This morning I am doing my usual 5:30 wake up, cup of coffee, peruse the news and discussion boards. I was on HuffPo reading through the discussion on Texas succession, inspired by Olberman's WTF rant. Immediately afterwards, I wandered into a discussion on the newest Gallup poll on Abortion opinions. What I was struck by was, perhaps, a greater understanding of the liberal political wave sweeping the country.
Much of this post relies on an understanding of Jonathan Haidt's work on the roots of Liberal and Conservative morality. If you haven't googled his video I highly suggest that you do or follow this link:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jonatha... Allow me start with the premise that an individual is neither a liberal or a conservative, rather that they have tendencies toward both ideologies and dependent on the moral question that they encounter, their inclination and their capacity or will to confront that problem, they can choose (consciously or subconsciously) to exercise their morality in a way that successfully produces a solution to the dilemma. Eg. when confronted with a homeless person asking for change, depending on our willingness to actually help this person and on our capacity to help this person, we are confronted with a morale choice. Depending on what our moral values are we can choose amongst an array of reactions to this individual. If we lean Liberal, our choices will look different than if we lean Conservative. These choices may look different if the moral situation changes. I may be more Conservative, (ie. less open to new experiences, more suspect of the "other") if confronting a Pro-life activist than the homeless. My actions may also appear to be more Conservative with the homeless person if I confront him on a day where my capacity or will are not equal to the task.
Hypothesis:
Suppose we adopt an Augustinian (City of God) view of the state. We view politics, the government of the Polis, as a reflection of the individual. I hypothesize that both Conservative and Liberal ideologies are necessary to face different political, economic, societal and diplomatic challenges.
This would fit in with many of my observations of the past two decades.
• The rise of a fearful, predominately White Conservative party, trying its best to hold on to its power.
• The use fear mongering on the part of said Conservative movement. Trying its best to play upon our fear of the "Other", be it Willie Horton, the Mexican immigrant, or the Arab Terrorist. (One of the roots of Conservative morality structure is patriotism, another is loyalty).
• The struggle, after the fall of the dreaded Communists, for the Conservative ideologists to find a new enemy with which to forge a new set of identity markers. Thus the demonization of Liberal thought.
• The lack of will to rationally, diplomatically solve the crisis brought on by 9/11.
• The self-perceived predominance of American values in the world. The blind eye toward the suffering our life-style inflicted upon the rest of the world. The assumption that the rest of the world could just be like us, and if they didn't, something was wrong with them.
My Hypothesis also extends to the current rise in Liberal thinking.
• Our failed invasion of the Middle East has hurt the national ego.
• Americans are finally coming to the realization that not only is most of the rest of the world pissed at us, but that we cannot survive or prosper without their assistance.
• It is only by a willingness to be open to the opinions and values of other nations that our ability to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness will endure.
• It is only by valuing the "other" that we can learn the lessons they have to offer.
• By valuing the "other" we produce commerce of thought and commerce of goods.
• Finally average White, Male American is beginning to understand the Conservative ideology is too small to be able to solve problems, compete and survive on a global scale. Our times dictate a need for more liberal politics.
So are the challenges of the times are fertile ground for liberal politics? Might that infer that the 80s and 90s were fertile ground for Conservative politics?
