POLITICS
We’re On The Same Side, We Just Disagree
A simple plea for those on the left to avoid the unnecessary friendly fire threatening to destroy us
So let’s leave it alone ’cause we can’t see eye to eye There ain’t no good guy, there ain’t no bad guy There’s only you and me and we just disagree — Dave Mason
I was having a discussion with a friendly acquaintance on Mastodon the other day, and he mentioned that he thought he was likely more left-leaning than I was. I found this surprising and told him so, as I was curious why he thought so. I’ve never heard a policy proposal from the likes of Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that I didn’t find, not only enticing, but entirely reasonable and logical. Let’s do it all, I say.
I’m unaware of any mainstream leftist politician in America who is too radical for me or who has proposed legislation that I feel is a bridge too far. I’m still a capitalist at heart who believes in democracy, but who would also like to dip a toe, or maybe my entire left leg, into the pool of socialism now and then.
We eventually came to the crux of the matter and determined that his belief that I might be a bit more centrist than he, was that I had expressed skepticism over some of the more hot-button cultural issues, often as it relates to language. The left’s demand that you’re either in lockstep with their most extreme activists, or you’re the enemy, has always rubbed me the wrong way. He’s right about this, but I’m not convinced that makes me a moderate or even more conservative on those issues.
I’ve never been a fan of purity tests, as I so rarely fit into the neat categories or boxes required to pass. I’m not a follower who blindly trusts in the righteousness and authority of self-appointed leaders. I’m skeptical of almost all dogma, and resistant to mob rule. Mostly, I’m just not one to go along with the crowd. If everyone is doing one thing, that’s usually a red flag for me to stop and think about it. My intention is not to be contrarian, but I am incredibly suspicious of groupthink. It rarely goes well.
The Myth Of The Linear Political Spectrum
We have often been presented with the idea that political ideology exists upon a linear spectrum from left to right. The more radical players lay on the outer edges of the line, with the bulk of people existing somewhere in the middle. Something resembling a bell curve.
The idea of political ideology being conceptualized using a single-axis linear aspect has its origins in 18th-century post-revolution France when parliament was seated with the radicals on the left and the aristocrats on the right. In modern context, we think of socialism and communism on the far left, with fascists and authoritarians on the far right. Democracy we place somewhere in the middle, depending on your political worldview.
Some have argued that political ideology is linear but not on a straight line. They claim it’s more of a horseshoe shape, where as you reach the outer fringes, you begin to get closer to the other side. But this is errant as the two far ends of the spectrum share only radicalism and not fundamental similarities.
The reality is that political ideology is far more complicated and requires multiple axes on different planes. The result is that someone can be on the same side of one axis, but in a different plane, so that even though you are ostensibly on the same side fundamentally, you can still disagree on a variety of specifics. You have to think of it as more of a three-dimensional sphere with points emanating from the center in all directions. We can exist on the same side of the great divide and still disagree on a multitude of things.
The Narcissism of Small Differences
I hate to beat a horse after it’s stopped breathing, but I’ve brought up this concept in multiple pieces as of late, and I fear I am in danger of overdoing it. That said, it remains relevant and feels critical to this discussion.
Freud’s theory on the narcissism of small differences essentially states that the greater the commonalities within a group, the more opportunity there is for “interpersonal feuds and mutual ridicule because of hypersensitivity to minor differences perceived in each other.”¹
The more we share in common, the more likely we are to bicker with one another because we are so sensitive to minor differences in opinions on matters that would be insignificant to an outsider.
We fight because we alone understand the rules of our own game.
Dissent In The Ranks
In the last decade or so, but essentially since Trump turned the world upside down by winning the 2016 election, I have found myself increasingly isolated from the vast majority of Trump sycophants, and Christian nationalists. This was a self-imposed exile whereby I cut myself off from all those who praised the former game show host as a hero and a saint, because the absurdity of it all was beyond logic or reason.
It is in my nature to be curious about the world around me, and I have simultaneously reached an age where I’m questioning the meaning of life just as the clock begins to run out. I find it exhausting and counterproductive to argue with fascists and zealots, just as I do with ideologues and delusional idealists. I operate mainly on social media, a platform particularly unsuitable for changing anyone’s mind through confrontation.
Therefore I spend most of my time thinking about how to improve the strategies and tactics of the left. I write about what we’re doing wrong, as I don’t find any value in cheerleading. I’m critical of my own people because there’s not much point in exposing the criminals operating in broad daylight from the legions of wannabe fascists.
What I have found, more often than not, is not just stiff resistance to constructive criticism, but outright attacks on my person for the audacity of questioning the self-appointed vocal elites. At no other point in recent memory have I experienced such intolerance of dissent on the left.
Granted, we never had such easy access to the thoughts and feelings of our friends and neighbors on such a wide variety of subjects. We were so much less aware of the nuances in the differences of opinions represented in the larger group. Maybe the more vocal leaders just assumed everyone was marching in lockstep behind them. Maybe we were, but likely not.
Compassion For Our Own
This isn’t a symptom of just those on the left. In our hyper-partisan cultural environment, unquestioned loyalty is the shibboleth for acceptance into the group. There is no room for dissent because it is paramount to providing aid and comfort to the enemy.
We are indeed in an existential battle for the soul of a nation, and not some academic exercise without real-world consequences. But the moment you suppress intellectual discourse and quell dissent, you’re asking for trouble.
For what it’s worth, I’d like to see the compassion and empathy of the most passionate among us to extend to those closest to them, and not just to those who they feel are deserving of their attention. Every opinion does not hold the same value, and we shouldn’t make that mistake either. Every idea should be run through the gauntlet and sharpened by steel, but each should be heard and considered.
As soon as you believe you have it all figured out, that there is nothing left to learn, you are certain to be blindsided by a new reality you didn’t contemplate. This is the nature of our evolving society in light of the speed of our technological advances. We are out of control, and no one has any idea of the scope of it all. We all just hold one tiny piece of the puzzle, and none of us have any idea what to do with it or where it might fit.
When you’re in the middle of an unpredictable storm, hubris is rarely an asset. Your only hope is to remain open so that when a clear path forward presents itself, you’re able to see it and take advantage.
So maybe everyone could take a deep breath and allow for a bit more variety in our thinking about life and purpose. A little slower to reach outrage for our small differences. A bit more compassion for our friends, even when they disagree.
We can disagree and still be on the same side.
If you like what you’ve read here today, click to follow more posts by David Todd McCarty. If you’re not currently a Medium subscriber, sign up to read all of David’s articles for free, as well as thousands of other exciting writers.
Follow David Todd McCarty on Mastodon.