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my (general) political musings for the day
Nov. 4th, 2020 03:20 pm Here's how I see the predicament that's unfolding - not sure what it implies though "fistfight" keeps popping into my mind:
Most people consider themselves to be adhering to high ethical standards (whether or not they actually are is not the matter at hand - simply that they presume it about themselves, is). When these individuals establish that their values are in alignment with one or another political party, they identify with it to the extent that they ascribe to that party their own ethical or moral compass.
They think, "Because I do not lie, cheat, or steal, and because my [other] values are represented by Party X, it is inconceivable that Party X engages in lying, cheating, or stealing. Because Party Y's values are in most ways antithetical to mine, Party Y must be capable of lying, cheating, and stealing."
Any perceived impropriety on Party Y's part is immediately understood in those terms, and any accusation on the part of Party Y against Party X is an affront, an insult, and a baseless bit of fraudulence proving that Party Y is composed of liars!
What these people don't recognize is that all parties/Parties are equally capable of being corrupt.
One must take the radical third position and recognize all the ways one lies to oneself, is willing to be lied to by certain others, and the likelihood that one will also generalize untruths about the despised other to maintain the image and identification with those deemed "morally right." In other words, one must recognize in oneself exactly the tendency acted out by the adherents to Party X and Party Y and decide to disengage.
Basically, when all around you are pointing fingers, they're probably ALL right.
Is this finger pointing? Perhaps. It doesn't escape my notice that a finger-pointing hand is one finger removed from a fist and four fingers away from an extended hand. Maybe it's time we all took the more difficult path so as to avoid a fight.
(edited to further flesh out my conclusion - not sure it'll stand up to scrutiny, but...)
Most people consider themselves to be adhering to high ethical standards (whether or not they actually are is not the matter at hand - simply that they presume it about themselves, is). When these individuals establish that their values are in alignment with one or another political party, they identify with it to the extent that they ascribe to that party their own ethical or moral compass.
They think, "Because I do not lie, cheat, or steal, and because my [other] values are represented by Party X, it is inconceivable that Party X engages in lying, cheating, or stealing. Because Party Y's values are in most ways antithetical to mine, Party Y must be capable of lying, cheating, and stealing."
Any perceived impropriety on Party Y's part is immediately understood in those terms, and any accusation on the part of Party Y against Party X is an affront, an insult, and a baseless bit of fraudulence proving that Party Y is composed of liars!
What these people don't recognize is that all parties/Parties are equally capable of being corrupt.
One must take the radical third position and recognize all the ways one lies to oneself, is willing to be lied to by certain others, and the likelihood that one will also generalize untruths about the despised other to maintain the image and identification with those deemed "morally right." In other words, one must recognize in oneself exactly the tendency acted out by the adherents to Party X and Party Y and decide to disengage.
Basically, when all around you are pointing fingers, they're probably ALL right.
Is this finger pointing? Perhaps. It doesn't escape my notice that a finger-pointing hand is one finger removed from a fist and four fingers away from an extended hand. Maybe it's time we all took the more difficult path so as to avoid a fight.
(edited to further flesh out my conclusion - not sure it'll stand up to scrutiny, but...)
