So Tired of "The Left" and "The Right" Thinking.

[Akita Suggagaki]

In their book, they make the case that contrary to popular belief, there are no consistent philosophies behind the political spectrum of left-right, liberal-conservative. Instead, the left and right are social groups united by tribal loyalty, fueling partisan hostility and undermining our ability to engage in reasoned debate. How would a shift from unidimensional tribalism to a more multidimensional view of politics affect civic discourse and public policy?


“Instead of saying, ‘You’re a right-wing pro-lifer,’ just say, ‘Oh, you believe pro-life on abortion policy.’ Instead of saying ‘You’re a left-wing environmentalist,’ say, ‘Oh, you’re just in favor of environmental protection,” Verlan explained. “We don’t have to bring in these labels of left and right, that mislead, that misinform, and that make our discourse more impoverished.”

Is the Political Left and Right a Myth? - Baker School

In this episode, former Tennessee Governors Phil Bredesen and Bill Haslam are joined by Hyrum Lewis and Verlan Lewis, brothers, professors, and authors of a new book, The Myth of Left and Right. In their book, they make the case that contrary to popular belief, there are no consistent...

baker.utk.edu

So don't call me a "leftist" because I want to preserve the environment.
And don't call me "Right Wing" because I want to defend human life in the womb.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

I call myself right-wing because people easily understand what that means. Politics is a dialectic, a competition between enemies for power and influence. Neutrality can never exist nor will giving up the label of left or right. The only duty someone has is to understand that their opponent might not necessarily fit into what you perceive as right or leftwing.

 

[Jo555]

In their book, they make the case that contrary to popular belief, there are no consistent philosophies behind the political spectrum of left-right, liberal-conservative. Instead, the left and right are social groups united by tribal loyalty, fueling partisan hostility and undermining our ability to engage in reasoned debate. How would a shift from unidimensional tribalism to a more multidimensional view of politics affect civic discourse and public policy?


“Instead of saying, ‘You’re a right-wing pro-lifer,’ just say, ‘Oh, you believe pro-life on abortion policy.’ Instead of saying ‘You’re a left-wing environmentalist,’ say, ‘Oh, you’re just in favor of environmental protection,” Verlan explained. “We don’t have to bring in these labels of left and right, that mislead, that misinform, and that make our discourse more impoverished.”

Is the Political Left and Right a Myth? - Baker School

In this episode, former Tennessee Governors Phil Bredesen and Bill Haslam are joined by Hyrum Lewis and Verlan Lewis, brothers, professors, and authors of a new book, The Myth of Left and Right. In their book, they make the case that contrary to popular belief, there are no consistent...

baker.utk.edu

So don't call me a "leftist" because I want to preserve the environment.
And don't call me "Right Wing" because I want to defend human life in the womb.

I hear ya. I can even have that feeling when using the term Christian and at times use believer instead.

For me it is more about not wanting to be associated with ideology as these things can appear to some, but want to be associated as a way of life. And, I am a follower of Christ so however one may see the term Christian, I still use it to make the distinction when I feel necessary.

On the other matter, I see these things as portions that can often have 27 All of you who have been baptized to show you belong to Christ have become like Christ. 28 God does not see you as a Jew or as a Greek. He does not see you as a servant or as a person free to work. He does not see you as a man or as a woman. You are all one in Christ. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you have become the true children of Abraham. What God promised to him is now yours. input as it fits into Christ.

It really boils down to each piece finding it's home in Him as in the heart of the matter, but we often want to disregard one piece for another. And that may be necessary for some pieces, but I find that in most cases most pieces can find their home in Him as reconciled in Him.

As Christians that should be what we seek to do in these matters.

Capitalist, socialist, communist, Democratic, Republican, etc.

 

[Jo555]

I hear ya. I can even have that feeling when using the term Christian and at times use believer instead.

For me it is more about not wanting to be associated with ideology as these things can appear to some, but want to be associated as a way of life. And, I am a follower of Christ so however one may see the term Christian, I still use it to make the distinction when I feel necessary.

On the other matter, I see these things as portions that can often have 27 All of you who have been baptized to show you belong to Christ have become like Christ. 28 God does not see you as a Jew or as a Greek. He does not see you as a servant or as a person free to work. He does not see you as a man or as a woman. You are all one in Christ. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you have become the true children of Abraham. What God promised to him is now yours. input as it fits into Christ.

It really boils down to each piece finding it's home in Him as in the heart of the matter, but we often want to disregard one piece for another. And that may be necessary for some pieces, but I find that in most cases most pieces can find their home in Him as reconciled in Him.

As Christians that should be what we seek to do in these matters.

Capitalist, socialist, communist, Democratic, Republican, etc.

Wow, I did not intentionally insert that portion from scripture, as God is my witness, but leaving as see how it fits.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

"So you can go down the list whether you're talking about trade policy or tax policy or abortion policy or racial policy, but maybe one example I'll give just because we've seen it a lot in our lifetimes is many of us in this room will remember in the 1970s and '80s, it was thought that those who were liberal were going to be less interventionist on foreign policy and those who were conservative were going to be more interventionist on foreign policy. So famously in 1972, George McGovern, who was considered a left wing and considered a liberal said that America needs to come home from its wars abroad, and the people who called themselves conservatives would criticize liberals for being isolationist, right? Well, in the 1990s, once Democrats took control of the presidency and started sending troops around the world and start doing some of this interventionist foreign policy, the positions of liberals and conservatives flipped. And you'll remember in the 1990s when those who called themselves conservatives would criticize Democrats for being interventionist on foreign policy and being too hawkish.

"Of course, I still remember in the 2000 debate between Al Gore of Tennessee and George W. Bush. Bush and his campaign would criticize Gore and the Clinton administration for being interventionist on foreign policy. President Bush then Governor Bush promised to have a humble foreign policy and that the U.S. can't be the world's policeman, that was his critique of liberals and progressivism. But of course, once Republicans became president it switched again, and it became during the 2000s, the time for liberals to criticize conservatives for being interventionist and hawkish on foreign policy. And that changed again during the Obama administration, and now we have conservatives, people who call themselves conservatives, people like Donald Trump saying, "We need to stop with the foreign interventionism. We need to stop with trying to be the world's policeman." So it goes back and forth what liberal and conservative means on just about every issue you can think of.

 

[9Rock9]

I guess I am technically left wing because I am a populist who sympathizes with the working class, and I think Georgism is a good idea.

However, I tend to lean right wing when it comes to culture and social issues.