The State of Ideologies

I have written before that I think the ‘script’ of America has changed. I say that because I sense shifts in ideologies, popularity shifts of several key issues, and the swing of the pendulum as Americans discuss their beliefs and hopes. I think people are shifting what they view as important and what we as a society ought to spend our time and energy on.

My ex-wife claims I am very liberal. I countered with the observation that I was middle of the road and have been most of my life. Indeed, if anyone has shifted position, it is her. She is conservative and has moved farther to the right. I point out to her that if this is true, then the relative space between her position and mine has expanded but due to her movement to the right. I’m still a staunch middle of the roader. Occasionally I hold a bold belief in a liberal concept, but that only tweaks my middle of the road position. It informs it, expands on it.

So, in the broad scheme of things, we have a camp of liberals on the left, a camp of conservatives on the right, and a whole bunch of camps in the middle. If the right expands and moves farther to the right, they are the ones who have changed. Not the others.

Pretty simple concept really. It's a relativity thing!

Over three years ago I posited the theory that ideologies could be viewed in three dimensions by imagining a globe with its equator line. On the right is the conservative ideology. On the left is the liberal. In between the two is the middle of the road ideology which focuses more on problems and their solutions. The trick with this camp is to properly order the issues in priority of their importance to all other issues so we really are fixing things in the best logical order!

Now, if ideologies strain at their borders and stake new ideological territory in their philosophy and values, then they are moving. In the past 20 years conservatives have expanded their territory by moving farther to the right. At least that's my opinion. 

At the same time I claim the liberal camp has done pretty much the same thing only moving to the left. My theory gains interest if we move the camps along the equator line in my imagined globe illustration.

Think of the conservatives moving farther and farther to the right. Where do they go on the equator line? Well soon they will disappear from our view as they circumnavigate the globe. But so too do the liberals trek along their equatorial path toward the left and around the backside of the globe.

Pretty soon both of these ideologies will meet up. On the reverse side of the globe. In their confusion and startlement of such a meeting, they may well understand that they really are very much the same! If conservatives push their ideology to the extreme they have a fascist, all-controlling state dictating what everyone will and will not do. The same goes for liberals. In order to gain control of expected results, governments become so powerful that they are also fascist. The state, after all, has assumed the control of the public in both instances.

Now consider where the middle of the roaders are! Why they are still where they were working like trolls on the hard tasks the public weal requires to survive. Through collaboration and cooperation of many parties, the work of a nation is accomplished. All while the purists and arguers waste their breath and lives and treasures on things that ultimately are the same.

It is time that America focus on what we agree on. Focusing on differences only exacerbates problems. The resulting gridlock accomplishes very little. Understanding the differences is necessary to accommodate application of solutions. But focusing only on differences and not consonance leads us no where.

I think the American people understand this. They get it.

If I’m right, both the republican and democrat parties will wind up in the dustbin of history as irrelevant. Governing for the common good of a people ought not be about power, influence and money. It should be about clean management of resources to build lasting quality of life for the masses. We can get to that point if we cooperate and collaborate. We can see each other as friends not enemies.

That would be a good start, anyway.

Has the script changed for America? I think so. More so, I hope so!

May 29, 2015