In America we are taught to think of Politics in terms of principles. You choose a political party based on what peinciples you support. You support free markets? Ok you are a Libertarian or Republican. You support public schooling free of charge? Ok you are a Democrat.
We are taught that our principles should apply to everyone equally. You support human rights? Ok then you should be equally upset if your jeighbors rights are violated or if someone far away has their rights violated.
But really, I think politics is not about this, but about whose side you are on. This became totally transparent to me during our financial crisis. People who talked about free market capitalism suddenly were justifying trillions of dollars in government bailouts for "private" businesses. Doesn't that go against their principles? Shouldn't private businesses who have gone bankrupt fail, and make way for new more succesful businesses? That is what free market principles would dictat, creative destruction.
But no, in that crisis it became clear that truly it was just bout rooting for your side. If shouting "free market" lets you make more money in the good times, do that. If shouting "bailout" in the bad times helps you make more money, do that.
That is just an exmaple. We see this with the discourse around "violating the constitution" as well. Republicans think Obama is tearing up the constitution when really Bush began most of Obamas unconstitutional practices. Republicans believed Bush was doing everything to protect us, but Obama of course is a tyrant. Democrats, of course, said Bush was a tyrant and think Obama is doing nothing wrong.
Clearly any impartial observer would say both Presidents violated the constitution gravely in regards to domestic spying, torture, unconstitutional foreign entanglements, etc. But you see again, people only raise the issue when its the other side doing it.
What other consequences do you see, when analyzing politics from a "my side" "your side" perspective.
We are taught that our principles should apply to everyone equally. You support human rights? Ok then you should be equally upset if your jeighbors rights are violated or if someone far away has their rights violated.
But really, I think politics is not about this, but about whose side you are on. This became totally transparent to me during our financial crisis. People who talked about free market capitalism suddenly were justifying trillions of dollars in government bailouts for "private" businesses. Doesn't that go against their principles? Shouldn't private businesses who have gone bankrupt fail, and make way for new more succesful businesses? That is what free market principles would dictat, creative destruction.
But no, in that crisis it became clear that truly it was just bout rooting for your side. If shouting "free market" lets you make more money in the good times, do that. If shouting "bailout" in the bad times helps you make more money, do that.
That is just an exmaple. We see this with the discourse around "violating the constitution" as well. Republicans think Obama is tearing up the constitution when really Bush began most of Obamas unconstitutional practices. Republicans believed Bush was doing everything to protect us, but Obama of course is a tyrant. Democrats, of course, said Bush was a tyrant and think Obama is doing nothing wrong.
Clearly any impartial observer would say both Presidents violated the constitution gravely in regards to domestic spying, torture, unconstitutional foreign entanglements, etc. But you see again, people only raise the issue when its the other side doing it.
What other consequences do you see, when analyzing politics from a "my side" "your side" perspective.