Political Ideology

Running for State Representative in Massachusetts forced me to examine my ideology in unexpected ways. What should I call myself?

Liberal?

According to Wikipedia, “Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on liberty, consent of the governed and equality before the law.” Requiring consent of the governed creates hypocrisy and political theater that I oppose. Standing up for liberal values such as being open to new ideas, civil liberties, and free enterprise sounds great but the methods are problematic in my opinion.

Conservative?

My initial response is no. Rejecting something without investigation or evidence goes against my core values. Consulting Wikipedia, the answer was a list of things I oppose so I’ll write a more detailed examination in the future.

Progressive?

The Progressive Party began when the wealth gap between classes became unsustainable. Since 2008, after the housing industry catastrophe, the movement has begun surging. Among many Conservatives, the word invokes scary images and dramatic voiceovers. To progress means to move forward which matches perfectly with my core value of improving myself and the world around me.

Libertarian?

Libertarian ideals work well in homogeneous environments but humans are more self-serving than cooperative so I remain unconvinced that this model is any more possible than communism. Removing the welfare system is part of improving society but returning to laissez-fair economics while the world grows more interconnected is a recipe for disaster.

Moderate?

Staying in the middle regardless of the strength of arguments on the left and right does not mesh with who I am either.

It’s official. In exploring my options, I most closely align with Progressives. My own life has been improved through government programs. The power of government can be a force of good or evil. I truly believe that when good people are in positions of power and are conscientious leaders, wonderful changes can happen. To progress is to grow and prosper. . . how is that a bad thing?