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I find the topic very important. Thanks for bringing it up. I believe the simple good or evil neo-conservative world view "you are either with us or against us" Bush adopted is dangerous for the future existence of America as a strong prosperous country loved around the world. It is the time for America to make friends and not enemies. Propaganda is easily spread with simple politics. In reality life is complex. Politics with simple messages to the public is like advertising. It is delibarate deception. It does not have to be outright lying. In the last few years we have seen more sensationalist messages and slogans such as "war on terror". These are designed for politics and not to make America safer. I believe we should be more suspicious of the government and the groups influencing its policies. It is healthy to question the politicians who represent America. You asked about a ""weltanshaung". That is why I responded the way I did. There is a difference between being a Jingoist and a Patriot.
I'm not sure which party tends to see the world as good or evil. It has been the Republicans most recently. Warmongers like to portray the world as black or white. We can even see it in dumb completely unrealistic and historically false Hollywood movies, I believe "300" was the latest one and it also came out at a curious time.
Both parties see things more complicated than they have to be. I would say Republicans used to see things more black and white, but now I would say it's a wash. Politicians, both democratic and republican don't want you to think things can be simple. Just see how most questions directed at a politician result in complicated, wandering answers and you are left with no clue how the person stands on the issue.
Those are the ones you need to be wary of because they are populists. They do not want lose any votes. Hilary Clinton is a difficult one. I still do not know where she stands on many issues. Mitt Romney change his opinion all the time. Sure, politicians need to be pragmatic as well. But that is when they are actually trying to solve a problem.
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Originally Posted by HighPlainsDrifter73
Just see how most questions directed at a politician result in complicated, wandering answers and you are left with no clue how the person stands on the issue.
The current Republican party is definitely more dualistic. While there are some left wingers that subscribe to duality, moral relativism is considerably more acceptable to Democrats than to Republicans, as a group.
I think Hillary's Christmas ad, where she goes through the pile of gifts that she plans to give the sweet little American people, pretty well captures the Democrat, black-and-white view of the world. After all, only those mean old Republicans oppose free everything for everybody.
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republicans usually over simplify things and Democrats typically over intellectualize things.
Both parties as of late get an F for being able to truly explain why they take on certain policies. Democrats like to use large words and long sentence structure in hopes to confuse the voter just long enough to get into office. And Republicans "just say do as I say and don't question" "I know what I'm doing."
I believe I am going to take a contrary position here. I think politics are by their very nature complex, nuanced, and diverse. People want to over simplify things into neat little boxes and categories to more easily identify with aspects important to them.
One look around this forum, any forum, and day to day life, we see the bulk of the masses falling into one of two categories, Democrat or Republican. For many people it is all they need to say, I am this or that and anything contrary to my position is wrong, flawed or what have you. It is easy as it removes the effort required to consider other aspects and possibilities of various issues and to weight them on their own merits. People would prefer to be entertained or told, as it clear by our current education system that tends to teach our children what to think instead of how to think. Like it or not, people would prefer to be obedient to ideas and notions they have been taught and in all likely hood will cling to these idea's like grim death on a cold winters day even in the face of a superior argument to the contrary. For many it is more important to believe they are right s to admit mistake or concede to a contrary idea is seen as a flaw in their own beliefs, and it is exactly this manner of thinking that leads this country to such partisanship today.
I believe I am going to take a contrary position here. I think politics are by their very nature complex, nuanced, and diverse. People want to over simplify things into neat little boxes and categories to more easily identify with aspects important to them.
In demurring partially from your view -- consider the possibility that they simplify in order to get things done. (Politics has been desribed as "the art of the possible.") To do otherwise would be to lose oneself in endless wrangles over -- how did you describe it? -- complexity, nuance, and diverse thought...
One look around this forum, any forum, and day to day life, we see the bulk of the masses falling into one of two categories, Democrat or Republican. For many people it is all they need to say, I am this or that and anything contrary to my position is wrong, flawed or what have you. It is easy as it removes the effort required to consider other aspects and possibilities of various issues and to weight them on their own merits. People would prefer to be entertained or told, as it clear by our current education system that tends to teach our children what to think instead of how to think.
If people prefer to be told, why should it surprise or dismay you that our system does so?
Like it or not, people would prefer to be obedient to ideas and notions they have been taught and in all likely hood will cling to these idea's like grim death on a cold winters day even in the face of a superior argument to the contrary.
Ideas differ in "superiority" depending on context. As you pointed out correctly above, these matters are "complex, nuanced, and diverse."
For many it is more important to believe they are right s to admit mistake or concede to a contrary idea is seen as a flaw in their own beliefs, and it is exactly this manner of thinking that leads this country to such partisanship today.
You're partly right, of course. We do seem a simpleminded lot. But without partisanship, and the resulting daily compromise of principles for the sake of pragmatism, we would have anarchy, and accomplish nothing.
Just my take.
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