What does it mean to be a Moderate in today’s society? Well, let me tell you. I am a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. This means that I have no place in a society with such a polarized view of politics. I feel like I’m entrenched in “No-Man’s Land” from WWI, with blue and red not only fighting around me but pulling me back and forth, trying to get me to cross over to their side.
When I argue with my rabidly conservative father and grandfather, I am a liberal who doesn’t know the “right way” and has been taken in by the liberal media (it’s not just “the media” anymore – it’s “the liberal media”). According to them, many times, I don’t have the capacity to realize that those liberals out there are just out to destroy our freedoms and attack Christianity. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the phrase, we’ll talk in 10 years or so when you really understand what’s going on. OR when I get told that I don’t know what “evil” is. That’s my favorite.
So I’ve been dealing with this for a while. NOW I have a friend, a very good friend, who, essentially, is a Communist. We argue constantly about politics and the “American way” (whatever that is anymore). He’s all about the revolution and is just waiting for it to happen. According to my friend, I am completely conservative and cannot understand the “right way” because I am too entrenched in my family’s political ideas (which is funny because I’m pretty sure my mother is more of a moderate liberal) and my religious upbringing (also funny because Catholics are the most liberal of the Christian religions) to truly understand that communism is the only way.
Therefore, I argue with my father about one set of issues and am a liberal, and then I argue with my friend about the same issues and am conservative! I understand that, in the grand scheme of things, Americans are, as a people, way more conservative in ideals than Canadians and Europeans. I totally get that. But it is absolutely amazing that, in order to be a moderate in this country, you are attacked by both sides! And both Democrats and Republicans have their heads shoved so far up their asses that they can’t tell that they are acting like idiots. It is patently obvious that we shouldn’t be spending money willy-nilly right now, and yet that is exactly what is happening, especially now with the election of a Democratic president and an incredibly Democratic Congress. And the “Grand Ole Party” has proven that it no longer “walks the walk” or actually believes in being fiscally conservative, which has been proven by the fact that our National Debt doubled while the Republicans were in control. Give me a break
I am definitely a fiscal conservative. I think it is extremely foolish to put ourselves deeper and deeper into debt in order to get ourselves out of debt. I also am very concerned with the fact that the government is getting more involved with the market. We have nationalized the banks, but everyone is so concerned with their own financial woes (real or perceived), that they do not truly realize what that means. One of the first steps on the road to complete governmental control is for the governments to take control of the financial sector. I’m sorry, but I don’t think it is right for the government to tell me what I should be doing with my money (whatever is left after they take out taxes). And I definitely don’t think it’s right for the government to tell people that it is okay to spend money you don’t have because eventually it’s just going to bite us all in the ass. It has become apparent to me that the Stimulus package was absolutely useless and this Bailout plan will be no better – all it will do is put off the inevitable.
On the other hand, I am a social liberal. I am against the death penalty, I am for stem-cell research. While I am personally against abortion, I believe that this nation is not prepared for the ramifications at all levels if abortion were to be outlawed. I believe that the violence in this country is caused by a laxity in gun laws and the drug war that has lost us countless lives. I believe that first and foremost on our nation’s priorities should be education, but that people are too busy worrying about how they are going to pay for their McMansions and luxury cars to care about the plight of our nation’s children. I believe that every child in this country should have access to affordable medical care. I believe that welfare was a good idea, but needs to be greatly reformed. I believe in Social Security, but that it should be the people’s choice as to what happens to the money when it is taken from our paycheck (a little bit of both, there, don’t you think?). I believe that while climate change is real, it is a combination of many factors, not just human interference, and the sooner we get rid of our dependence on all oil, but especially foreign oil, the better off this country will be. I believe that war is wrong, and I wonder if there should be a formal investigation into the real reasons why the US invaded Iraq.
This is what it means to be a moderate in American society. Well, in my mind at least. For those of you who wish to blast my beliefs, know that it comes from a deep sense of who I am as a person and what I want this nation to become. I didn’t come to any conclusion lightly, and to assume that I have because of media bias or even familial loyalty is not only ludicrous, but insulting.
So to all of you who think that straddling the fence is the easy way out – you have no idea what it truly means to compromise. And to all of you who think that this country hasn’t been damaged by the partisan nature of our government – think about the Congressional approval ratings or when the last time you actually believed that Republicans and Democrats were working together.
