My Politics
This article summarizes some of my political perspectives, especially in relation to the current Trump administration in the USA. I've never been accused of being a "con" (conservative, Republican) or "MAGA". Sometimes people suggest that I am a "lib" (liberal, Democrat), which is not exactly true. I wrote this as a response to such thought-stopping cliches.
I am an American, but I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat. To me, both parties are like two sides of a single coin that has been corrupted by money in politics, especially by political lobbying, campaign contributions, and potential for self-enrichment. I try to stay on the edge of the coin, but when I vote, I generally must choose one side or the other.
I believe in individual liberty, but I am not a libertarian. Nor am I a Marxist, a socialist, a Communist, or any other label. I am a free and independent thinker, which generally involves choosing between the lesser of two evils rather than actually supporting either. I consider each candidate and issue before voting, and only vote where I feel relatively informed.
As a relatively wealthy white male of Protestant Christian origin, the Republican party often appears to support my individual social and financial interests better. Because the Democratic party better represents my social interests in regard to equality, acceptance, and opportunity for all, and because third parties in the US political system generally lack any possibility of achieving anything, I typically vote Democratic.
Political Wings and Extremes
There are two ends to the various political spectrums on which every individual appears. While it may be valid for some individuals, I don't believe it's appropriate to categorize every person as belonging to either one or the other. For example, with some moderation, I consider myself to be financially conservative, but generally socially progressive. These categories allow mental models that help us understand the world and communicate, but can also be dangerous and oversimplify reality.
Left Wing, Progressive, Liberal ("Lib"), Blue, US Democratic Party
- Liberal (as opposed to Conservative): Government action should promote equal opportunity and equality.
- Progressive (as opposed to Reactionary): Advocating or implementing social reform or new, liberal ideas. They focus on forward movement and improvement.
- Leans Socialist (as opposed to Capitalist): Advocates for social and political change to improve welfare and rights.
- Big Government: Government and taxation are essential to achieve various objectives.
- Pluralistic: In the USA, relative to the right, the left wing is associated with relatively tolerant spiritual thinking as well as agnosticism and atheism, and believes strongly in the separation of church and state.
Right Wing, Conservative, Red, US Republican Party
- Conservative (as opposed to Liberal): Favors keeping things as they are or changing gradually.
- Reactionary (as opposed to Progressive): Return to a previous political or social state, often with a traditionalist or authoritarian bent. They seek to "react" against current political trends and reverse change.
- Leans Capitalist (as opposed to Socialist): Opposes government interference on the grounds that it constricts people's right to self-enrichment.
- Small Government: Government and taxation are burdensome for the population.
- Christian: In the USA, the right-wing is associated with Christianity, but it does not seem to have Christian values.
In the USA, much of organized Christianity has been corrupted by churches with specific social, political, and economic intentions as well as televangelists and ideas such as the Prosperity Gospel that have no basis in the Christian bible or the teachings of Christ. As opposed to separation of church and state, many on the right seem to be interested in converting the USA to a white Christian nation.
In some sense, MAGA (Make America Great Again, the party of Trump) represents the extreme right of the political party, although it actually seems to stand for concentrated wealth and political corruption. To be honest, Trump is so inconsistent that it's difficult for me to categorize his policies into either wing.
My Views
While there are certainly some people at each extreme of each wing, many people are closer to the center. Social progress depends on the left wing, but some constraints are appropriate.
I live in a blue state, meaning that most people there tend to vote along Democratic party lines. Due to the US Electoral College, this often means that my presidential vote is irrelevant; my state will vote blue regardless of how I vote as an individual. In most cases, only the presidential votes in Purple states matter, where people are less likely to cast predefined votes for either party.
I am socially progressive, to a point. I believe strongly in individual freedoms as long as they do not harm others. In some sense, I feel that certain elements of social progress went too far after about 2020, and MAGA is largely reactionary to that, indicating the risks of extremism on either end.
I believe that I am financially conservative, though one purpose of government is to care for the less fortunate, especially considering that the alternatives include homelessness, which creates an unpleasant environment for everyone, and incarceration, which is expensive and cruel.
While some regulation is important and taxes are required for public works as well as social programs, I do not support a welfare state. I think that everyone that is capable deserves equal opportunity for education and employment, and some require motivation to work. In a wealthy society, except by choice, nobody should be abandoned to homelessness, but both effort and intelligence are valid factors to determine quality of life.
I do not see an alternative to capitalism, but it must be tempered with regulation to reduce the risk of environmental damage and other potential harms, and social programs to mitigate the inequity that is its guaranteed result. We currently live in a period that demonstrates the dangers of highly concentrated wealth.