The Thinking ‘Kat: Right or Left?
Politics drives a lot of the forces in our lives, whether we know it or not, or whether or not we care to acknowledge it. Decisions taken in the halls of power cascade downwards, carrying with them a torrent that can sweep away what was once certain. This is not always a bad consequence, but then again, your mileage will vary. One person’s pleasure is another’s pain, and what you regard as a good political choice will also vary, sometimes quite wildly.
For me, I am quite prepared to state I fall on the left of the political spectrum. I think for-profit healthcare and education models are too-easily disrupted by greed, and the proof of that can be seen in some of the systems in place outside of the UK, as well as within. Privatising everything tends to lead to companies doing what they can to cut corners, or exploit their customer base, and there have been times this has led to awful, tragic consequences. This is not to say that government-run institutions do everything perfectly, which is why I have no issues with the option of private education, health, transport etc. However, entrusting public services solely to corporate interests tends to backfire.
Such statements on my part might – and have – led to the suggest I am a socialist. I dare say I have socialist leanings, but to be clear, I do not advocate for full-scale socialism, and certainly not for communism. These are buzzwords, used to create a bit of hysteria, but often inaccurately used by people who make assumptions about what socialism and communist look like. I have heard the expression ‘Liberal Democrat Marxists’ in respect of the USA’s Democrat Party. In reality, they are barely left-wing at all, especially in comparison to left-wing parties in Europe, and even more so in respect of far-left regimes like those found in China and North Korea.
The fear-mongering is a smokescreen, nothing more, but it is a very common trick in politics, employed by both sides of the political aisle, and unfortunately a lot of people get fooled by it. In some parts of the world (America, I am looking at you), people are so entrenched in their positions, that merely implying someone is a socialist/communist is enough for others to believe it, without doing any critical thinking. There is also the knee-jerk belief that drifting even a little to the left is going to lead to a draconian dictatorship.
I obviously cannot speak for everyone who identifies as left-wing, but for me, my values are as follows. I believe that organised religion should not be what leads policies in a secular state, especially where the rights of women, the LGBT community, and racial minorities are concerned. I believe that important public services should never be solely in private hands, for the reasons detailed above. I believe there are enough resources in this world to ensure that no one – especially in affluent first-world countries – should be homeless, or forced to choose between heating and eating. What holds us back from resolving these problems is nothing more than pure, unchecked greed. It is one thing to see to earn money, and I heartily respect people who look to better themselves, but when the Elon Musks and Mark Zuckerbergs of this world horde unimaginable wealth, gained off the backs of people working far harder than them (people who often live paycheque-to-paycheque), there is clearly something painfully flawed with the system.
There is a certain irony in how a lot of conservatives, especially religious ones, speak of individual rights, yet would slave millions to a heavily capitalist system, and also to a system of ‘rights’ that would actually erode rights for millions, through favouring specific religious and cultural beliefs. Indeed, there is arguably more demand for conformity within the political and social right than there is the left!
So there you have it. This is where this meerkat stands.
