Mindless Allegiance to Extinct Political Ideology

I find it quite interesting to consider the terms liberal and conservative in the context of our two political parties. In the strictest sense, to be liberal is to support change; to be conservative is to support the status quo. So, given the fact that the democrats are the liberal party in the US, one would think that their platform would be all about change. On the other hand, we should expect that republicans would be about keeping things as they are. In many ways, this is the case. However, does this really make sense?

The conservative ideology leans on the idea that those institutions which have stood the test of time are inherently good, simply by virtue of their durability. After all, if it has lasted for 200+ years, it must be right. Alternatively, the liberal ideology embraces the idea that everything is fair game for reconsideration. Liberals hold that we are learning all the time and that we should apply what we learn to our government policies. Just because an institution has been around for a while is no reason to suppose that it makes sense. When it is stated like this, I can't help but side with the libs.

I think we should be willing to rethink everything. Unfortunately, the liberal ideology as it exists today is less about thoughtful consideration of issues and more about reflexive opposition to whatever conservatives like. At the same time, the conservative mentality is now all about opposing libs at all costs. Indeed, the ideological basis of both ideologies appears to be nothing short of extinct. The team mentality, it seems, has taken over. This is a major problem because we live in a time when some things should stay the same and some things are in dire need of an overhaul.

To say that we should be willing to rethink things is not to say that we should automatically throw out our oldest institutions and start over from scratch. There is some validity to the idea that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. This is the case when it comes to economics in the US. Our economy is, at its core, a free market (setting aside for the moment that the government currently regulates industries in staggering proportions). The basis of the free market is that individuals are best suited to make decisions about their property. The only other option is that they are not. History has shown that anything other than individual ownership and control of property results in tyranny, poverty, and a general decline in economic prosperity. Socialism and communism have never achieved anything remotely as successful as capitalism. That means that when we rethink economics, we come to the conclusion that being economically conservative makes good sense. This is not the case when it comes to social policy.

There are thousands of laws on the books that seek to control the behavior of individuals in our society. Laws related to sexual behavior and drug use are prime examples. When we take the time to rethink these issues, we find that there are alternatives that make a lot more sense, especially considering the fact that the US Constitution is founded on the notion that individuals are free to do whatever they want, so long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others. Therefore, it makes sense to be socially liberal. So where does this leave us?

The simple truth is that both of our parties have lost their focus. Again, the political philosophies that once underpinned them are nowhere to be found. Of course, this is no surprise. They are run by politians, people who are far more interested in obtaining power than they are in doing the right thing for the country. Be that as it may, if Democrats and Republicans want to be true to their respective liberal and conservative roots, they should be campaigning differently in this election year. There are great issues for both of them to embrace.

The conservatives should be supporting keeping things as they are - both economically and socially. If they really believe that that which has stood the test of time is good, then their platform should be the status quo. I'm not saying they'd be right; I'm just saying that this is what their ideology demands. On the other hand, the Democrats should be embracing change. However, they should be smart enough to recognize what works and what doesn't. It is senseless to embrace raising taxes on the rich when the record clearly shows that this results in a decline in tax revenues and GDP. There are plenty of other things that need their liberal attention - sex laws, drug laws, marriage laws, etc. Alas, this seems to be a pipe dream.

Kerry, who is as liberal as they come (though he wouldn't dare admit it), has recently condemned Bush's plan to bring home troops from Germany and North Korea. Why would he do that? It's a change, a change that makes good sense. He does it for no other reason than to attack Bush. And Bush? He's expanded the size of the federal government by more than any other president in history. Why would he do that? He's supposed to be about keeping things as they are, right? In the end, we end up with the same old conclusion - the folks controlling this country really have no principles. They are about personal gain at all costs. That means it is extremely foolish to blindly take sides.

Anyone who tells me that they always vote Republican or Democrat is telling me that they don't really know how to think about politics. I'd be a lot more encouraged if they told me that they always support liberalism or conservatism. At least then I could hope that they have a philophical foundation upon which they base their political considerations. Sadly, this is not the case. But I suppose it doesn't really matter. Like I said, in today's world, it really doesn't make sense to be one or the other all the time. Ideally, our electorate should be intellectually curious enough to consider all issues individually and vote according to which politicians are most aligned with those issues they consider the highest priority. Sadly, this too appears to be a pipe dream. So I guess I'll just continue to watch in horror as the politicians slice and dice this great country into little pieces, as US citizens, like European soccer fans, cheer mindlessly for their favorite team.

A word of advice - get rich as fast as possible. Like it or not, the more money you have, the more insulated you are from the manipulations of politicians. That's the reality we find ourselves in.