Right and Left: Is it just "Good Cop, Bad Cop"?

[tracifish]

Yes or no? Why or why not? I say it's just a game...and someday there will be no need for the game or the good cop any more...because no opposition will be strong enough.

Sorry for the prophecy of gloom. Perhaps it will not happen for a long time.

[WreckedParty]

They dont call politics the game of hypocricy for nothing ;)

[willfla29]

I think it is a game, but the two sides are not engaged in some sort of conspiracy to continue in power.....they are genuine differences in the two major parties.

[CaughtInTheMiddle]

It's just a power struggle. Pure and simple.

[Miss America]

interesting concept..except that ultimately...which one of them is the good cop?

[tracifish]

interesting concept..except that ultimately...which one of them is the good cop?

I'd say the good cop is the one that claims to value the sanctity of life.

[thegreyrider]

Of course right and left are meaningless. National politics is Survivor (the TV show), entertainment which masks a continuing push to a unified, and so far, undemocratic global empire. Everyone would be better off paying attention to local politics and trying to really push change from below. The most productive thing people on this board could do politically is discuss what growth policy is like in each of our cities and come up with people based demands to change it.

[tracifish]

Not really. Because neither side has a monopoly on "good." I see it as a way to ensure the minority viewpoint is always represented. It's frustrating, but an essential part of our system.

The only thing is, I believe there is a minority "at the top of the pyramid", and they don't think in the same terms as the rest of us.

[tracifish]

There are some people so evil, they believe they are "beyond good and evil".

[Physics Hunter]

Who needs a "Bad Cop?"

[Rationality]

It's a balance. Too far to the left and we slide into socialism, marxism or communism.
Too far to the right and we slide into despotism, fascism or theocracy.

It's a balance between the two, and the constant peaceful struggle between each other that ensures our survival.

Of course the extremes on either side will never admit that we need each other, but without each side keeping the other side in check, we would quickly destroy ourselves.

[gdoane]

I believe in the concept of the "necessary evil".

Good isn't always an option so the choice is reduced to adopting the lesser evil.

For example, a cop killing a bad guy is an evil, but a dead bad guy is a lesser evil than a dead cop. So it's a truth that 'good' isn't always an available option.

Government is a necessary evil, a phrase coined by Thomas Jefferson. As a necessary evil, it can never be a 'good' choice so the only moral choice left to a 'good' person is that of the lesser evil.

Less government is obviously choosing less evil and more government is obviously choosing more evil.

If you choose too little evil, i.e. NO government then you don't meet the necessary evil and the failure is even more evil. If you choose too much evil then the problem is then you're embracing more evil than is necessary and doing harm.

I consider left-leaning government, liberalism, to be taking a necessary evil beyond the realm of the necessary evil and into the realm of unnecessary evil.

Taking money from a taxpayer is a justifiable evil thing. Taking a million bucks from a taxpayer because you think he can afford it and you can do great things with his money is a crock of evil that can't be justified.

It's an unnecessary evil.

[thegreyrider]

It's a balance. Too far to the left and we slide into socialism, marxism or communism.
Too far to the right and we slide into despotism, fascism or theocracy.

It's a balance between the two, and the constant peaceful struggle between each other that ensures our survival.

Of course the extremes on either side will never admit that we need each other, but without each side keeping the other side in check, we would quickly destroy ourselves.
What about those of us that truly believe differently than either party? The two parties exclude our voice from the political process.

[RedStatePaPa]

I think the right is 'good cop', 'bad cop' all by itself... and the left is charles manson loony toons.

[tracifish]

Well an pyramid by nature has a minority at the top. I prefer not to decide what others do or do not "think," but I understand where you are coming from. However, I don't think either party is overrun by evil people. All people perform acts of evil, I prefer to hate the sin, not the sinners.

Since I believe in the doctrine of total depravity...I can by no means hate the sinner. It is only by grace that any of us can be saved at all. Who-ever is at the top of the pyramid has been born into it and taught to believe it is his or her natural right to rule the way he or he has been taught....as in the Rhodes Scholars...or whatever.

[tracifish]

Then again, maybe I'm listening to too much Allan Watts. ;)