2006.02.03

Inclusion versus Exclusion

One of the sites I read from time to time is warriormonkey. I discovered Leigh when I was digging up information about an old revered professor of mine. She wrote an article recenty called How I became a Democrat. I made a comment and as often happens my own comment got me thinking. Here’s the relevant portion of the comment:

I think if I had to pick an idea that did affect me politically, though, it’s the idea of inclusive versus exclusive. Modern Republicans are exclusive; you will go far if you are a white christian male with aspirations of being rich and think because of your current state you are better than others. People who are different are shunned and/or feared. Modern Democrats are generally inclusive; diversity is encouraged, there’s a recognition that everyone deserves a fair shake at life, and that we’re all in this together.

Both parties have their problems. I think political correctness is left wing facism, for example (something I encountered often at OU, actually). Still, I would rather live in an inclusive community than an exclusive society.

I have heard the cliche of youths being Democrats and adults being Republicans. I’ve never really bought into it. I think people of all ages, but youth in particular, are idealists. Republicans often think conservatism isn’t an ideal but it is; they want their own utopian worlds to exist.

The idea of inclusion has been important to me for a very long time. I’m not saying Republicans don’t have any good ideas and Democrats only have good ideas because that is denying the facts. There are, indeed, some things that we should not tolerate, despite liberalism embracing the ideal of toleration.

This is just one of the many reasons why I consider myself on the Democrats side rather than the Republicans, and why I’ll fight most of their ideals whenever I can.

2 Comments Categorized: political  thoughts

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2 Responses to “Inclusion versus Exclusion”

1. Uncle Roger says  (February 7th, 2006 at 15:50:50 )

   I have about the same view… although I never thought about it in exactly those terms. For me, it’s about community versus individuality. I see it as we’re all in this together; the republicans are looking out for number one.

   Social Security is a great example of this. Currently, we all contribute according to our income — according to our ability. We all get from it according to what we need. If we’re disabled or live a very long time, we get out more than we put in. If we die early, we will have put in more than we got out. The latter folks end up helping out the former.

   Dubya, on the other hand, wants to change things so that whatever you put in, you get back, even if it turns out to be more than you need. What he doesn’t talk about is what happens if you end up needing more than you put in.

   As far as I’m concerned, I’d rather we all work together and share what we have than make it all competitive and mean.

2. douglas says  (February 7th, 2006 at 23:55:15 )

   I think this was one of the big “lessons” in the book and movie About A Boy. At the beginning of the movie Will, the main character thinks, “In my opinion, all men are islands. And what’s more, now’s the time to be one. This is an island age.”

   By the end of the movie he comes to this conclusion. “Every man is an island. I stand by that. But clearly some men are island CHAINS. Underneath, they are connected…”

   And that is what is missing; we are all connected though we all have our individuality. At least that is what I’m “hearing” you “say”.