I believe that the political left and political right differ in a very basic way – they have different fundamental values that they cherish.
The left’s value is caring and compassion; the right’s value is freedom and opportunity. These don’t have to be in violent conflict, but there is a natural tension between them.
The left’s focus on caring and compassion leads them naturally into areas of concern about group, community, cooperation. The right's focus on freedom and opportunity leads them naturally into areas of concern about the individual and individualism.
I believe the country needs to have both philosophical wings to be strong, alive, and productive. I believe we need to foster both energies of freedom and caring. I am not the first to say that the American Eagle needs both wings to fly.
But, what happens when the left and right go to the extreme ends of their spectrum? They end up, tragically, viewing those who are not with them as enemies out to destroy all that is sacred to them.
On the left end of the spectrum, people say that they are “liberal,” or “progressive” (but are really left wing) because they Care, want to build a kinder world, see their mission as helping people and caring about and for them. Thus, it seems logical to them that people who disagree with them do so because they don’t care, therefore they must be uncaring, mean, inhumane, cruel, insensitive, even bigoted, or racist, hard hearted monsters.
So, of course, they do everything that they can to destroy the monsters who are not like them.
On the right end of the spectrum, people say that they are “conservative” (but are really right wing) because they are Free, want to be free, see their mission as spreading freedom and opportunity in the U.S and the world. Thus, it seems logical to them that people who disagree with them do so because they are opposed to freedom, are after all of our freedoms, are tyrannical monsters who want to control our lives and impose their dictatorship over us all.
So, of course, they do everything that they can to destroy the monsters who are not like them.
Thus, those on the left extreme of the political spectrum are always fighting fascists, and those on the right extreme of the political spectrum are always fighting communists – because the only way they can see the world is that if you don’t agree with them, you must be the polar opposite.
Fortunately, the extremists are pretty severely deluded, and most of us live somewhere on the left-right spectrum well inside the extremes. And we can see that efforts by the left to be caring are not necessarily efforts to establish socialist or communist dictatorships. And we can see that efforts by the right to increase freedom and opportunity are not necessarily efforts to eliminate caring for the needy.
The challenge is to look and listen to those we disagree with and not see them as monsters who are either inhumane or dictatorial - either fascist or communist. I think most people do that quite naturally, but those who make all the noise are on the extremes fighting monsters that mostly aren’t even there.
