Liberal/Democrat v. Conservative/Republican Dichotomy, and What to Do About It

Reading comments on CNN articles is a pasttime of mine. I don't ever write any, but I can't help but notice how it seems that overnight the world became black and white, and very clear. Wise legal writing advice applies to life as well: if you must say clearly, then it probably isn't that clear.

Comments make me laugh and make me wince. But I do enjoy the perspective. They clearly display the dichotomy that exists today in the United States: the liberal-democrat/conservative-republican problem. Now, I happen to be a centrist (according to facebook), and also feel that my personal political beliefs are none of your business. But I can't help but thing that both sides could learn from the other, and we could vastly improve communication by being more honest:

1. There is no real true liberal or conservative. If the democratic primaries have taught anything, it is that there is as much division in the liberals as there is in the conservatives (have you listened to NPR on the problems with McCain?). There are more liberal, and less liberal. But everyone is biased one way or another in an effort for self-preservation. If you like the war, well, why? If you like high taxes, well, why? I am quite sure that there is some kind of ultimate idea that is self-preservationist at its core. If this is our bottom line, things will move smoothly to the next point.

2. No one is right all the time. There is no black and white answer that applies forever. There are only shades of political gray. For example: abortion. This is a very sticky subject, and as a woman I understand both sides of the debate intimately. However, it is amazing to me how uninformed each side is. About even general anatomy and the physical realities of pregnancy (even women, I dare say) when it comes to this debate. It is an endless one too. People simply won't agree. But however, more information could prevent people from attacking one another and even killing one another. And allow people to agree to disagree. Which is a sign of being a grown-up, because...

3. Everyone has a right to their opinion. I have been following an article on CNN about a 57 year old woman who lives in her car with her two large dogs. I am not a dog person, or really an animal person, so I must admit I don't understand (too many allergies). There were also a lot of other parts of the article that troubled me. And, as a tax payer in the highest bracket my fiscal opinions are decidedly conservative. But I respect her choices, even if I disagree with them, and I sympathize with her situation (my family was in a very desperate situation when I was a child). But the comments on this article are simply amazing. From stating authoritatively that that women should give up her dogs because she can't afford them (no where in the article) to blaming her because she lived in a multi-million dollar beach front property (also no where in the article) to blaming the finance industry for forclosing her home and for her problems (no where in the article did it say she owned a home), people are all over the place. Much of this debate stems from self-projecting which leads to irrationality. People see what isn't there. Because what is there reveals that there isn't really much of an argument. Bare bone facts aren't very sexy. So people spice them up to prove a point. Which is a sign that...

4. The two sides aren't that different. While Republicans and Democrats duke it out over policies and spending money, it is clear that both sides love to spend money. And while they both duke it out over the size of the government, no one is really changing the size of the government. And while they both duke it out about personal responsiblity, both sides bail someone out (republicans the banks; democrats the borrowers). Both sides claim to be all about one group or another of "minorities" (democrats claim to pander to race, republicans to religion) but in the end, the only people who continue to benefit are the same people who have benefited all along. Everyone confirms the status quo.

My most vigorous arguments with people are always over issues where the differences are very small. I really think that this is an issue of people arguing over nuances. Unless you are a libertarian, or a crazy social conservative of the likes unseen, and really truly want to shoot yourself in the foot (don't get me started on radio announcers who espouse incredible views and then take the benefits that are afforded to them through government intervention), you fall into one of the two categories of similarly minded people who like to fight over nuances. Don't self-project! Rather, take time to learn about the other side, in a non-confrontational and less-partisan format, like wikipedia, and the BBC, (that is a joke) and maybe, just maybe, you will see that you aren't that different from your liberal/conservative brother. And, you really don't know everything.