I'm Not A Cult Member
But, too many people are -- people who align themselves with a particular party or belief system and vote for it with the loyalty and team spirit of a middle school cheerleader. It's nonthink. And you see it from bloggers all the time -- those who would probably leap to lay out the cgi welcome mat for Stalin, Pol Pot, and Mengistu if it was in keeping with their party lines.
Personally, I'm a thinker, not a joiner. I just try to vote for the least creepy sellout, which is how I see all the candidates and their dubious wheelings and dealings, supposedly on our behalf.
It's why this blog is a smattering of political this and that. Because I'm not any one thing; I'm a bunch of things: fiscally conservative, socially libertarian, and, a term I made up, a personal responsibilitarian. And for keeping the religious nuttery in the church, synagogue, or mosque where it belongs. And for finding somebody I can vote for in the next election without projectile vomiting. And at the moment, that's a person who doesn't look like they'll be on the ballot.
How about you? Have you drunk the Kool-Aid? And if so, did your glass have an elephant or a donkey on it? (Or a "Race Haters For Ron Paul!" sticker?) Arnold Kling writes for Tech Central Station:
Are all mass political movements cults? I tend to think so.Many well-meaning libertarians signed on to the "Ron Paul revolution." At first, this only required accepting his pro-life and anti-immigrant stances as libertarian, contrary to the leanings of many libertarians. More recently, a journalist for The New Republic found some newsletters that were circulated under Ron Paul's name in the 1980's and 1990's that included angry, racist rhetoric. Ron Paul himself disclaims having such sentiments, and he says that the writing was the work of someone else operating with lax supervision.
I do not know Ron Paul. He may be wise. He may be decent. But to dismiss all doubts about his judgment and his character would be to succumb to a cult.
Let me hasten to add that I do not think of the Paul cult as unique. I am equally loathe to join the Clinton cult, the Obama cult, the Guiliani cult...you name it.
For me, democratic politics is a "lesser of evils" game, and I'm never sure how best to play it. But I have to say that when I read that this year's New Hampshire primary had a record turnout, it made my heart sink rather than warm. Not that I'm against voting, but I hate to think of people as buying into anyone's political campaign.
For libertarians, I recommend focusing on institutions that compete with government: families, private schools, charities, and religious organizations (short of becoming cult-like in your devotion). I recommend developing your logical reasoning skills and applying those skills to questioning what politicians say. But I do not recommend joining mass political movements. Instead, treat them as cults.
And don't forget "The Cult Of The Woman," aka "Vote Your Labia."
And many blacks do it, too -- "Vote Your Race Cult," via a Balt Sun story by Michael Hill:
Some argue that blacks should vote for [Mrs.] Clinton "because her husband was good to us," he continued."That's not true," he thundered. "He did the same thing to us that he did to Monica Lewinsky."
What does your preferred movement or political party do that you find asshole-ish or wrong? Anything at all?