Blaming the “Other Side”: Conservative Versus Liberal Is Counterproductive
With the political season well under way, yet so far from being complete, the lines are being drawn. This year, they seem less Republican or Democrat, but more liberal or conservative. Some simply would argue that conservatives are Republicans, and liberals are Democrats. But if that were true, then John McCain wouldn’t be worried about the conservative base voting for him in November.
The problem, though, isn’t about what you believe. Everyone has views different from the person next to him or her. I’m sure you could turn to someone, and easily find something you didn’t agree on. But does that mean you can’t be a friend, lover, coworker, or family member of that individual? Of course not.
The difficulty this year, much more than others, is that it seems blaming the “other side” for all the problems you are having, or the country in general is facing, is the only solution anyone can come up with.
It’s the liberals’ fault, for refusing to drill for oil off America’s coasts, that gas prices are so high! It’s the conservatives’ fault that our country is in the mess it is with the economy! Both these arguments are lies. Yes, lies. But if you were to look at any message board, you’d find that logic just seems to have evaporated. Watch a news program, and you will see even the brightest blaming the “other side.”
Gas prices are high for a multitude of reasons, but passing a bill today to drill off the coasts will not lower gas prices for at least 10 years. Not a single credible expert has said otherwise. Yet somehow, it’s all the liberals’ fault for not allowing drilling, because if it commenced, gas prices immediately would lower. Where’s the logic in that? If oil is this country’s biggest problem in 10 years, then our nation has failed to solve it. Drilling for oil is not the solution. It’s just a temporary fix to a leaking dam.
As for those pesky conservatives driving this country into the worst economic recession we’ve seen in ages, again not true. President George W. Bush and all his conservative friends didn’t approve millions of risky home loans. They didn’t tell every American to spend, spend, spend on homes they couldn’t afford; SUVs needing refilling twice a week; and other extravagant toys they neither needed nor truly could pay for. That, my friends, was everyone’s fault for living the American Credit Dream.
It is true, for those who wish to argue, that the conservatives in power could have done something. They could have said, “Hey, this isn’t right—we need to rein in all this spending.” But in reality, the country was growing, everyone was happy, and things were going our way. Why would anyone stop that?
Now, we’re at the crossroads of our country’s future. It seems from what the candidates are saying that this truly will be the year of change.
Is blaming the other side of the fence really going to fix something? Is blaming the liberals or the conservatives going to lower gas prices, or take the country out of this recession?
If you actually believe this, then by all means, keep blaming everyone else for your problems. Keep posting comments on message boards blaming the other side for your failures.
If, by chance, you want to think for a minute, and realize that blaming others for your problems never has fixed them, then just maybe, come this election, you’ll be able to sit down next to someone different from you, and work together. That’s how we will rise above our malaise, and move toward greatness once again.
