Updated Version of an Old Rant

Two Dimensional Political Models: Why Politics Is Broken
Or
Why I Piss Everyone Off, Regardless of Their Politics

By Jack Cheiky

I've studied a lot of those two dimensional political models. Most are some version of the four quadrant type, but I've seen a triangle and another where "left" and "right" wrap around to where they almost touch. Many models use different terminology, possibly suggesting no one can exactly agree on what defines the political spectrum.

There seems to be something broken somewhere in our understanding of the political spectrum. Two things I find odd and ironic are the strange logic that so perfectly polarizes us into ambiguous, disempowered groups, and also how both sides come down so close in proximity to one another on the political chart. For example, from a strictly political perspective (not a value perspective) a radical feminist and a Christian fundamentalist aren't all that different.

The typical chart:

A~C
~X~
S~T

A = Anarchist / Libertarians
C = Capitalist
T = Totalitarian / Authoritarian
S = Socialist / Communist

I would think the natural lines of division would be drawn horizontally between those who want more freedom in more areas of their lives (above), and those who want to impose cultural laws and standards on others (below).

A~C
=X=
S~T

Oddly, what happens is the lines get bent in such a way as to pair up the capitalists with the (radically religious) authoritarians, and the socialists/communists with the would-be libertarians and anarchists, even though both of these alliances are as far as I can tell fundamentally at odds with one another. The result is two equally dichotomous and impotent polar forces.

A/S >< C/T

If the Illuminati really is out there somewhere pulling our strings, you have to admire the brilliance of this device of divide and conquer. As it is, though, I think this is something we pretty much do ourselves, even if there are those who are shrewd enough to help it along from time to time and use it to their advantage. Either way, it amounts to the same pile of beans.

The two polar ends of the spectrum (commonly Left and Right) have agendas that call for the use of the government and legal system to force their opponents into complying with their own values. This in effect bends the left-right line downward like /\ and lands them both in the bottom half of the chart, in the direction of fascism and totalitarianism, and away from freedom. It also leaves anyone with any hint at all of libertarianism (the top of the bent line) appearing like the lunatic fringe.

~~ L ~~
~~/\~~
A/S C/T

In reality most of us end up closer to the center than we do to any of our respective extremes; nobody really wants to get too far out into fanaticism. It's probably a good thing too, but there's still a problem: a lot of people have the illusion of doing something that matters when if fact little gets done, the people are saddled with a bloated government, and the powers that be have free rein.

Consider for a moment the "Right". Here we have grouped together the capitalists and the religious radicals. We've come to accept this as the natural way of things. There is a tiny shred of sense in that. If you consider that the people who wanted to conserve their wealth were largely white and largely Christian and either consciously or unconsciously wanted to conserve their cultural identity and perhaps their cultural dominance and cultural purity, then yes, the word conservative makes a tiny bit of sense.

However, I make an important distinction between a dyed in the wool capitalist, and the ruling elite. The ruling elite exist in any culture, with or without capitalism. A capitalist on the other hand believes in letting a free market work out what needs to be worked out, and letting a person rise or fall based upon their character, while the ruling elite are simply interested in using their capitol to ensure they stay the ruling elite.

An example of the dichotomy of the right is the embryonic stem cell issue. The religious radicals would outlaw harvesting the cells. Conversely, a capitalist would reject government regulation and interference in medical research. Ethical issues will always come up, but a capitalist will err on the side of too much freedom rather than too little, and allowing the market to work things out. From a capitalist's perspective, if people were significantly opposed to the research a boycott would ensue on the resultant technologies.

Now consider the "Left". Here we have lumped together the anarchist/libertarians with the socialist/communists. Again, we've come to accept this as natural, and you can piece together how this probably happened. The traditional idea of liberty from the wealthy and government rule over time got twisted into the use of the government rule to liberate the wealth. It's easy to see how that could get confusing.

Let's look at something very simple like affirmative action. The socialist/communist element sees the inequity and injustice in our culture and aims to fix the problem through government rule and legal action. On the other hand, an anarchist or even the milder libertarian would be dead set against the government imposing such rules. From that end of the spectrum the perspective is people should be allowed to figure out how to behave and get along amongst themselves.

