The Election is Over -- Hooray!

Now that the election is over (thank goodness!), let’s hope that the people we sent to Washington and the state capitals will settle down and get something done rather than spending their time slinging more loose rhetoric. 

     It’s about that loose rhetoric that I write today. It’s easy enough to brand someone with inflammatory language—“liberal elitist,” “socialist,” “reactionary,” etc.—but seldom do I hear people define those kinds of terms; and seldom is there any purpose other than to put down the opposition.

     An interesting little 10-question exercise (dubbed the “World’s Smallest Political Quiz”) will help you define yourself on the political spectrum. Think of political philosophies not as points on straight line but as positions on a baseball diamond. Everyone is somewhere on the diamond, somewhere near one of these positions:

Third base: Left (Liberal)

Liberals usually embrace freedom of choice in personal matters, but tend to support significant government control of the economy. They generally support a government-funded "safety net" to help the disadvantaged, and advocate strict regulation of business. Liberals tend to favor environmental regulations, defend civil liberties and free expression, support government action to promote equality, and tolerate diverse lifestyles.

Second base: Libertarian

Libertarians support maximum liberty in both personal and economic matters. They advocate a much smaller government; one that is limited to protecting individuals from coercion and violence. Libertarians tend to embrace individual responsibility, oppose government bureaucracy and taxes, promote private charity, tolerate diverse lifestyles, support the free market, and defend civil liberties.

Pitcher’s mound: Centrist

Centrist prefer a "middle ground" regarding government control of the economy and personal behavior. Depending on the issue, they sometimes favor government intervention and sometimes support individual freedom of choice. Centrists pride themselves on keeping an open mind, tend to oppose "political extremes," and emphasize what they describe as "practical" solutions to problems.

First base: Right (Conservative)

Conservatives tend to favor economic freedom, but frequently support laws to restrict personal behavior that violates "traditional values." They oppose excessive government control of business, while endorsing government action to defend morality and the traditional family structure. Conservatives usually support a strong military, oppose bureaucracy and high taxes, favor a free-market economy, and endorse strong law enforcement.

Home plate: Statists (Big Government)

Statists want government to have a great deal of power over the economy and individual behavior. They frequently doubt whether economic liberty and individual freedom are practical options in today's world. Statists tend to distrust the free market, support high taxes and centralized planning of the economy, oppose diverse lifestyles, and question the importance of civil liberties. [I don't hear a lot of people claiming to be "statists" today.]

     Take the quiz at: http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz It’s easy and it’s fun. And it will instantly place you somewhere on the political spectrum, as shown in this hypothetical result: 

Then ask your friends to take the little quiz too and see where they land. It’s kind of a Myers-Briggs test for politics, and it should provide some insight into one’s “political personality.”

     If each of us were more conscious of the belief system that underlies our own viewpoints, and if we were able to recognize the belief systems through which others view the issues, maybe we could stop throwing around undefined terms and start actually to define what the problems are. For example, we could ask each other, in a calm and non-threatening way, substantive questions like these:

     “What does it really mean to say so-and-so is a [insert pejorative here]?”

     “I sense that you’re coming from a libertarian viewpoint; do you think we should help homeless people, and if so how?”

     “When you say you want to ‘take our country back,’ can you be more specific about the problems you want to fix and how you want to fix them?”

     “As a liberal, do you agree that there’s a crisis looming in Social Security and Medicare? If so, how are we going to pay for that safety net as the baby boom generation reaches retirement age?”

     Winston Churchill once said, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except all the others that have been tried.” He also said, “The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.” This election cycle may have proven him right on both counts once again.

     Unless we all shelve the angry rhetoric and name-calling, recognize the basic beliefs each of us is “coming from,” and actually start to identify and solve problems, it’s not likely to get any better for 2012.