What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
Editor's Update: This post was discussed on Ricochet Episode #49 -- "A Ricochet Christmas"
Over the years I've noticed an interesting trend in which all sides in politics will eventually go on about how the other side is organized, well-funded, and ruthless in politics, and the problem is that my side (whichever that happens to be) is meek, disorganized, and compromises too easily.
Feelings like this seem to be human nature and usually not reflective of reality (anytime you think only your tribe has morality and wants to improve the world, while the other side just wants to destroy everything, you are almost certainly wrong.)
But presumably there are some actual differences between the groups, or we wouldn't all be yelling at each other so much. What do you think the substantive differences are?
I don't think it's religion. No one has a lock on that, and at times religion is very associated with the Left. I don't think it's even hot-button items like abortion...I was surprised a while back to discover that in Canada it was often the Left that was anti-abortion.
Here's my theory: I think almost all the differences that matter are based in economics. Liberals and conservatives/libertarians have fundamentally different understandings of how the world works based on their understanding of economics. And there's no good way to bridge that difference.
- Comment (63)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (7)
Comments :
Jul '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
I think the Left is animated by envy, sloth and racial grievance.
The Right concerns itself with protecting individual freedom.
May '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
I think the difference used to be based in economics. But the failures of command economies have discredited the Left's former vision. Look insteaqd to Thomas Sowell and the perversities of self-congratulation.
Aug '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
At the most basic level it's about personal responsibility. It's a basic moral philosophy. We believe in being responsible for our own lives. The left sees that as a cruel "Every man for himself" attitude. Their view requires supressing ecenomic freedom to make sure everyone gets their share regardless of their actions. Personal responsibilityis the basis for social conservative views, although it can also be used for a more libertarian attitude. Libertarians may want more liberal social rules, but they would not insulate people from the consequences of their actions.
May '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
The Left (in the US at least) has moved on from the really destructive economic ideas; fortunately we're long past the time when even the Republican Nixon would exercise price controls, for example. Though some of this returned with the banking stuff, and government setting salaries of banking executives, it's mostly been left behind.
However, the concept of the economy as a "pie" in which a larger piece for me means a smaller one for you, and trade as a form of theft, is as strong as ever on the Left, and I think will not go away.
The combination of these economic concepts and a lack of personal responsibility is certainly a deadly cocktail.
Nov '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
Fundamentally, I think the Left thinks that the world should be perfect. Any injustice or even any suffering is a result of greed, selfishness, and insufficiently vigorous regulation. The Right sees the world as a very fragile ecosystem, and values peace and prosperity as difficult achievements, vulnerable to destruction by any intervention through the law of unintended consequences.
This is indeed a difficult gap to bridge.
Aug '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
Maurilius:
Here's my theory: I think almost all the differences that matter are based in economics. Liberals and conservatives/libertarians have fundamentally different understandings of how the world works based on their understanding of economics. And there's no good way to bridge that difference. ·
I think you're right, especially when you consider how broad economics actually is.
Perhaps another way to say this is that there is "A Conflict of Visions", or that the left's understanding of "Knowledge and Decisions" is lacking a good understanding of costs (both great Sowell books, btw).
May '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
Some other core differences:
Does one seek a utopian vision (peace on earth) or await divine redemption? Is basic human nature improvable or static?
Are humans stewards of our environment or equivalent to any other animal in moral calculus?
Do our rights come from God or from a social contract? Do they created or merely secured by government?
Should smarter, wiser and more knowledgable people have more political influence than the dumb, foolish and ignorant?
Is the proper role of government to merely secure freedom or to collectively exercise it?
Is suffering or hardship ever unavoidable?
The Left and Right are divided by many fundamental differences in worldviews. One difference is often related to another, but there are various combinations. The most common and most vital difference concerns the nature and role of the individual will.
Aug '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
I would like to hear more elaboration on this one...
After all, there is so much about ourselves that we don't get to choose.
Jul '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
Does it count if the other side is so woefully inept that it becomes difficult to distinguish the result from willful destruction?
Jul '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
On topic this time, just for the novelty value.
The Dem campaigns on sucking every dollar out of somebody to achieve a just country where all of my needs and wants are the responsibility of the state, and then brings the country crashing down with massive tax and debt increases.
The GOP campaigns on remembering my dollars are my own and promises sound management and smaller government, and then goes about bloating the government in drips and drabs, expanding Cabinet departments they were going to eliminate, but settle for just debt increases that are still nothing like what the Dems did.
Meanwhile, Bob Cratchit has been out of work for two years, Tiny Tim died waiting years for a Medicaid death panel to okay a crutch, and the government swallows families whole, but flosses after.
Edited on Dec 19, 2010 at 4:02pmAug '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
Sisyphus:
Does it count if the other side is so woefully inept that it becomes difficult to distinguish the result from willful destruction? · Dec 19 at 1:48pm
Yes, the distinction is still worth observing:
In the battle to win hearts and minds, people don't like to hear, "Your problem is you've been stupid," but they like even less to hear, "Your problem is you're just evil."
