I believe most people will agree that in the year 2017, the chasm between the right and left political parties has never been wider. No longer can we be friends with someone who has different political beliefs than our own. No longer can we set aside our politics and enjoy something, even as simple as watching a football game, with anyone that sits on the other side of the political aisle. Today even family members refuse to talk to each other because they have different political ideologies.
Some people try to claim that this divide has always existed and that we always hated each other, but that simply isn’t the case. I will concede that there were always extremes on each side that refused to associate with their opposite wing brethren. But never once has there been so much disdain between even the moderates of the liberals and conservatives.
So, what’s changed? We’ve had two different parties since the inception of the republic. Why does it seem as if Democrats and Republicans have opposite solutions to nearly every single topic or issue that the United States comes across? Why does it seem that we can’t even find one iota of common ground that can help us unite?
The answer to those questions is really quite simple. The left and the right no longer share the same goal and vision for the United States future. In the past, we often disagreed on how we would do something, however the end goal would always be the same. Now, since we don’t wish to have the same outcome, we will never agree on anything.
Imagine if two people wanted to build a house. They will argue on how to go about certain tasks but in the end, they will usually compromise and find common ground. These men will compromise because they know that the more common ground, the closer they will be to finishing the house. Usually, in that scenario, two opinions is a good thing because seeing things from different prospective, often improves the product.
Now imagine if one of these two people wants to build a boat instead, while the other still wants to build a house. There will be absolutely nothing that these individuals will be able to agree on. They’ll both realize that with every concession they give to the other person, it takes you further and further away from your goal.
It is quite apparent that this is what’s happening to the United States today. I believe that today’s right wing wants to continue to see an America that believes the rights of an individual are of the utmost importance. They want to continue to live in a land where they are free to pursue their hopes and dreams. They need to be in a place where they have the ability to pursue whatever they want, pray to whoever they want, and do whatever they want, as long as they don’t impede on the rights of others.
As conservatives, we know that the government is a necessary evil that has to be there to protect us from foreign and domestic threats, to keep the rule of law, and to force everyone to honor their contracts. But that’s as far as we need and want the government’s power to go. We believe that the federal government should be as small, decentralized, and have as little of power as possible.
The United States was able to become so free and so prosperous because of the values that I believe most conservative and libertarians hold. The left used to uphold those same principles and values, but had different ways of achieving them.
Today however, the left has completely different ideas when it comes to their vision of the United States. Liberals and progressives, in 2017, don’t believe in the individual but the group as a whole. They believe in uniformity of thought and expression because if no one has differing thoughts or ideas, then there will be a peaceful Utopia where everything will be perfect and no one will ever fight. They place extreme importance on equality of outcomes because again, if everyone’s the same than there will be no fighting. They believe that competition and inequality lead to war and despair. They believe that if one person has more than another, than the person who has more must have stolen it from the person who has less.
Today’s political left views government as a useful tool to achieve their Utopian vision. They believe that if government can dictate and control everyone, then order will ensue and everyone will be at peace in the world. They believe that the Government should be the equalizer for anyone who has more than others. They believe that all cultures are the same and that an Islamic dictatorship is equal to the tolerant West.
Most importantly, the left believes that the current United States needs to change and adhere what they see fit. This is why the left wants to grant more and more control to the Federal Government. This is why liberals constantly ridicule the United States and spew vitriol about our country’s vices, while never once complimenting our virtues.
Freedom and the ability to pursue your dreams and passions are what conservatives place as their highest priority. Freedom isn’t even on the left’s radar. Uniformity, equality of outcomes (not opportunity) and the belief that if there are no differences in cultures, wealth, passions, and dreams, the world will come together into a Utopia and no one will ever feel pain again.
Knowing that this is the reason why we are so different, I believe that you should really ask each other, “What do you see as an end goal of your policies?” But both sides should know that we will never agree on anything, until we agree on what we want for the future.
