THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume V, Issue # 93, April 4, 2003
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
WHY WE ALL JUST CAN'T GET ALONG:
RIGHTIST & LEFTIST POLITICAL THINKING
By Paul Walfield
Leftist political thinking--aka, "Progressive" and "Progressivist" political thinking -- tends to shy away from absolutes and deal in relative positions. Whether a position is right or wrong is a matter of whose shoes you happen to be standing in, and whether a position is good or evil is a question based on a concept simply too vague to be taken seriously.
In recent times, it has become more and more evident that those on the political Left and those on the political Right have become the proverbial immovable object and irresistible force.
Many commentators and pundits who have attempted to resolve the matter have fallen into two camps. Those who see the differences as merely ideological and those who view the differences as a sophisticate/naivete matter. The ideological differences are obvious only if you subscribe to the machinations of one over the other, e.g., the Left seeks to achieve harmony between all peoples, and the Right seeks to dominate the less fortu- nate. However, the opposite portrayal can be argued and on equally plausible footing.
To a lesser extent, the explanation by some on the Right is that (1) those on the Left are so immersed in their own doctrines that they are unwilling to see the shortterm conse- quences of their preaching, let alone the longterm outcome,and (2) this doctrinaire ap- proach speaks of the naivete of those entrenched in their Leftwing ideological position and unyielding in their demand for political action and public policies which they deem to be called for and in accord with their ideological doctrines. But, that explanation misses the point.
It may well be that the hard Left does in fact see the shortterm and longterm conse- quences of their preaching as desirable, yet unmentionable. The hard Left may simply enjoy the label of naivete, believing they are far more clever than their critics. Yet, that does not explain how, when confronted with facts and a picture, the Left simply chooses to trudge ahead with a seeming purposeful abandon of reality and truth. At first glance, it may be that the idea of "truth," being in the eye of the beholder, is not sufficient or sought-after. However, when one reviews a typical encounter between the Left and reality, instead of a confrontation, there is a sidestep and a diversion by those on the Left.
The question then is, why? If their doctrines and ideology were able to withstand scru- tiny, there would be no need for diversion. If not, why do they hold that ideology with such tenacity? The answer seems clear. They do not know, regardless of the facts presented, that the foundation they stand on is defective.
An effective argument can be made showing that a lack of intelligence may be the root cause of the Left's inability to assimilate reality or pragmatism into their consciousness. However, that would be politically incorrect and too general. A better argument can be made regarding the thought processes of the two sides.
First, we need to exclude from the explanation the hard-core Communists and Anar- chists, as well as those with ulterior motives. Their motives are transparent to all, except the Left.
Nowadays, virtually everyone is aware of the concept of right/left brain thinking. The "left brain" concerns itself with logical, sequential and rational analysis, and views events and people from an objective stance, and as a conglomeration of distinct parts.
The "right brain" concerns itself with a random, intuitive, and holistic analysis of events and people. The "right brain" (1) tends to synthesize, rather than analyze, and do so from a subjective point of view, and (2) sees the "whole," rather than its parts.
Virtually no one is completely right or left brain; but nearly everyone subscribes to the influence of one over the other. If we are to accept the concept of right and left brain, which most scholars on the subject do, the rest is obvious.
The political Right debating the political Left with any hope of reconciling differences is unattainable. While the political Right (left brain) thinker focuses on logical analysis and truth, the political Left (right brain) concentrates on aesthetics, feelings, and imagina- tion. No amount of reason, even if it is overwhelming, can penetrate the right brain of the political Left. While it is a bit sardonic to dwell on the reality that the left brain is primarily the Right's raison d'etre, and vice versa, only the Left will so settle without further examination.
While it is a bit more complicated to explain how so many can rest their vision of the world on concepts that are easily debunked, it is a starting point.
Anyone with even a modicum of reality can see the difference between defensive actions against terrorism as qualitatively different from the initial act of terrorism. Yet, many on the Left will equate the American action in Afghanistan on a par with terrorist acts. The Left will argue that dead innocents really don't see a difference; they are just as dead, whether by the Taliban or by American warplanes. The holistic view of dead is dead, and the Leftists adhering this view cannot see the relevant parts of the situation and/or the proximate cause. Regardless of any professed common ground, there is no possible meeting of the minds on any ultimate issue.
Simple naivete, intransigent ideologies, or even plain stubbornness will never explain a group's inability to articulate the
other sides' arguments, and then systematically discredit those arguments, yet that is what the political Right in America
faces when it confronts the political Left. A new tactic must be developed in order to expose the weaknesses and
lack of plausibility of the Left's rants and diatribes.
This may simply consist of short, single notions of doctrine in the form of a single question, which directly contradicts the
Left's counterpart. By remaining with individual parts of an idea, rather than the whole idea, the option to resort to a
holistic view can be dashed. And like a house of cards, the Left's concepts will fall, and perhaps even they will see
the ineffectiveness of their own arguments. Of course, this may be naive.
More on U.S. Constitutional Law & Political Philosophy
More on Liberals, Statists, Socialists, & Other Leftists
Paul Walfield is a freelance writer and member of the State Bar of California, with an undergraduate degree in Psychology
and post-graduate study in behavioral and analytical psychology. He resided for a number of years in the small town of
Houlton, Maine, and is now a California attorney. His articles appear in numerous periodicals and on numerous websites. He
has been the featured guest on KTSA News Talk Radio. CONTACT INFORMATION: Email:
paul.walfield@cox.net
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Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
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