(no subject)

[annathyst]

The ignorance of my younger brother (13 years old) never ceases to horrify me.
For chrissakes, he didn't even know the difference between right-wing and left-wing (or anything about the ideologies represnented) until last night...

Comments

[stargazer.livejournal.com]

Hrrm? I didn't understand my right from my left (politically) until about then. (And I still screw up my relative physical right and left. :) )

You have to realize that all of these names -- Republican and Democrat, conservative and liberal, left and right -- are entirely arbitrary. Really, unless you have them explicitly explained to you, or you find an editorial or somesuch with enough context to clue you in, they aren't going to make any sense. Like yesterday's Doonesbury said (roughly), "Don't you think conservativism would have something to do with conservationism?"

The situation is worsened by the fact that most political ideologies are about as illogical. A pre-born child may be a life that deserves to be protected, but a born person is also one, and so it looks a bit, erm, tacky when the head of your party is a cold-blooded serial killer. Likewise, the party of personal liberty attempting to bring us the Clipper chip wasn't exactly an exercise in consistency, either.

[cookiebus.livejournal.com]

I still confuse the two every once in a while. Of course, that stems from my relative indifference about poilitics.

[axiem.livejournal.com]

I didn't know until this year, when we had to know for US History class.

I dislike the system, however. The only reason it exists, really, is because people are too damn lazy to form their own views and rather have a party to align with.

Then again, I'm neither left nor right wing. I'm both, and yet, neither.

Our political measuring system is horribly flawed.

glad

[ex-md744.livejournal.com]

I'm rather glad the US political system is dealigning. The parties are terrible sources of identification. Grr.