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Originally posted by Jeff Higgins
Kang, I agree. I prefer life in the "center". I think our only differnce in opinion on this is just where "center" is. I think it has shifted a great deal during my lifetime. I tend to agree with Rick in the seperation of long term trends from short term. Not just in our lifetimes, but over the course of the entire history of "civilized" man, I believe the natural progression has been "left".
The changes fought for and seen by one generation as progressive and liberal become the status quo as they age. Things that were shocking and unnacceptable to one generation as seen as normal by the next. I think we will always progress in that direction as a society, at least on some fronts, when looking at long term trends. Right now, though, there is a push back against the direction liberalism has chosen to take. Granted, there always has been in the past as well, but this time it "feels" different.
I'm not sure our descendants will look back upon today's liberal causes and assign them the same stature of others from our past. In the past, when liberal ideas were brought forth to the populace, there was always initial resistance followed by gradual acceptance. The acceptance came as the populace saw that these ideas made sense, and in most cases were long overdue. These modern liberal causes do not, I believe, pass muster in this regard.
They have been in front of us for a long time, perhaps a generation or more, without notably increasing support. What seems to be increasing is the polarization these issues are causing; very few seem to run lukewarm in their views on these. The support seems to have peaked, and forced to choose, the fence-sitters in the middle choose more often to oppose them than to support them.
The die-hard supporters will keep pounding away at it, but unlike causes of the past, they are building opposition rather than support through their relentless actions. The more they "raise awareness" through their efforts the more it seems to backfire on them. As common folks that were not paying attention before all the hoopla become aware of the details surrounding the more polarizing issues, they have demonstrated they tend to oppose them.
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I agree with most of this. I also think the definition of center is certainly drifting left over the years.
I don’t know that I agree with your statement that “I'm not sure our descendants will look back upon today's liberal causes and assign them the same stature of others from our past.” I think it depends on the issue. I think that in a relatively short period of time, say less than 50 years, gay marriage will be the accepted norm. I’m not so sure on abortion.
I also don’t know that I agree with “They have been in front of us for a long time, perhaps a generation or more, without notably increasing support.” A lot of things that have changed in the last couple hundred years were the status quo for centuries. Look at women’s right to vote. That’s relatively recent, but for thousands of years women were practically a separate caste from men. Gays have also been around for thousands of years, but had to hide in the closet, for fear of persecution, until recently. Now almost everyone agrees there is a right to at least “be” gay.
I also don’t know that there is any evidence for “the fence-sitters in the middle choose more often to oppose them than to support them.” It might seem that way with the short term shift to the right that we’ve had since 9/11, but overall I don’t know that it is true.
I also agree with this: “What seems to be increasing is the polarization these issues are causing; very few seem to run lukewarm in their views on these.” The polarization is indeed increasing, and it is distressing. I wish we could get past it. Maybe when we have an administration that’s not so far to the right we will. But when you say “The more they "raise awareness" through their efforts the more it seems to backfire on them,” I think that the backfires you see might just be the “initial resistance followed by gradual acceptance.” Likewise “the fence-sitters in the middle choose more often to oppose them than to support them” is just more “initial resistance.” Raising awareness is the first step in any civil rights campaign. Like you said, most common folk don’t pay attention.
Time will tell. Neither of us can predict the future. But I think we both agree that the general tendency, over the long term, is more liberal. In the long run, I think this is a good thing, and I think, based on what I hear you saying, that you agree. Sure, some steps to the left have been mistakes, but we’re human and we make mistakes. We learn from and correct our mistakes. Some steps to the right have been mistakes. But the long term trend to the left is mostly the elimination of the mistakes of the generations before us.