Grrrr...

Being a nerd, I read a lot of political commentaries. The right and the left, the conservative and liberal splits are starting to get fairly annoying...

The longer this primary season drags out the more clear it gets that our country just does not fit into neat little cookie cutter ideologies. It brings down the entire level of discourse and sets up straw men. We live in a sound bite culture. Arguments are meant to hit at a strictly emotional level. They may be right or wrong. They may have logical rationales for their positions, but we never get to that level. We just get the soundbite and then the commentators tell us what to think about it based on whether we are right or left. What's worse is that over the years, the definitions change. So without the commentators, we are lost as to what we are suppose to believe as a party, movement or subculture.

Much easier for the left to say the right don't care about the poor than for them to express a lack of trust in charity. Much easier for conservatives to say liberals don't have family values, than to explain why they think that gays cannot get married.

The examples can go but the point is that people tend to disagree and with good reason. By saying all people fall into one of two categories it creates a mob mentality where critical thinking ceases and the other side becomes an enemy rather than an ally with a different strategy.

We all want a better economy. We all want strong families. We all want social equality (in opportunity not outcome necessarily). We all differ strongly on how to accomplish these goals. Its time we come together and have a civilized discourse on the how to's.

(On a side note, I think that the Nolan chart being made the norm rather than right/left would go far in helping to ease tensions in our nation. Check it out @ http://www.nolanchart.com/survey.php)