Just to be Clear

I’m a (small-L) libertarian, waffling towards anarcho-capitalism. Or classsical liberal, or market liberal, or capitalist pig, whatever you want to call it. I find the Left and Right as they are defined in modern US politics to be equally unpalatable. tricstmr asked me in a comment to a recent entry why I seem to pick primarily on the Left in my rare political posts. Here’s what I answered:

I ask myself about this from time to time. For some reason I can’t quite pin down, leftists have a way of setting me off much more easily than those on the right. It could be that I was raised among essentially right-wing people, and despite changing my views I remain used to them. So despite disagreeing just as strongly with the Right, I find myself just shaking my head in bemusement at their antics. Whereas the Left is more likely to drive me straight up the pole. I would say that I see a combination of shrillness, smugness, and pugnacious ignorance on the Left that is less pronounced on the Right, but I’m afraid this may just be my perception rather than an objective fact.

There’s also the fact that while the few views I share in common with the Right are still ostensibly espoused by American conservatives – free markets, small government, the importance of gun rights and national security – today’s left seems as often as not to be attacking the very values I’d normally have in common with them, such as freedom of speech and of religion.

Then there’s this: just about every other person on my LJ friends list posts stories periodically about how evil the Right is. I feel I have nothing to add. Back in my real blogging days I did my share of “stupid conservative” stories, but now on the rare occasion I decide to post something politically (a decision I invariably regret) I post something about the Left simply to stand out from the crowd.

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4 Comments

  1. You seem like a hell of a guy so far, so I’ll just say what I am really thinking, specific to this post only.

    “I post something about the Left simply to stand out from the crowd.”

    This, to me, does not make you stand out from the crowd. The ‘crowd’ is still hung up on even using outdated labels like left and right. The realities of those groups and issues has just plain outgrown and outdiversified either category. Playing into that tired old feud, from either direction, offers nothing unique. The entire two-party system has become a huge distraction ploy. It allows people on both sides to believe they have cherished and distinct political views, while ignoring the fact that in 90%+ cases, the exact same things drive both parties in terms of how elected officials actually function.

    I love to discuss issues, specific and general. I will research, listen, argue, agree, or admit a lack of information and enjoy every step right wrong or otherwise. But as soon as I see the word left or right in this context, I tune out, because I assume baggage involved with those concepts is going to bog down any actual examination of the issues.

    1. Identifying as I do with neither the left nor the right, yet being far from a moderate, I sympathize.

    2. Everything you just wrote

      Word.

      The two party system is the root of all evil in American government. Blinky lights and beepy noises.

  2. and thats why i like you avdi. because you are willing to post anti left rhetoric in a right bashing environment. both sides as well as the middle need to be reminded of their ignorance. people do and say stupid things. extremists in both realms happen to say and do those things more often.

    i say let the right and left bash it out. it will make it easier for me to infiltrate and conquer if both sides are distracted with each other.

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