From Graham Lester at Point 2 Point, one of the best summaries of politics I’ve heard lately:
I find politics, at least as it is practiced over here in America, to be largely a competition between two religions that leaves little place for any sort of genuine grappling with issues. The politically minded on both sides seem to have a need to divide the world into a good group and a bad group like old-fashioned cowboys and indians.
Although I have also taken an oath to consider politics a dirty word here at Spinning, I must agree in large with Graham’s assessment. It seems that most people affiliated with a political party will blindly vote and spout the party rhetoric without giving either themselves as individuals or the other platforms any credit for sometimes having the better or smarter ideas.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
That’s a very useful way to think about it! As an immigrant in progress, I’m sort of coming at this from the outside, and trying to figure out where I will “fit” in this system leaves me with whiplash. I don’t really want anything to do with either of these sides, and this tendency to deny that the other party has any good people or good intentions, drives me batty. It is sort of religious now you point it out. Er, which way to the Unitarians?!