Both ends of the spectrum are ambiguous, hence both are ineffective. While small battles are lost and won over where to draw the lines on abortion and immigration and flag burning and stem cells and gay marriage and prayer in school, the power mongers are free to do as they please because we're preoccupied with the tiny details rather than the big picture.

The religious right gets screwed because they elect leaders who pay lip service to family values and raise a fuss over things like leaving the word "God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, but who lack the necessary absolute power given our diverse culture to bring about the kind of homogenized utopia they dream of, while simultaneously inflaming the opposition with the threat of forced religious rule, giving rise and power to radical elements of the "left." crystallizing stereotypes, promoting disharmony, and ultimately leading to more crime and hate and all the things opposite of what the religious right really wants; a more "Christian" environment.

The idealists of the left get screwed because in the pursuit of liberty and social justice they give more power to the government making it ripe for ineffectiveness and corruption and due to simple demographics often put power right back into the hands of the opposition, while reinforcing a disempowered oppressed victim mentality in the very people they are trying to empower.

It's not enough that we intellectually understand that we're all closer to being moderates than we are to being radical fanatics, and it's not enough that we pay lip service to being open minded. We have to be ready and willing to compromise. We have to be able to stop seeing the other guy as wrong, and ask ourselves, "Could I be wrong?" And if we can't admit that, then at least we need to ask ourselves, "What part of my agenda would I be willing to give up in exchange for some real progress in the world?"

Fireworks, Chuck E Cheese, Sign Language, Metroparks, Beach.

had a nice time on the 4th. saw fireworks at lakewood park with amira.

wed we took her to a deaf chat at the coffee shop. she's learning english, spanish, arabic, and sign language, but the ASL wasn't catching on, and i suspected it was because she hadn't made the connection yet that this is a way of talking. she copies signs, but doesn't know how to use them. i figured she needed to see deaf people talking to make the connection. and i was right. she started signing for real (more water) the very next day!

thurs we went to chuck e cheese, and i've still got the damn music from one of the rides stuck in my head; a bouncy rock/zydeco riff. not as bad as having the soundtrack to liquid sky stuck in my head, but still not pleasant.

yesterday, sunday, we went to the beach. it was her first time, and she had a blast.

I got thrown out of the Lakewood Farmers Market today

I walked down to the end of my street this morning to see if I could sell some of my greeting cards. There's a new farmers' market there on Saturdays in Marc's parking lot. I had just missed the market the week before, but sold some cards sitting on a bench there as they were tearing down.

I'd been looking forward to this all week. The idea of being outdoors and selling my own product directly to the public was very appealing. If it worked; if i had any success at all, I could see myself really getting into it.

When I got there, I was finishing up a can of Diet Dr Pepper. I stood in the shade and studied the situation. There was nowhere really to sit, but I wanted to get a place in the shade, near, but not directly in the market. I know from having been a vendor at markets in the past that these people pay for their spots. It is un-cool to compete or otherwise interfere in their commerce. I settled on a spot under a tree, on the curb / sidewalk at the edge of the parking lot. I noticed there were no other vendors selling paper goods, so I felt comfortable being there. I wouldn't be stepping on anyone's toes.

To digress briefly; being back in Lakewood has been very healing. I avoid driving when possible. I walk the streets I walked in my youth, take the same shortcuts, and inventory what is new and what's still the same. I know this place like I know my hands. It's not just familiarity; it is Home.

So I'm feeling really good. There aren't a lot of shoppers, but it's okay for a new, small market. I talk to a few people, smile at shoppers, and say, "These are Greeting Cards I make," to anyone who looks for more than a second.

My Little Set Up

I start getting a weird vibe from this one woman, (Green Shirt.) I try to make eye contact and smile, but she seems to be purposely avoiding looking at me, except for very quick glances. I get the feeling like she wants to say something to me, but doesn't. Or maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm projecting; I often can't tell.

Green Shirt

But no, I got it right. Green Shirt does come up to me a few minutes later, or rather, at me, with a determined stride. She does not introduce herself. She tells me that these people all pay for their places, and if I wanted to be a vendor there I could apply, cause it's not really fair that they all have to pay. She seems really tweaked. Again, I get the feeling there's more she wants to say, but she only repeats what she already said. It feels like she's frustrated, like I'm somehow not "getting it."

