Facebook has a lot of things going on that we don't know about. It's not that facebook is actually trying to hide this stuff, it's just that it's not right out in the open, and, well, no one ever really looks. Of course, we all agree to it by being on facebook to begin with, so it's not like you have any right or grounds on which to complain. If you don't like it, don't be on facebook.
But I digress as all of that is really beside the point. Or behind it. Or something. I only bring it up because what I'm about to talk about came out of one of those "hidden" facebook things.
Unsurprisingly, facebook labels you in different ways based on the kinds of things on which you click through and all sorts of ways. A lot of it has to do with advertising so that their advertisers can target you so that they're sending ads to people who might actually be interested in them rather than just whatever to whomever and hoping something sticks. One of the labels they attach to you has to do with how you lean politically.
Yeah, I checked my label.
It said "machine wash, hot."
Oh, wait! Wrong label.
Oh, yeah, I know what a lot of you out there are thinking: "We don't need you to tell us your label. We all know you're one of those crazy, hippy liberals." Well, as it turns out, not quite. See, there are three categories: liberal, conservative, and moderate. Makes sense, right? And I fully expected to get pegged in the "liberal" category. But, no, my label... You want to know my label? "Very liberal." Not just liberal but "very liberal."
It's funny, because I don't feel "liberal." What I feel like is someone who believes that all people; independent of their race, sex, sexuality, financial status, whatever; ought to get a fair shake. What I wonder is this: Since when did that idea become "liberal"? Because I have a hard time with the idea of people being treated fairly and equally being a liberal idea. Not today. Today, that ought to be the norm.
Why?
Because we use the Declaration of Independence as one of our founding documents, I'd like to point out a few things. All men (mankind) are created equal, not just white men and not just rich men and not just rich, white men.
All men have the right to life, which does not include being shot dead by people working for the government, especially not for walking down the street or driving your car.
All men have the right to liberty. I'm going to say that as freedom. People have the right to choose how they want to live. As long as you're not hurting some other person, you should get to live the way you want to. And, honestly, I don't understand why this is even a thing. What you do in your own house is your own business (as long as it isn't beating your kids or your spouse). Or it ought to be. I don't want you coming in my house telling me how to live, so I shouldn't be going into your house telling you how to live. That's a metaphoric "I," people.
All men have the right to pursue happiness. Again, as long as it doesn't mean harming someone else or denying someone else their right of life or liberty. You get to decide what makes you happy and pursue that thing and, just because that is not a thing that makes me happy, it doesn't make it okay for me to tell you that it shouldn't make you happy.
These do not seem like "liberal" ideas to me. They seem like fairly decent human ideas. But let's take it back some more. Now, if you are a Bible believer, you have to get the whole part where God created man to be free. See, the angels were not free, and God wanted some piece of creation that would have freedom of choice. The freedom to live as that piece of creation would choose to live. So it seems to me that the people who should be most invested in protecting the right of choice for individuals would be Christians. Or "Christians," if we're speaking politically.
Not to mention that it should be Christians most in support of social programs that help the poor. Seriously, what do they think it means when Jesus said, "Feed my sheep"? But that's really a different topic.
The point is that I don't feel liberal, certainly not "very liberal." Which is not to say that I feel conservative, because I don't feel that, either (although I think I did actually feel conservative when I was young and growing up in the South). I don't think of myself in those kinds of terms.
As I said, I do think of myself as someone who believes that people deserve and should receive equality. Equal opportunity. Equal pay for equal work. An equal chance at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. My wife frequently says I'm the best feminist she knows, but I don't think of myself that way, either. I'll say equalist. I believe in equalism.
And, again, as the title says, since when did that idea become liberal?
A lot to unpack here. But I like the way you said it.
ReplyDeleteOne of the problems is that liberals and conservatives are only very loosely labeled, and the ideologies do not correspond necessarily with the labels anyway.
"Conservatives" these days tend to be in favor of big government only in limited areas, while liberals tend to favor big government in other areas. I recall the time the big debate in Congress was whether to increase school funding slightly, or slightly less than that.
There is very little, if any, difference in mainstream liberalism and mainstream conservatism when it comes to economic policy, which is one of the most important but least-understood areas the government meddles in. "Mainstream" doesn't include Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders, but rather people with whom the majority of American might agree.
