Democrats vs Republicans: Whose Side Are We On?
Although we are still more than one year away from the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, the battle between Democrats and Republicans is already gaining fuel. These debates between liberals and conservatives are the likely root for years of gridlock in all aspects of government policy: migration, gun control, abortion, etc. As an American, it may be hard to escape the constant news about presidential hopefuls and the morality of their policies, but from the outside it may be easier to see that both sides have a point… which means that neither one will ever win.
In his book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt explains some of the core beliefs that lead to polarization and gridlock between liberals and conservatives. As he shows: it’s all about values. Liberals and conservatives (as well as libertarians) value different things, which leads to different conclusions about “what is best for the community.” This happens regardless of nationality, gender, geography or religion. Once we are caught up in the ‘moral matrix’ of our party, it’s hard to find any value or legitimacy in the other side, and that’s what leads to passionate confrontations resulting in endless debates. But there is one underlying reason why these arguments are both heated and timeless: both sides are right… and yet both are fundamentally wrong.
Haidt’s research shows that conservatives have one main flaw: they fail to notice some victims of oppression and fail to see the need for change. Conservatives are more of what is called “hivish” (as in bee hives); they are more prone to ‘rally around the flag’ which means that they are willing to sacrifice anyone who doesn’t fit into traditional values… even if those values have changed from what they meant in their traditional meaning. Meanwhile liberals tend to sacrifice the hive in order to save the victims of oppression and unfairness. Even though it’s moral to update traditions and ensure that no company or government becomes too powerful, this is a flaw because sometimes liberals risk the entire American hive in order to save some of the bees. So which side is ultimately better for America?
If all [or many] of Haidt’s ideas are correct, neither liberals nor conservatives are what is best for the United States, and choosing sides between Democrats and Republicans will only lead to political gridlock and social inefficiencies the way we have seen over the past decade or longer. What is needed is an appreciation for the legitimate points and concerns that the other side sustains and a greater empathy for why the other side cares so much about making those points. It may be hard to see this when everything in the news and media pressures citizens to choose one side against the other or when it’s obvious that the other person is wrong. But as science suggests, the most effective way to analyze something objectively is by taking an unbiased perspective. Politically, this means that sometimes the most objective perspective about American politics might actually come from taking an international angle.
