False Dichotomies: The Either-Or Fallacy

Am I a liberal or am I a conservative? What if I told you that’s a stupid question? I’m both and I’m neither. And so are You…

With the internet meme wars in full effect one can barely ride the fence on an issue for too long without feeling compelled to take a side.

Like playing cards the memes must follow suit. Therefore a line must be drawn… With or Against, Right or Wrong, Black or White, Religious or Secular, Left or Right, etc.

Perhaps you consider yourself a conservative. You have a strong belief in the free market and you see healthcare as a non-governmental obligation. Does that mean you are also opposed to the legality of abortion? Or does that mean you believe people should fund their own abortions?

Are these values mutually exclusive of one another? Can a person be fiscally conservative while being socially liberal? Or is that against the rules? Some hard line conservatives use the pejorative cuck or cuckservative to mock conservatives whom they deem as pandering to the left on certain social issues.

Conversely, perhaps you consider yourself a liberal. You believe in equality among the sexes. You’re pro-choice. You don’t discrimimate with regard to sexual orientation. And you value religious freedom. Does that mean you can’t be Christian? The Bible says woman should be subservient to men and that gay people and nonbelievers go to hell.

Of course those who consider themselves of the more urbane class of liberal would reject religion altogether in favor of a more evidence based approach vis-a-vi science. Then of course there’s the anti-western westerner who considers all western customs passe and prefers something more hip like Buddhism.

The total expression of a person can not be neatly compartmentalized into such rigid factions. It is disingenuous at best to even pretend so. That’s why there will always be another right-wing politician or pundit caught sniffing cocaine with a transsexual hooker and another left-wing politician or pundit caught with a loaded hand gun and the keys to a sweat shop slaved in by little kids.

Viewing reality through the left-right paradigm is like being the shutters instead of the window.

Thanks for Reading