case with me when I was in self-discovery mode, when I thought it was an absolute necessity to force myself into a particular school of thought and identify myself with that party. Of course, I have since come to realize for myself that that is neither a healthy nor a productive means to finding one’s position on important issues.
I’m eager to hear more about you and your friend’s exploration of “room temperature politics.” And I’d be happy to share my take on specific questions. Ask away!