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Friday, August 9, 2013

The Venn Diagram of Labels

Liberal, Conservative, Libertarian... (communist, fascist, socialist...). The labels we slap on each other are way too facile, in two important ways.

First: no large group is homogeneous. Within both political parties there are huge diversities of opinion; today's GOP/Tea Party is the most obvious example, but even within the Tea Party there are opinions that vary on every subject and also on the spectrum between ideology and pragmatism. The Democrats, traditionally more welcoming of diversity to begin with, fight among themselves on almost everything. Will Rogers famously said that "I don't belong to an organized political party; I'm a Democrat."

Within groups, differences stem not only from genuine ideological differences but also from more local issues; porky projects, NIMBYism, etc. Senators from coastal states will be more concerned about rising oceans than those from the inland; Politicians from states along the Mexican border more concerned with illegal immigration that others, etc. Pols from states with military bases will be more concerned about (whose) base closures than those without bases. It is a real kaleidescope of overlapping and intersecting issues that determine where people will stand on an issue and many of these differences defy labels.

Second: There is more agreement on specific issues between the labels than one might guess. Another popular label, "populist", has been applied to pols of all leanings. No one wants higher taxes; the Democrats are sometimes accused of that, but what they are saying is that they're more willing to pay higher taxes in exchange for something they like; but no one wants to pay more. Liberals who favor womens' choice might be joined by Libertarians who think the whole abortion issue is none of the government's business; Libertarians are joined by conservatives who oppose gun control.

They don't say that politics makes for strange bedfellows for nuthin'. Shades of gray matter, too: Most conservatives are against gun control, but most conservatives also favor background checks. And the opinions on the Snowden affair, and the tradeoffs between national security and individual privacy, cut across all ideological and party lines.

Finally, there are other important issues of the day on which everyone agrees: 
  • Puppy porn. No one can resist. 
  • Congress. Over 90% disapprove. 
  • Bacon. Everyone loves bacon. Except maybe Communists.
 Choose your labels carefully.

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