Does the left need the right, and the right the left?

[Skip Intro]

Is the fact that we oppose each other in so many ways a good thing, in that one side prevents either side side from going "too far" in any particular direction?

[rucky]

1. no.

[Skip Intro]

5. I just have this image in my head lately of masses of people on either side of a giant boulder

all pushing against it as hard as they can in order to move it in one direction or another, and the boulder would move ever so slightly one way or the other, but no further...maybe it fits some necessary cosmic pattern.

[Electric Monk]

8. What you're describing is also sometimes referred to as the Hegelian Dialectic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectic#Hegelian_dialectic

[Beringia]

2. who do you think reads more? n/t

[katandmoon]

3. No. The right is completely unnecessary.

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. only if you are playing a guitar.

[mindwalker_i]

14. I'm married

So no, I don't need the right any more :D

[Warren Stupidity]

6. If I see one more equivalence canard here I am going to shit a cow.

[demmiblue]

7. The left already incorporates the right.

See: Education reform.

:shrug:

[Quantess]

9. Too bad I can't unrec this to a negative integer.

Hey, I tried.

[gravity]

10. The Democrats have the blue dogs

which would probably be moderate Republicans if the GOP wasn't becoming more and more crazy. They provide enough checks on the Democratic party.

I don't think the Democrats need the Republicans in their current form. You want someone who is at least willing to compromise, instead of out to destroy you for political gain. That is not the way to govern properly.

[SmileyRose]

11. no...................... BUT

while the farthest fringes don't need each other, I do agree with our founders that a healthy society needs to have room for a civil discussion of all viewpoints and the system of checks and balances they put in place to stop a minority view from imposing it's will on everyone else has not worked as quickly as needed every time, but eventually works things out.

The above run on sentence is proudly brought to you free of charge. :)

[Stinky The Clown]

12. It is a good thing from a certain perspective. Its called "cover"

We, however, get played for fools.

[mindwalker_i]

13. Not gonna like this, but yes

Either side, left to itself (or right to itself) will dive deep into ideological purity. Without something to counter one's beliefs, those beliefs will strengthen and overwhelm facts. We've seen it happen on the right often enough. Although I'm pretty far left in my ideology, I can see when someone of the right has pointed out things that I hadn't even thought of. I may decide they're wrong, but then again I may decide they've got a point.

Evolution works this way. Different "ideas" compete and the one that best fits the situation will usually be the one that stays around. Note that I didn't mention anything about genetics, as evolution happens every second of one's life, with decisions working or not working, and shaping future behavior. As much as I don't like the right's mindset - I think of them as greedy, self-serving, and unable to see the benefits of things that affect whole societies - they provide a counterpoint to liberal ideas. Finding middle ground is usually best for everyone.

Now, in the current situation, I don't believe the right is actually trying to find the best solution to anything. They're catering to the radical right - the tea-partiers, the insane - but there are conservatives who aren't batshit insane. They just don't make as much noise. We need them to keep the arguments going, refining ideas and not just ending up with one side. That's what happened under Bush, and we all know where it ended up. I do not believe that a liberal utopia will end up just a whole lot better.

One of the things you learn with age is that you can't see everything and aren't always right. It sucks.

[WVRICK13]

15. Unfortunately

the far right had power so long we have nothing remaining but middle to far right. The left is but a memory in government. If this trend continues we will have the middle and far right balancing at middle right. Oops, we already have that. With a couple of exceptions of course, but in very small numbers.

[lame54]

16. no

[hogwyld]

17. Hell No!!!

After the bastards since Raygun have shown their true colors, I for one would like to see the fascists outlawed and put in Guantanamo for re-edumacation. Their poison philosophies serve no good for anyone but the power hungry.