We Need Each Other

Introduction

Often in my life I have thought about the relationships between the political left and right, liberals and conservatives. I somewhat resonate with the often quoted and variously attributed saying:

“He who is not a républicain [leftist] at twenty compels one to doubt the generosity of his heart; but he who, after thirty, persists, compels one to doubt the soundness of his mind.”

Anselme Batbie (1828-1887), earliest known attribution^[1]

Rather foolish, perhaps, if you take it literally, but the proper take-away is that both left and right may have valuable qualities, in the right place and time.

Imagine my pleasure at finding the following examination of some related questions, in a very serious and thoughtful way, by Dr. Jordan Peterson in a video^[2] of the Ruben Report.

Here is my transcription of a portion of this video.

One of the things a hierarchy does fundamentally is put some things above other things.
…
Propositions:

1. We do have real problems, because people suffer.
2. We would also like to solve them.
3. Solutions do exist.
4. If you have a solution then you implement it socially.
5. So you have to get people to cooperate and compete around the solution, you are going to produce a hierarchy.
6. If the hierarchy is valid, then the people who are the best at producing the solution to the problem are going to lead the hierarchy.

That would be a conservative, right-wing position.

We need hierarchies, they privilege values, and they’re necessary to solve problems, and there is a relationship between the ability to solve the problem and the structure of the hierarchy.

So we say that’s true when hierarchies are functioning well. So that’s the right-wing viewpoint.

Then the left-wingers would say, “wait a second …”,

1. Your hierarchy gets rigid over time and ossified, and can be occupied by people who use power instead of competence to dominate it.
2. They do that unfairly and warp the structure of the hierarchy.
3. That makes it difficult for people to gain entry, including talented people.
4. Then the hierarchy itself as a structure has a problem because dispossessed people tend to stack up at the bottom.

And that all seems relevant and true, right?

So you can say, you need the right, because you need the hierarchies, and they need to be implemented; that’s what managers and administrators do, that’s what conscientious people do because they’re hierarchically oriented. It’s a very efficient way of operating and people are actually happier within hierarchies because there’s an identifiable chain of command.

But then the left has its position, which is, yeah, but, you’ve got to watch out for the dispossessed, because they’re the majority, and you have to make sure the thing doesn’t degenerate towards tyranny.

So then I think the political discussion is the left and the right constantly eyeing each other to make sure that the hierarchical structures maintain their good health.

And that’s why freedom of speech is necessary.

Dr. Jordan Peterson, Nov 30, 2018

Take Away

In one sense, leftist and rightist views are antagonistic, but to eliminate either in favor of the other produces a system that is unsustainable, and ultimately cruel.

That is why we mustn’t tolerate a political climate where opposing parties willfully and daily commit virtual assassination against each other. Those who support this have become the corruption in the hierarchy.

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^[1] https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/02/24/heart-head/

^[2] Ruben Report, Nov 30, 2018 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1opHWsHr798