Don’t Be a Liberal or a Conservative, Be an Individual, Be Yourself
Are you frustrated when someone asks, “Are you a conservative?” or “Are you a liberal?” The only function which these questions serve is an attempt to categorize someone to one side of a seemingly two-sided debate. People who ask this question are primarily seeking to pigeonhole someone into a particular tribe to know who belongs to their own ideological group. They want to make an a priori judgement about the validity of their words. This type of logic is dangerous because it doesn’t view people as humans; it views them instead as members of mutually exclusive categories, and it often serves as the basis of polarization and discrimination.
Identity politics is a dangerous game. This classification of individuals into identity-based subgroups feeds into a pernicious mindset that can lead to the dehumanisation of others which has been the source of many atrocities throughout history. Identity based dehumanisation is the reason that more than 6 million individuals with Jewish heritage were tortured and slaughtered by the Nazis during the Holocaust, along with 5 million others who were discriminated against for their identity. It’s the reason that as many as 7.5 million Ukrainians were systematically starved by the Soviets in the Holodomor famine, among many more that were killed in the Soviet Union’s Gulag system. Labels such as Republican, Democrat, Libertarian and so forth serve no purpose other than to censure others and judge them on the basis of their perceived identity. That’s wrong. The only acceptable way to view anyone is as an individual. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that it was his dream that his children would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Likewise, we should judge people based on the content of what they say, not the labels assigned to them.
As a personal challenge, I have made a commitment to not contribute to the polarization that categorizes people into mutually exclusive groups. That worldview does not lead to anything productive nor does it reflect enlightenment individualism. I’m not going to support the mechanisms that can be used to lambaste or cause harm on the basis of nothing more than labels and was used to justify the Holocaust and the Gulag. If people ask me about my views on particular issues, I’ll be more than willing to explain my thoughts about them. However, as for the question about where I stand politically, all I can say is that I am an individual.
Kristian Fors is a student at Utah State University majoring in Economics and Philosophy and is an opinion columnist for the Utah Statesman. He can be reached at krfors@gmail.com.
I mostly disagree with this take. I understand where you are coming from – over generalizing a group of people can be dangerous and unproductive in most contexts. But in the terms of civil politics, certain labels can be appropriate and even useful. I identify as a Democrat because I agree with the platform of the party, back their candidates, and aid in getting them elected. I am a Democrat because I am adamantly pro-choice, pro-immigration, etc. If someone is a hardcore liberal or conservative, there should be no shame in identifying themselves as such. If you are somewhere in the middle, or don’t care, etc, then that’s fine too – being unaffiliated or independent is a good way to sum that up. Let people choose how they wish to identify politically. Liberal Democrats are the ones pushing back on Trumps rhetoric, policies, and lunacy – which is why I choose to be in that group. Calling myself an “individual” does nothing for me or others, because it does not provide any information on my values or policy preferences. Identity politics can certainly be harmful – but in mainstream American politics, political parties and ideological groups are inevitable. Being a part of a larger ideological coalition is not always a bad thing.
I think we can all do better in being respectful towards one another. In the end though, we all have issues we refuse to compromise on – and I believe there is nothing wrong with that.
Also, equating our current two party paradigm to the holocaust is not fair or accurate. People are not at risk of being rounded up and killed systemically in the United States because of a Dem or GOP party affiliation.
Wow who let this ridiculous piece get published? What complete and utter nonsense. Your reduction of the holocaust is a gross oversimplification. Coalition building is a good thing. Cooperation is necessary to achieve many lofty goals. You should do some reading. Check out Ben Shapiro’s new book, The Right Side of History. How about Mormon? Or Jew for that matter? Is that just oversimplified tribalism? Collective identity is inherently connected with individual identity. While you may be an idiot and most of your readers of average intelligence, tho distinct, you still share in the common identity as an Aggie.