Must you be a Liberal or a Conservative?
Aya Katz
Some people assume that all of us fall into one of two categories when it comes to political orientation: Liberal or Conservative. To many, these are as solid, immutable and binary as the colors black and white. There are even those who believe that we have no choice in the matter, and that using the terms “Liberal” or “Conservative” to describe others is hate speech, along the lines of ethnic or racial slurs. But did you know that not only are there other political orientations besides Liberal and Conservative, but they can be as varied as the spectrum of colors in the rainbow?
Below are the top ten reasons nobody has to be either a Liberal or a Conservative.
10. The Meanings Have Changed
The term “liberal” did not always mean what it means today. By the same token, the meaning of “conservative’ has also changed. So even if you used to identify as one of the two, chances are there have been changes in nuance that have crept into our public discourse that disrupt your original self-identification. A classical liberal was a person who believed in the rights of the individual to pursue life, liberty and happiness in his own way. The Founding Fathers of the United States of America were classical liberals. They were not “conservative” like today’s Conservatives, who want everything to always remain the same even if it is not good.
The positive values attributed to conservatism, which you and your parents and grandparents may have espoused in the Barry Goldwater or Ronald Reagan brand of conservatism have also been whittled away at, and today’s conservatives may not be anything like what made you decide you are Conservative. The result is that when people talk about themselves as being “Liberal” or “Conservative” they are often speaking at cross-purposes. Before getting upset with what someone has to say about Liberals or Conservatives, let’s first find out how the terms are being used.
9. False Dichotomy
Like Republican and Democrat, Communist and Capitalist, Altruist and Autoist, the binary opposition of Liberal and Conservative cuts humanity into two and only two competing camps, and most people fall squarely into neither. So if you see someone complaining that “Liberals think X” or “Conservatives think Y”, before you protest that you are Liberal, and you don’t think X, or you’re Conservative and don’t think Y, please reconsider. You may not be as Liberal or as Conservative as you think.
8. Judge by Results and not Intentions
People’s ideology should be judged by the results of its application, and not by the intentions. So if you learn that liberal economic policies cause poverty or that conservative policies on access to drugs cause addiction, don’t protest that this is unfair to Liberals, because you want to end poverty or that it is unfair to Conservatives, because you want to end drug abuse. Rethink your policy positions, rather than demanding that the labels be changed in those statements.
7. Trump and Clinton are not the Only Choices
You may have heard that in the 2016 Presidential election, Donald Trump represents Conservatives and Hillary Clinton represents Liberals, but you actually like neither one of them very much. You do not have to follow your self-identification as a Liberal or a Conservative to the very brink of national disaster. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are long-term friends who basically believe the same things. They are banking on a rigid adherence to Liberal and Conservative labels to get one of them into the White House. They may not actually care which one it is who is elected. If you want anything to change on the national arena, please consider a third alternative, like Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson. You may find that your beliefs align more closely with his positions than with those of the two major parties.
6. Check the Bill of Rights
In the 20th century, Liberals used to be proponents of the Bill of Rights, at least where free speech and press were concerned, and they championed the right to be free form illegal search and seizure, though were always a little weak on the second amendment. During that same period, Conservatives used to be the ones who complained against limitations on search and seizure, but were strong advocates of the second amendment. Free speech was once the province of Liberals, who stood up to the House UnAmerican Activities Committee, and Conservatives used to favor private militias and private property rights. Today, neither Liberals nor Conservatives stand behind the Bill of Rights. Both groups advocate for terrorist watch lists that take away civil liberties without due process. If you support the Bill of Rights in its entirety, you are neither a Liberal nor a Conservative.
5. Class Warfare
People are sometimes divided into political classes by their mode of earning a living. Liberals used to pride themselves on being the champions of the working class, even though they were usually from the upper middle class themselves. Conservatives used to champion the rights of the middle class, though many of them actually sprang up from the working class. If you believe that class does not matter and that all people should have the same rights. then you are neither a Liberal nor a Conservative.
4. Geographic Region
In the past, people in the South used to vote Democrat, and people in the North used to vote Republican. This was one of the historical results of the Civil War. Originally, the Democrats felt downtrodden, due to carpetbaggers in the South. The Republicans felt triumphant and morally justified, due to the slavery issue and the bias against blacks in the South. Over time, these affiliations with a particular party due to accident of birth have largely been worn away. So if you feel you are a Liberal or a Conservative by birth rather than by choice, now is your chance to reconsider. Neither of the Major two parties is aligned with any particular geographic location, and as to issues of conscience, you must think for yourself.
3. Single Issue
Some people are moved by one particular issue — gay rights, legalization of marijuana, pro-life or pro-military — to make a personal identification as Liberal or Conservative. But did you know that a decision on one of these issues does not necessarily align with a decision on any of the others? You are not necessarily Liberal or Conservative just because you agree with Liberals or Conservatives on that one key issue.
2. Continuum in Cultural Identity
Some people allow their ethnicity, their sexual orientation or their skin color to influence their political identification. Not everything is black or white, they will tell you, but skin color is, and how you are treated due to skin color requires a particular political affiliation. Or they will say that some things are a matter of personal preference, but sexual orientation is not, and sexual orientation decides for you which political camp you align with. This is not true on so many levels. The idea that race or skin color is a binary choice between black and white is patently absurd. Most people in the United States are of mixed blood, and many who identify as white have Asian, African and Native American ancestors. Many who identify as black also have European, Asian and Native American ancestors. Sexual orientation, too, is not binary, and there is a continuum of sexual preferences with varying degrees of personal choice. Our identity as individuals is a cultural construct. The idea of having to choose between Liberal and Conservative is a fallacy.
1. Individual Choice
You are an individual. Your choices are yours and yours alone. If something does not fit, you don’t have to squeeze yourself into a mold created by somebody else. Take the test and find out what you believe. And stop taking offense when people badmouth Liberals or Conservatives. Chances are neither applies to you!