Normally I would engage more, introduce myself, talk about my art; but this is turning awkward, and I'm getting uncomfortable. I just say, "Yeah, I understand. Thanks. I might do that." And she walks away.

A short while later Green Shirt returns with another woman, (Tie-dye Dress.) Tie-dye does the talking this time. She also does not introduce herself. She hands me an application packet and basically reiterates what Green Shirt said, and with about the same amount of charm. I wonder for a moment if I'm somehow projecting a threatening aura. I know from experience women sometimes come at me with a combatively due to perceiving me as threatening. I don't see how though, in this instance. I'm dressed okay, clean shaven, relaxed, smiling, and there are people around, including some guys bigger than me. I don't get it.

Tie-Dye

So, I say thank you, I'll look it over, and roll it up and stick it in my back pocket.

They step away about 10 feet and start talking to a third woman. At this point I think it's over. They're not looking at ME anymore. They're chatting with their friend. I've got the application. They made their point. I go back to scanning the passersby for any glint of interest. I must have drifted deep into thought, because I was startled back into my surroundings when Green Shirt stepped into my line of sight and up in my face and asked, "Do you need a pen to fill out that application?"

Admittedly, I'm a bunt object. I chuckle under my breath as I realize where this is going. I say, "I'm not filling it out." Now, I could have said, "I'm not filling it out today." Or I could have suggested they let it slide for today, and I would decide one way or the other after getting my feet wet. After all I was already there, I wasn't taking up space, I wasn't competing with anyone. Indeed, I'd like to think I was bringing something of value to the party. But all I said was, "I'm not filling it out."

Then Tie-dye stepped up and said I had to pick up my things and leave. It was at this point I embraced my Inner Asshole. There was something very wrong going here. The aggressive, nasty stance made no sense. This was a tiny farmers market, just starting out. When you want something to flourish, you infuse it with good vibes, inviting energy, right? There are so many karma-positive ways they could have engaged me. It was baffling.

But on top of that, beyond that, I felt a geographical sense of outrage. This is my home. I was born two blocks to the east. My elementary school stands about 100 yards south, and the house I grew up in just on the other side of that. Pretty much on this exact spot is where my friend Tom and I went though the trash finding all the cool shit they threw out from the camera shop. And right over there where that guy is walking his dog is where we used to play basketball with the firemen before they tore this block apart and moved the firehouse up to Madison. My Grandma lived in one of the buildings they tore down to build this parking lot, along with houses I delivered papers to, and Ivan the hunchback's shoe repair shop.

Of course I couldn't have put all that into words at the time. I just knew something was very wrong. So, despite my knowing somewhere in the back of my mind that no good would come from butting heads, I said, "Oh, I'm not leaving." She didn't like that much, got a little flustered, and belabored her position. I asked her if she had the authority to throw me out. She mulled that a second and said, no, but she was sure she could find someone who did. I said fine, I would leave when the cops came and made me leave. Not that I thought they couldn't make good on the threat; I just wasn't gonna make it easy for them. I wasn't being dislocated without a fuss.

Anyway, the whole market thing had soured for me. I thought, at least the cops coming to boot me out would be interesting, and I'll have something to write about later. I started snapping pics.

After a bit a cop shows up. He talks with Green Shirt. They move away, out of earshot. Then he comes over and asked me what the deal is, and I explained my thoughts on the matter. He was real nice, and hung out until back-up arrived.

Cop #2 was less friendly; he had me pegged for a trouble maker from the get go.

He went and talked with the women.



When he came back he asked if I had a permit to sell stuff there, (nope,) then told me he was gonna write me up a citation for soliciting. He was in his car on the radio for about ten minutes, then came back and told me, it turns out, that he couldn't write me up for solicitation, that I was getting a break, but he would write me up for trespassing if I didn't split. I commenced to splitting, and while I packed my stuff we ended up having a very civil chat. Eventually, I think he got over seeing me as a trouble maker. I hope so.

I'm disappointed with the whole deal. It might have been cool to have a booth there. Darn. But when these strange karma vibe things happen, it’s usually for a reason. Maybe I wouldn’t jibe with some of these people under any circumstances. Who knows?

Me checking to see if I look threatening