Ideological Relativism

I was watching  a debate among my coworkers today about the ethical responsibility Miley Cyrus has with regards to her endorsement of products, services and lifestyles that are considered unhealthy for children and teens.  One of the common themes present was the idea that personally, her actions were in moral bad taste and wrong for children, but in the interest of her public persona, it was a logical and viable business plan and therefore, acceptable.  Indeed…

I didn’t jump into the whole discussion except to clarify what the moral relativism was, but it did get me thinking about my relation to our government and why I am disillusioned with the current parties.  At the end of the day both parties are of the my way or the highway disposition with an ends justifies the means mentality.  They leave no room for compromise and are quick to criticize the actions of the opposite party while committing the same infractions themselves.

I don’t find either party that useful, in terms of their stated aims vs. what they have actually done.  I don’t find it a terribly difficult concept for people to realize that a smaller government begets more social and economic freedom for the private sector.  Environmentally friendly initiatives beget fewer expensive cleanups in the future, as well as protecting limited resources for future consumption.  Providing alternative resource options now leaves us in a strong position for the future when global supplies are down.  Social legislation should apply equally to all and that is the end.  The exercise of one’s rights, in public or private, should not be an infringement on another’s.  A Christian prayer is no more likely to cause an Atheist issues than gay marriage will to the straight couple down the street.  Denying rights to one group doesn’t make everyone else equal in comparison.

I bring up these things because both sides find themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum regarding these issues, and yet, if you view them from the side, you realize they aren’t opposing viewpoints at all.  Am I simplifying things?  Yes, but no so much as to be unreasonable, I should think, it just requires thinking along a longer timeline…

 

 

By Dan Granot

I chose the Shorter Whitman because of his work, "Song of Myself" and because of my self-deprecating sense of humor. I am under no illusion that I can write successful essays or poetry, but I have been known to write them anyway.

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