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All of us fancy ourselves as fair-minded and objective. I certainly do. Yet, I react to political ads, news and commentary with an undeniable "body English." That is, when confronted with a new piece of information, I feel myself twisting, wanting that news item to conform to my currently held point of view. When it does, I feel satisfied and smug. When it doesn't, I want to reject the news item as fabricated or the source as unreliable or I want to rationalize the new information as irrelevant to my point of view. I assume we all do this. The question is WHY?
What is that fundamental, core belief that causes you to hold one political point of view rather than another? That causes you to be a "liberal" rather than a "conservative" or vice versa? That causes you to "lean" with your body English toward Obama rather than McCain or vice versa?
I say "political" point of view, because I don't necessarily want to start philosophical arguments here. Politics and elections have to do with how we conduct ourselves in society, how we feel we should live and interact together with one another, not how we should live our own lives as individuals according to some lofty philosophical or religious truth.
I think the fundamental, core belief that causes me to lean toward the conservative or libertarian point of view in social matters is my more or less pragmatic belief that a firm concept of private property will facilitate a more or less conflict-free social climate. It seems to me that if a society is based on the pretty black and white principle that what's mine is mine and what's yours is yours, then that society will have more peace and less conflict. If the line between what is mine and what is yours is fuzzy or up for grabs, then I think that society will be doomed to conflict and contentiousness.
Unfortunately, there are very few politicians who hold my view. In an election I'm forced to choose the one who will draw that private property line as sharply as possible. This means I generally am sympathetic to and vote for Republicans (or Libertarians) rather than Democrats. It means I get very passionate against a particular Democrat who defines private property in such a fuzzy way that he thinks my wealth, my private property, should be taken from me and given to someone else who is, supposedly, more deserving of it than I am. It explains my body English when I'm reading a story about a politician I like (Sarah Palin, for example) that implies this politician might not be all I want her to be with regard to her stance on strict private property rights.
Obviously, all voters are not motivated by a fundamental belief that society would work better if rights of private property were strictly enforced and adhered to. So I'm curious. What fundamental political belief causes a person to lean toward Obama or the Democrats or the "liberal" position?
Is it a belief that society will run much more smoothly if it is based on the principle that "I am my brother's keeper?" Is it a belief that a society will be more peaceful if it is based on some specifically defined idea of fairness? Or justice? Or even religious principle?
I really don't know and would really like to know. Any thoughts?
What is that fundamental, core belief that causes you to hold one political point of view rather than another? That causes you to be a "liberal" rather than a "conservative" or vice versa? That causes you to "lean" with your body English toward Obama rather than McCain or vice versa?
I say "political" point of view, because I don't necessarily want to start philosophical arguments here. Politics and elections have to do with how we conduct ourselves in society, how we feel we should live and interact together with one another, not how we should live our own lives as individuals according to some lofty philosophical or religious truth.
I think the fundamental, core belief that causes me to lean toward the conservative or libertarian point of view in social matters is my more or less pragmatic belief that a firm concept of private property will facilitate a more or less conflict-free social climate. It seems to me that if a society is based on the pretty black and white principle that what's mine is mine and what's yours is yours, then that society will have more peace and less conflict. If the line between what is mine and what is yours is fuzzy or up for grabs, then I think that society will be doomed to conflict and contentiousness.
Unfortunately, there are very few politicians who hold my view. In an election I'm forced to choose the one who will draw that private property line as sharply as possible. This means I generally am sympathetic to and vote for Republicans (or Libertarians) rather than Democrats. It means I get very passionate against a particular Democrat who defines private property in such a fuzzy way that he thinks my wealth, my private property, should be taken from me and given to someone else who is, supposedly, more deserving of it than I am. It explains my body English when I'm reading a story about a politician I like (Sarah Palin, for example) that implies this politician might not be all I want her to be with regard to her stance on strict private property rights.
Obviously, all voters are not motivated by a fundamental belief that society would work better if rights of private property were strictly enforced and adhered to. So I'm curious. What fundamental political belief causes a person to lean toward Obama or the Democrats or the "liberal" position?
Is it a belief that society will run much more smoothly if it is based on the principle that "I am my brother's keeper?" Is it a belief that a society will be more peaceful if it is based on some specifically defined idea of fairness? Or justice? Or even religious principle?
I really don't know and would really like to know. Any thoughts?
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