One area of distinct difference is in the continuation of "Dodd-Frank," the financial regs passed when the Dems took over in 2008. Trump wants to dismantle it; Hillary says she will protect it and seek to expand it.
Both approved bank bailouts, though, and both will largely leave financial regulations of Wall Street untouched.
More info:
http://graphics.wsj.com/elections/2016/where-do-clinton-and-trump-stand-on-wall-street/
There was a very good article on how social issues are used by political parties to gain power, to the detriment of those who support them:
http://gawker.com/the-republican-party-is-a-trick-1750147430
I agree with you in principle but not in the specifics.
Deleteheh
God did give us freedom of choice - choose Him or choose the world.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the ideals of the Declaration are either liberal or conservative.
Alex: In its day, the idea that all men should be equal was fairly radical.
DeleteI've always thought of you as a conservative, but what do I know. I don't really like Facebook, and I try to spend as little time there as possible. It is full of navel-gazing people whose "social justice warrior" shtick begins to wear a little thin after a couple hundred similar "shares." That and I see far too many "Go Fund Me" pages begging for cash.
ReplyDeleteMichael: FB is a tool that I use. I don't actually spend a lot of time -on- FB, but I do use it.
DeleteI actually had to Google this to find out how you did it. I didn't know FB tracked this (though I'm not surprised).
ReplyDeleteMine also says 'very liberal', even though I'm not. And while looking through those same 'we think you like this' crap, they say that I have a huge interest in Lubbock, Texas (which I've never even heard of until now) and am a huge fan of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (uh, wut?) and Willow Smith (uh, no).
So if it's any consolation, I just think they're really bad guessers, especially if you're like me and don't waste your day thumbing up and arguing on politically charged articles and posts and therefore don't give them a lot to go off of.
ABftS: I didn't look hard at the other stuff, but I don't remember anything jumping out at me that I felt wasn't right. Actually, a bunch of those other things were blank for me.
DeleteWhenever I read one of these posts about facebook, it makes me glad that I'm not on it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, those are (for some reason) "liberal" ideals. It's really baffling to me. "Everyone should be equal regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation!" "Wow, what a SJW."
Jeanne: I know, right! I mean, -sheesh- next women will think their place is NOT the kitchen!
DeleteI always say I'm a bleeding heart liberal. Willy Dunne Wooters simply says he's a liberal, but he's very liberal. It's one of the elements in our lives that drew us together.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Janie: I'm sure my views about equality is one of the things that attracted my wife to me. But, you know, that shouldn't be a thing that stands out. It should be normal.
DeleteI went to check mine, and it actually says moderate, so woo-hoo. It feels like there's a swing coming in politics and how things are classified. But it also feels like things will get worse, fueled by those who are more extreme getting frustrated, before that happens. I've pretty much sat back and watched everything unfolding while avoiding actually posting political stuff. We agree, of course, on wanting people to have their own right to freedom and, really, existence in their own way.
ReplyDeleteShannon: I don't think I could ever be called moderate, not in anything.
DeleteI'm an equalist too, hi Andrew. I'm a conservative at heart but some of my thoughts might not be considered traditional by the tough old guard standards. I agree that believing in human decency should not be seen as just liberal. That's human behaviour we should all strive towards. A very thought provoking post which is both good and sad. We need to be more human than labels. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteSheena: It is sad. And it's sad that it's sad because, by this point, it really shouldn't be.
DeleteI also had to google this to find this. I think I've confused the FB algorithm. For me there's a blank box with the label "Moderate". I think that's a convenient way for them to say I'm all over the political spectrum which I am. I guess I'm mostly moderate though. In my own political assessment in my profile I've stated that I'm "Libertarian at heart, but registered Republican". Most of my voting life I've voted for the Libertarian candidates, but I registered Republican so I could vote in the primaries in California. And I don't really have an interest in the Democrat side of the fence.
ReplyDeleteI think they kind of got it right for me, but it's very vague. To me those things are maybe a tad more trustworthy then an astrological report.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Lee: Well, since it's based on things you actually click on, I'd say it's as trustworthy as what you click on. Rather than just being based on when you were born, which is an interesting idea: your political alignment being based on your birthday.
Delete