Partisan politics is morally distorting. Paul Jacob offers a common-sensical example of why.
Why I Don’t Party
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Really?
You applaud when a Dutch lady makes a factually wrong political video (that caters for the republicans’ simplistic view of the European world).
Let’s wait for you to applaud when Michael Moore’s next video hits youtube…
What is this distoring thing? Did you mean distorting?
Parties just need to be looked at as tools. I only call myself a Democrat now because it started getting embarassing to still call myself an independent, and a lot of the Republicans I liked and voted for retired – so it seemed pretty self-evident to call myself a Democrat at least for the time being. As long as it doesn’t force you to hold a problematic or inaccurate view, I don’t see a particular problem with it. And in that sense I agree with Don – partisanship can definitely be distorting, but I would add that parties are just voluntary associations. What’s interesting is that Jacob doesn’t even talk about parties – he only mentions ideologies. But the George Washington instinct is good – take what you like from whereever you find it, and don’t worry too much about how you label it.
Could you re-post your essay on why you don’t vote? It was a gem but I can’t seem to find it on the Pittsburgh Tribune site. Thanks!
I vote. I vote in the hopes of dividing political power between the two parties. To create gridlock. Political gridlock is a friend of freedom and it’s pretty much all we have since our government affords the constitution the same respect and reverence as toilet paper.
I agree. Followers of both parties want government to do something for them (which means taking from me). My best action is to oppose the efforts of both parties.
Don, I think you took the bait. Nathan Koppel, like most WSJ reporters (not I said reporters, not editorial writers), is not a guy of the right. Therefore, this isn’t the right complaining about a Republican taking liberal clients. It’s a man of the left trying to suggest a) this is how conservatives think; and b) isn’t it silly. If anyone reads these articles and rolls their eyes, well, the hook is set.