Left @ MindSay

I just spent 3 1/2 hours reading the book "Left to Tell" by Immaculée Ilibagiza. It's about the Rwandan genocide in 1994. If you have not read it, please do. I get mad at my sister when she borrows my shoes without asking - Immaculee forgave the men that killed her family.

Just, please read it.

That being said, I'm hungry and want some food. I was going to say that I'm starving and Need food, but right now, I don't think I could say something like that.

-Gabby-

I've always been fascinated by different political ideologies, trying to understand why we choose them. Undoubtedly, the beliefs of our parents, peers, teachers, and other notable figures have a great influence during our adolescence, but after a while we develop our own ideas, and our own individual world views.

So, what leads one to be an anarchist, or a conservative, or a moderate, or a libertarian? Surely, above and beyond our upbringings, our personalities must play a large factor in this.

I guess there's nobody I know better than myself, so I make a good example for this purpose. I cared little for politics until the age of about 14 or 15. I came from a fairly politically conservative environment - my Mum fits pretty well in the mould of a conservative christian liberal/national voter, while my Dad leans further to the right as a former One Nation supporter, and assisted in the local campaign back in 1998, somewhat to my Mum's dismay.

At the time when I started exploring political ideas, I was introduced to a very black and white picture of right and left - an 'us' of conservatives, Christian fundamentalists, Republicans, John Howard and Andrew Bolt, and a 'them' of Labor, the Greens, pro-choicers and Karl Marx.

However, soon enough my (practically non-existent, anyhow) 'faith' in Christianity had disappeared, and with it went a lot of my preconceived views. Why exactly, was it wrong for people to be in same-sex relationships? Was the death penalty really an appropriate method of punishment? I still very much identified myself as a conservative, but gradually, I found myself identifying less and less with traditional conservative ideas.

Now I find myself, for all intents and purposes, a centrist - whatever that means. I still hold strong views on some subjects that might seem appropriate for a conservative (such as abortion), but I no longer see myself as having any partisan identifications, nor do I (in my own mind, or through my beliefs) identify myself as a conservative or a right-winger. Indeed, rather than the 'us' or 'them' world of my early teenage years, I now see many, many arguments, all deserving of and requiring consideration. I also see that not everybody really fits within such easily definable moulds such as 'left' or 'right', but if they do, they often align themselves with a specific ideology or political party.

So then, why is it that such people choose these sides to place themselves on? Is it, as I mused a few years back, a division between idealism and realism? Or, as those on the left might counter, a division between selflessness and selfishness?

Of course, I no longer believe it to be nearly that simple. However, I do believe that there must be simple human traits, qualities and emotions that are more dominant on either side of politics. Returning to myself - I know that my journey from a conservative to a moderate has been accompanied with a growth in experience, an increased thirst for knowledge and analysis, and perhaps most importantly, large doses of skepticism and cynicism. Are these traits more related to the 'left-wing', and is this a trend that will continue until I directly associate myself with the left side of politics, or is this as 'left' as I'm ever going to get (keeping in mind the famous Churchill quote, "If you are not a liberal by age 20, you have no heart; if you are not a conservative by age 40, you have no brain")? I honestly don't know, but all I know right now is that I avoid such labels and share an equal skepticism for both sides of politics.

Of course, another factor to consider is that perceptions of left and right change dramatically over time. A few centuries ago, Britain's right/left divide seems to have been quite squarely centred on the issue of monarchy, and yet in the last decade, democracy has been the catch-cry of America's neo-conservatives. Similarly, issues such as women's suffrage and racial equality were the domain of radicals once upon a time, but now are concepts generally accepted by all but the fringes of society.

There's the saying that all types make a world, and I have considered many times in the past that perhaps a left and a right are necessary in any functioning society - a right (forgive the blatant stereotyping for a second) to ensure the smooth running and structural enforcement of the society, and a left to provide its soul, its art, and its ability to progress. Of course, I could be completely wrong, or attributing qualities that are actually present on either side of politics.

In the end, however, I cannot see the left/right divide as a good thing. Frankly, I see it as, just like religion, culture, language and race, yet another way for people to isolate themselves in small groups. It is a shame that these 'us and them' mentalities emerge, when really, politics and philosophy should be areas that encourage free, frank and honest discussion with the goal of understanding. I hope that that is how I spend the remainder of my life - not a mouthpiece for another person's beliefs, or a devotee of a preconceived ideology. Rather, I want to always be open to any argument, any debate, and any opinion - not being conservative or liberal, tory or whig, republican or democrat, right or left. Just me.

Newt Gingrich has compiled some amazing statistics from Joe Americans about America utilizing a broad spectrum of Republicans, Democrats and Independents. Now I cannot vouch for the scientific method in acquiring the statistics because obviously Newt is a Conservative.

In full disclosure of honesty, Slanted Left data collection is also skewed to justify their agenda; therefore the method on both sides of the aisle is more than likely skewed for self-justification. The reader of statistics has to decide the integrity of the data organization to filter an opinion from percentages and numbers published as statistical results.

I am a Conservative and I would never trust statistics derived from Kos or a statistical organization hired by Kos, that group is simply too inflammatory against the Right to read anything into their conclusions or methods to acquire conclusions. On the other hand I might weigh some thoughts of statistics derived from the NY Times or the Washington Post, two obvious Slanted Left media publications. You might ask, “Why?” The reason is every scandal a journalistic media of repute (whether it is Left or Right) has to understand that being caught in conspicuous manipulation adds disrepute to the validity of their reporting. The National Enquirer understands this principle, only gossip fanatics and the addicted to the strange take the National Enquirer seriously.

If the NYT or WaPo were caught in Statistical fraud it could eventually cut into their bottom line – sales and revenue. Now that is ironic for Slanted Left organizations is it not?

So obviously Newts statistics may be skewed; however the skewing is more than likely in the question and the conclusion. That works for me.

The essence of Newts recent “Winning The Future” e-newsletter is that media and blogs present a picture of the Left and the Right being vicious enemies on way opposite sides of the political spectrum. Newt’s statistics amazingly disputes the polarizing divide between Americans.

Read the November 7^th issue of Winning The Future to see how alike in concerns that Americans are.

JRH

     I'm back although most of you probably don't even know I left.  I decided to get away for a while.  I was tired of all the bitching and goings on of homelife.  So Benji, Kyle, Rachel and I went camping and had a pretty good time of it, despite the fact that Florida has banned having campfires till it freakin rains. 

    But since being back I feel cold and misplaced.  I know most of you reading probabaly think this is just a diary of an angstful 17 year old.  Well, maybe it is.  Maybe that's all it really is.  But I do know that what I feel is real.  So it is what it is and that's all. 

    A friend of mine gave me this really good idea.  I should keep a journal of all the times I feel mistreated or all the times I feel like my parents are being shitty.  I can keep it all through my teen years and that way I won't make the same mistakes as they did when I'm a dad.  I'm sure I could be a good dad someday.  I hope so anyhow.  Sometimes you just never know.  Do you think all the times your own parents messed up has some effect on you?  I mean, I'm sure it does and as much as I hate to side with them.  They are people after all, just like me?  And we all know people make mistakes.  I sure make enough of them.  What can you do though? 

    By the way.  I have some really interesting news.... shit... my parents need my assistance.  Isn't that just the shit?  Well, I'll have to get back at you next time.