Left or Right? A False Dichotomy
Republican or Democrat? Liberal or Conservative? Left or Right? Dichotomies like this can be useful when learning the elementary forms of a particular field, in this case politics. In fact labels have emerged out of evolution as a manner of being able to quickly and conveniently identify someone as a threat or friendly without having to allocate a great deal of attention to examining that person/group. However, once a minimum threshold of understanding has been achieved, they become restrictive as opposed to descriptive; dyads not only cease to be useful when utilized in discussion, but can be deleterious to democratic society. Instead, political ideology exists on a spectrum. I posit that we ditch the labels, which only serve to segregate us further.
A false dichotomy is the proposition of “either/or.” Example: Either you are liberal or you are conservative. This statement is simply not true because both categories are not mutually exclusive; for instance a person can be an advocate of the second amendment, typically a conservative stance, but also be pro-choice when it comes to abortion, generally a liberal stance. With all the possible viewpoints on the myriad number of issues that are up for debate in contemporary society, it’s quite rare that someone can check ALL liberal or ALL conservative boxes in ALL possible debates.
Wherever we may fall, due to how our elections just about always come down to a Republican vs a Democrat it is typical that people associate themselves with one of these parties based on who they side with most of the time. What this does is exacerbate bipartisan politics. As a result, people end up disagreeing with the opposing party, not on the merit of their idea, but for the sole reason that they are of the opposing party. In addition, when you identify yourself with a group, it becomes much more difficult, near impossible in some instances, to criticize that same group because you would view it as a criticism of yourself. This results in cognitive dissonance.
How can you support a group with whom you have a disagreement with? A decision must be made within the psyche of the person facing this dilemma: Either they sever ties with the group, or they adjust their own view to be in accordance with that of the group, what I would call a sell out. Unfortunately, some people choose the latter. They adopt a view simply because others in their group hold it and they fear standing out as siding with “the enemy.” If I identify as liberal but am pro-gun rights, my liberal friends might call me…*gasp*… a conservative. This is not how an effective democratic society should work and in fact can lead to its downfall.
We are all individuals. When we identify too strongly with a group, studies show we relinquish our own critical thinking skills, effectively hindering our own potential for intellectual growth as we undergo a transformation into what Nietzsche refers to as a herd animal.
“…the desire for revenge becomes a desire for justice, a hatred of one’s enemy becomes a hatred of injustice”
“This morality values what has no intrinsic value, and very often endangers what is of much greater value, viz. human greatness.” (source 2)
Further, when you identify yourself as a conservative or a liberal, people assume they know where you stand on everything whereas in reality, individuals may have more complex views on a topic. But these labels shut down the conversation before it even starts to delve into the nuances and intricacies of the problems we face. Quite a few have already ditched the short-hand, thought mainstream media thrives on employing this technique to divide us. We can use our power as consumers to ignore the legacy media and instead support independent journalists and political commentators online (YouTube, Medium, Patreon, etc.). This is where the REAL information is, where REAL debate occurs, where REAL people forge their personal views, and in effect where REAL democracy lives.
Severing ties with the Left
This brings me to my own personal instance of cognitive dissonance. Since I escaped the Jehovah’s Witness cult (a religion that demands political neutrality and prohibits political endorsement of any kind) and was finally free to voice my own decisions, I’ve identified as a Liberal. However since Nov. 9th, leaders of the left have been acting in ways I simply cannot support:
- SAG Awards: David Harbour says “We will punch some people in the face […] And we will do it all with soul, with heart, and with joy” and receives a standing ovation from Hollywood.
2. Richard Spencer gets punched in the face during an interview; those on the left appear to see it as justified
3. UC Berkely/Antifa Protests Milo Yiannopoulus. A disappointing loss for free speech.
4. Black Lives Matter protest videos posted online that show people saying things like “He’s white, beat his ass. He voted for Trump, get him!”
5. The kidnapping and torture of a white, mentally challenged high school student in Chicago that was inspired/influenced by BLM rhetoric.
6. CNN dishonestly edits video clips to meet their agenda. One example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_iXfbxfwDA
Michelle Obama once said “When they go low, we go high.” Apparently there are some on the regressive left that disagree with this and think violence is now justified in the age of Trump. I am not talking about random people on YouTube, in this particular case I am talking about a mainstream news organization speaking out in favor of terrorism.
Acts of violence, condoning violence, and even silent bystanders of violence, those who identify as liberal and refuse to speak out against the repulsive actions of their most vocal leaders, are all compliant in this degradation of civic society. When people of average intelligence see things like this, it only deters them from your cause. If the left seeks to attract more people and evict Trump from the Presidency in 2020, this is the exact opposite of what they should be doing. This only strengthens those on the right because it shows that your cause has abandoned ethics and common decency.
As a result of the above-mentioned instances, I’ve decided to detach myself from the label of “liberal” due to its deteriorating reputation and the people associated with this camp. Ironically enough, in doing so I feel liberated. If I have to choose a label, I consider myself a contrarian. The vagueness of that term is perhaps its greatest strength.
Facts exist. Reality exists. Feelings do not override these things. Please join the campaign of opposing legacy media propaganda. Research, write, share your findings.
If you would like to support my work, you can do so on Patreon: https://patreon.com/user?u=4902584
Sources
Source 1: https://heatst.com/politics/bernie-sanders-leaves-the-democratic-party/
