Apparently I'm a Left Winger
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JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
I have strong political beliefs about a lot of things as you probably know. I have an opinion about refugees, drugs, diplomacy, environmental policy, immigration, abortion, social security etc. And the curious thing is that 99% of my beliefs probably fall under the category of Left wing politics. Why?
It seems strange to me that anyone else combines all the beliefs I do. I see a lot of my opinions as being separate from each other. For instance, I believe in increasing immigration because I like a diverse range of people and I like a diverse range of cultures. Although I also happen to think it will help Australia economically, that is not my reason for liking immigration. So I don't understand the connection between my liking of immigration and say my dislike of major corporate companies and their greed-based values. After all, a lot of the immigrants coming out here are Right wingers themselves. I've noted on several occasions that the irony of being Left is that half the time you're sticking up for the rights of Right wingers.
Equally I don't think we should destroy the environment. I think we need to preserve the planet for all of the Earth's creatures that will live in the future. So why would that have anything to do with my belief that we should decriminalise marijuana? In fact why should that belief have anything to do with the fact that I believe that we should help people with drug addictions by providing "safe" heroin injection rooms and other similar ideas? After all, my opinion on marijuana is shaped by an opinion that people should have the right to take the three soft drugs; alcohol, marijuana and nicotine. My opinion on heroin injecting rooms is based on trying to help people with an addiction.
I think we need unions to create better conditions for workers. But why should this have anything to do with the fact that I think we should have more "liberal" sex laws in order to lower the rates of rape and child molestation? I suppose you can link those together a bit more easily, but it isn't immediately obvious.
I can see the connection between some of my beliefs. Many of them are drawn together by what is often referred to as "compassion" I suppose. I don't believe in locking up refugees because it is not nice. I don't like war because it is aggressive. I like immigrants because I like people. I think we should have the choice to have abortions because I think the alternatives will cause social problems. And I believe in gay rights and women's rights because I believe in equal rights for all people. It's a general belief in humanity and a liking for people that draws this all together. But the rest? They've got nothing to do with each other.
Yet I am certainly not alone in drawing these beliefs together. The Greens draw together a lot of my opinions in one party. The opinions I had four years ago were drawn together perfectly by the Democrats. However, when it comes to choosing between the two major parties, I don't necessarily think that Labor's half-arsed Leftist approach (really it's more of a Centrist-Right approach) is necessarily a better option than Liberal's Right-Right-Right option.
It certainly is something pertaining specifically to our times to link these things together. I have often commented that labels like Left/Right are silly. I mean even today, although I hate Pauline Hanson's cultural supremacist views, I agree with her view that we should not sell off Telstra. I agree with Labor Right's opinion that public Health is better for the country because it pays off dividends in the long run. But I disagree with their policy of destroying cross media ownership laws. I agree with Family First that we need strong child protection laws, but I strongly disagree with their anti-abortionist stance. Looking back historically, Plato and I both believe in gay rights, but I don't agree with his chauvinism. I agree with Edmund Barton's protectionist stance, but I certainly disagree with the White Australia Policy. And I agree with traditional Aboriginal attitudes to the environment but I certainly disagree with their tribal wars.
The only thing I can conclude is that the current paradigm of Leftist thought, as many would label it, is a reaction to the specific problems of our day and designed as a response to meet the specific needs of our current society.
It seems strange to me that anyone else combines all the beliefs I do. I see a lot of my opinions as being separate from each other. For instance, I believe in increasing immigration because I like a diverse range of people and I like a diverse range of cultures. Although I also happen to think it will help Australia economically, that is not my reason for liking immigration. So I don't understand the connection between my liking of immigration and say my dislike of major corporate companies and their greed-based values. After all, a lot of the immigrants coming out here are Right wingers themselves. I've noted on several occasions that the irony of being Left is that half the time you're sticking up for the rights of Right wingers.
Equally I don't think we should destroy the environment. I think we need to preserve the planet for all of the Earth's creatures that will live in the future. So why would that have anything to do with my belief that we should decriminalise marijuana? In fact why should that belief have anything to do with the fact that I believe that we should help people with drug addictions by providing "safe" heroin injection rooms and other similar ideas? After all, my opinion on marijuana is shaped by an opinion that people should have the right to take the three soft drugs; alcohol, marijuana and nicotine. My opinion on heroin injecting rooms is based on trying to help people with an addiction.
I think we need unions to create better conditions for workers. But why should this have anything to do with the fact that I think we should have more "liberal" sex laws in order to lower the rates of rape and child molestation? I suppose you can link those together a bit more easily, but it isn't immediately obvious.
I can see the connection between some of my beliefs. Many of them are drawn together by what is often referred to as "compassion" I suppose. I don't believe in locking up refugees because it is not nice. I don't like war because it is aggressive. I like immigrants because I like people. I think we should have the choice to have abortions because I think the alternatives will cause social problems. And I believe in gay rights and women's rights because I believe in equal rights for all people. It's a general belief in humanity and a liking for people that draws this all together. But the rest? They've got nothing to do with each other.
Yet I am certainly not alone in drawing these beliefs together. The Greens draw together a lot of my opinions in one party. The opinions I had four years ago were drawn together perfectly by the Democrats. However, when it comes to choosing between the two major parties, I don't necessarily think that Labor's half-arsed Leftist approach (really it's more of a Centrist-Right approach) is necessarily a better option than Liberal's Right-Right-Right option.
It certainly is something pertaining specifically to our times to link these things together. I have often commented that labels like Left/Right are silly. I mean even today, although I hate Pauline Hanson's cultural supremacist views, I agree with her view that we should not sell off Telstra. I agree with Labor Right's opinion that public Health is better for the country because it pays off dividends in the long run. But I disagree with their policy of destroying cross media ownership laws. I agree with Family First that we need strong child protection laws, but I strongly disagree with their anti-abortionist stance. Looking back historically, Plato and I both believe in gay rights, but I don't agree with his chauvinism. I agree with Edmund Barton's protectionist stance, but I certainly disagree with the White Australia Policy. And I agree with traditional Aboriginal attitudes to the environment but I certainly disagree with their tribal wars.
The only thing I can conclude is that the current paradigm of Leftist thought, as many would label it, is a reaction to the specific problems of our day and designed as a response to meet the specific needs of our current society.
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