By no means should we pretend that the damage done from incompetence is any less simply because the motive behind it wasn't willful destruction (in fact, opening peoples' eyes to unintentional evils is a vital part of conservatism/libertarianism), but accusing people of far worse motives than they believe themselves to have is almost always a communication-stopper.
May '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
Midget Faded Rattlesnake
I would like to hear more elaboration on this one.
The Left responds to countless problems with calls for more education ("greater awareness") because they underestimate or even deny the ability of the will to reject the good (their vision of it).
The Left generally affords government a parental role because they reject the God-given right of human beings to make foolish and selfish decisions (to be wrong). The exceptions are cases in which they unconditionally support that type of action (suicide, abortion, expression of views similar to their own). Isn't it interesting that they support legalization of suicide but also mandatory seatbelt laws?
The Left's rejection of national sovereignty in service to international committees (again, those with view similar to their own) is basically rejection of a right to self-government on a larger scale.
Edited on Dec 19, 2010 at 4:37pmNov '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
Conservatives believe in Freedom; liberals believe in Equality. The fundamental difference lies in the practicality of the two competing visions.
Freedom-for-all lies within the realm of possibility — it can actually be achieved. But equality-for-all is a cruelly unrealistic goal that can never be achieved. It is a fleeting mirage, always lingering on the far horizon, forever out of reach.
Once, I suggested to a liberal friend that the socialist agenda is futile — that no amount of money, even billions, will ever bring the thing to fruition. He almost broke into tears, saying, "No, no, no, we can get it done. Just one more dime...just one more nickel..." Unfortunately, those dimes and nickels always come out of someone else's pocket.
Even the whackiest conservative seems to cling to a shred of Reality. Liberals are just plain batpoop crazy.
Edited on Dec 20, 2010 at 8:56amNov '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
Aaron Miller
Midget Faded Rattlesnake
I would like to hear more elaboration on this one.
The Left generally affords government a parental role because they reject the God-given right of human beings to make foolish and selfish decisions (to be wrong).
That is a perfect explanation. As free citizens, and as creatures of free will, we have the right to screw up — as long as we accept personal responsibility for our decisions.
Nov '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
Aaron Miller
[T]hey unconditionally support that type of action (suicide, abortion, expression of views similar to their own). Isn't it interesting that they support legalization of suicide but also mandatory seatbelt laws?
The most glaring example is that liberals support abortion (killing unborn infants), but oppose capital punishment (executing vicious, unrepentant criminals). Those are inherently conflicting views and create a level of cognitive dissonance that would drive any ordinary person into babbling insanity. It is no surprise to me that so many liberals seem to be downright loony.
Oct '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
Maurilius:
I don't think it's religion.. ·
I think it's all about religion. Not necessarily in the sense of religious dogma but about a belief in God. All of our ideas about truth, justice etc. are derived from our basic beliefs about God and who he is. Our god is the source of all wisdom and rightousness. If man is god, he will seek to establish his justice and rightousness over other men. We then have to rule of man. If God is god, there is a transcendent justice and rightousness that man must subordinate himself to. We then have a rule of law. Economics is the study of how scarce rescources with alternative uses are distributed (Sowell). Economics does not reside in a moral vacuum. We make economic choices based on moral (religious) values every day.
The analysis of religious motivation on the part of liberals and conservatives is wll beyond the scope of this post. However, my opinion is that liberals believe that god needs a little help when it comes to regulating the affairs of society, and believe that "government" is the necessary "help mate" of the Lord in this area.
Sep '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
A significant part of the left is post-American. The rest of us are embarrassing.
A significant part of the left is motivated by income inequality. And it doesn't matter if the national weal is lowered in the process of achieving equality.
A significant part of the left is motivated by environmentalism. And it doesn't matter if the national weal is lowered in the process of protecting the environment. Or that we give up sovereignty to various thugs in the world in the process.
A significant part of the left is motivated by feeling. And it doesn’t matter that many of us lose freedoms to make sure that no one’s failings are noticed or mentioned.
And I sometimes wonder if we are part of the same race. Read the comments in the NYTimes for heavens sake.
Dec '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
It is. But it's also interesting that those on the Right generally oppose both those things.
Sep '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
Do we dislike the center more than we dislike the Left?
Oct '10
Re: What Do You Believe Is Different About the Left?
Good Berean
Maurilius:
I don't think it's religion.. ·
I think it's all about religion. Not necessarily in the sense of religious dogma but about a belief in God. All of our ideas about truth, justice etc. are derived from our basic beliefs about God and who he is. Our god is the source of all wisdom and rightousness. If man is god, he will seek to establish his justice and rightousness over other men. We then have to rule of man. If God is god, there is a transcendent justice and rightousness that man must subordinate himself to. We then have a rule of law. Dec 20 at 9:17am
In other words... it is fundamentally a difference in World View. Good Berean, and myself, see a world in which the universe is created by a being we call God, and it is to Him that we owe our every breath, and to whom we are accountable. To the degree that a Conservative shares that belief (with or without articulation) he shares that World View.
The Left, on the other hand owes it's very breath to... what? Chaos, the Big Bang, murk and slime?