So in this age, it seems like there is always some war... Us VS Them. Liberals VS Conservatives, Democrats VS Republicans, Theists VS Atheists, Gay VS Straight, 1% VS 99%... I could probably go on for quite a while before running out of match ups. The news sounds like some sort of wrestling match set up more days than not any more.
I've thought a lot about how to break down these things... Us VS Them is a very good concept when you want to divide people, and don't fool yourself, the current day politicians are masters at it. As long as the average Americans are divided among themselves, they really have a free hand to do just about anything they care to.
So what do you have... Us... and Them... Two groups normally too angry to actually stop and look at what they actually are... try to find similarities, or even try to work things out together. So first let's start with a defining exercise.
I like to start with Liberals VS Conservatives. Personally, I'm a libertarian (please note the small L, I am in no way associated with any brand name political party), so when with a liberal, I come off conservative, and when with a conservative I come off liberal... but let's actually LOOK at what these words mean.
First, strict dictionary definitions:
Liberal - a philosophy that considers government as a crucial instrument for amelioration of social inequities (as those involving race, gender, or class)
Conservative - a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions, and preferring gradual development to abrupt change
Now, the biased definitions:
Liberal - A person who doesn't not consider the whole picture, idealist, unrealistic, condescending.
Conservative - A person who is more interested in the interests of those already well off, stuck up, condescending.
Something I find humorous about both of these groups is that a Conservative is likely to call a Liberal a "Socialist" in a negative manner... where a Conservative is likely to be branded a "Nazi" citing their supposedly narrow scope of caring. Now, when one considers the fact that Nazis began as the National Socialist Party... aren't they technically calling each other the same thing?
I have recently met a person who enjoys pointing out that Socialism isn't a bad thing. There are, indeed, a number of 'socialist' services that are nearly necessary in running of society. Fire departments, police, even the US Military could be considered a socialist service.
Now, as you can see, both sides of this argument can be considered condescending. Honestly they both commit what a libertarian considers a cardinal sin... they both assume to know what's best for everyone. But note in the strict definition... there really isn't a lot of overlap. Conservatives are in favor of stability, Liberals in favor of change. Conservatives prefer change to be gradual, Liberals want things to be done NOW.
There are a number of people who will add religion into the equation, Liberals will site the normal Conservative views as "unchristian" (i.e. stance on welfare, national health care and so on), and Conservatives will site many of the Liberal views as "unchristian" (i.e. the willingness to terminate an unborn child)... personally I believe these are thrown out to manipulate people. Religion is a strong driving factor to most, so the moment you attempt to attack them on that level, people WILL rally. Now, how it's used is dependent on what people want.
The Us VS Them mindset is most visible on Facebook. Here you find people blaming one side or the other for all the wrongs in the world, ending with things like "Vote Democrat!" or "Vote Republican!". Personally, the idea of voting for a person purely based on what party they're with seems like a gross over simplification of a more complicated issue. Unfortunately for these posts, many of the Democrats have often voted against many things that their supporters making these posts are blaming on the Republicans, and visa versa. There is not a single politician in this country that can claim they've ONLY ever voted for one set of ideals.
The sad thing about this is that the public is far more interested in who's slept around than what someone's voting record is. While sleeping around may not be the best example of moral straightness (for that matter, neither is being straight... just saying) when it comes to how a person is helping shape our country, I think what they're doing while actually working is more important than what they may do in their free time.
I have much more to say... but I hope this bit gives people more of an idea. This isn't about which one is better, because I don't believe either one is... and the games people play need to be put to a stop. This is about shedding light into what's quickly becoming as gross as racism. I can't say calling all Republicans corrupt, or all Liberals stupid is much better than trying to claim all blacks are criminals or gays are child molesters. It's socially unacceptable to infer either of these things about blacks or gays, yet it's fine to attack someone just because you disagree, however... the rest is for another night :)
