I’m not sure if it was something I learned in a political science class or read in a book or when exactly I figured it out.
But I don’t think it’s especially profound to realise that, at its core, the biggest difference between people on the left and people on the right is that people on the left tend to be more focused on making life better for everyone else in society, no matter who, and people on the right tend to be more focused on making things better for themselves (and people most like them) first and foremost.
It’s completely understandable why humans have evolved to look out for ourselves first (if the sabre tooth tiger is choosing between you and someone else, tripping that other person probably seems like a good idea!) but I think it’s also important to realise that many of the things we think are sabre-tooth tigers in our modern age – taxes that pay for public services we all benefit from, people from other countries (including those who wear a turban!), people who want to move from a non-renewable-based economy to one based on renewable energy – aren’t really that dangerous to any of us and, in fact, help make our society a better, more empathetic, more inclusive, more equal place which ultimately benefits us all.
Tomorrow, I hope Canadians keep that in mind when they go to vote:
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