Debating with the left is a mixed bag. Many liberals are so wedded to their positions that alternative logic and reason is simply meaningless. Discussing economics and politics with so-called moderates can be equally frustrating, but in a different way. Several underlying premises have crept into our culture and are subconsciously accepted by undecided voters. Three of them can be particularly difficult to overcome.<\/p>\n
1. \u201cWE\u2019VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING.\u201d Americans have a bias for action, but solving problems should not be confused with taking action. Sometimes \u201cdoing something\u201d can make a problem worse, just as barking dogs often don\u2019t stop until they are left alone. And even if taking action contributes to a solution, it\u2019s not always a wise use of resources. Going to the doctor with a head cold might result in some marginal benefits, but doing so is usually not worth the time, energy, or money.<\/p>\n
This is a particular problem when discussing economic problems. The solution to most of them is to get government out of the way and let markets sort out the inefficiencies. During the 2008 presidential election I recall being asked the same question numerous times: If you don\u2019t like Obama\u2019s plan to fix the economy, then what\u2019s yours?<\/em> My contention that government causes most economic problems and can\u2019t directly fix most of them is logical and accurate, but often fell on deaf ears.\u00a0 Waiting for the markets to work out a real, sustainable solution just doesn\u2019t seem to make sense to many moderates. Besides, the market solution might not be \u201cfair.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. \u201cTHE TRUTH IS ALWAYS IN THE MIDDLE.\u201d Ask most Americans about the Israel-Palestinian dispute and they\u2019ll tell you that both<\/em> sides are to blame. Ask them why the NFL labor dispute is ongoing and they\u2019ll tell you that both<\/em> players and owners are at fault. Ask them why we\u2019re on track to have a $1.7 trillion deficit this year and they\u2019ll tell you that we need both<\/em> tax increases and spending cuts. Ask them to support their middle ground positions with evidence and few will present a logical argument.<\/p>\n Sometimes the answer is in the middle, but assuming the superiority of the middle position from the outset is intellectual laziness. In fact, the left has used this premise to win a number of political battles. For example, various components of Obama\u2019s spending spree have been justified as fiscally responsible over the long term (e.g., the flawed argument that Obamacare will actually lower healthcare costs) or just temporary (e.g., the stimulus). Now that we\u2019re facing record deficits, they argue that the solution can only be found in a combination<\/em> of minor spending cuts and<\/em> tax increases (the notion that tax increases raise revenues is suspect anyway, but I\u2019ve addressed that previously). Their position is presented as some sort of reasonable compromise while those who argue for spending cuts alone\u2014repeal Obamacare, for example\u2014are labeled as unrealistic or extremists. Many of my friends and coworkers accept this \u201cmiddle ground\u201d logic without any serious analysis.<\/p>\n 3. \u201cCAPITALISM BREEDS CORRUPTION.\u201d Even many self-defined pro-capitalists fall for the notion that wealthy business tycoons are greedy and cannot be trusted. Unchecked power can certainly breed financial corruption, but many leftist politicians are the most corrupt in this regard, freely spending other peoples\u2019 money on programs that pay off political allies or simply don\u2019t work. The problem is not capitalism, but human nature. At least capitalism generates wealth in the first place.<\/p>\n Overcoming these barriers can be a challenge because they are subtle, but recognizing them is paramount in order to attack them directly. Look for these flawed premises the next time you engage a moderate or \u201cindependent\u201d voter, but make sure you avoid the traps they create. Don\u2019t propose some sort of government action when no intervention is the best alternative. Don\u2019t propose a \u201cmiddle ground\u201d solution to a problem just to sound reasonable. Any by all means don\u2019t give ground to the misconception that capitalism is immoral. Nothing could be further from the truth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Debating with the left is a mixed bag. Many liberals are so wedded to their positions that alternative logic and reason is simply meaningless. Discussing economics and politics with so-called moderates can be equally frustrating, but in a different way. Several underlying premises have crept into our culture and are subconsciously accepted by undecided voters. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/battle4liberty.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/battle4liberty.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/battle4liberty.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battle4liberty.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battle4liberty.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=356"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/battle4liberty.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/battle4liberty.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battle4liberty.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battle4liberty.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}