To understand the political universe in which we live, it is necessary to analyze the motivating forces. Dividing a large group of very diverse humans into just two camps is an oversimplification of fact and detrimental to our understanding. No two Democrats or Republicans have identical influences, education, or life experiences. Using a cookie-cutter approach to understanding political motivation is doomed to failure.
Science fiction is rife with examples of such thinking. In the original Star Trek series, the Borg were a pseudo-species of cybernetic humanoids from the Delta Quadrant. No single individual existed within the Borg Collective as they were linked into a common hive mind that shared information equally. They strived for perfection by forcing sentient species into the hive so their technology and knowledge could be assimilated. A warning line from the Borg prior to assimilation was, “We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.”
If we treat our fellow Americans as cybernetic humanoids, understanding is futile. Take the issue of abortion. An oversimplified analysis would be that Republicans are all very religious people, whose deeply held religious beliefs will not permit human intervention in a process they have assigned to “God’s will.” Democrats, on the other hand, must be godless heathens to even consider occasionally intervening in this heavenly plan. Common sense, a commodity in perilously short supply, tells us that this isn’t true. Religion isn’t the exclusive domain of Republicans any more than social conscience has been copyrighted by Democrats.
The issue of abortion is much more complex. The birthrate in the US has fallen over the years. In 1960, the average US woman had 3.65 children. By 1970 that number had dropped to 2.48, and in 2020 we were at 1.64. Logic thus tells us that if two people are replaced by fewer than two additional people, without immigration or some other such supplementation, our workforce and population will diminish. With advances in medicine, people are also living longer. A lower birth rate and an aging, less productive population, are not good things. Like any good detective story, it is always wise to “follow the money.”
If you are wealthy, you want to not only maintain your advantage, but you want to improve your status. You need someone to work in the slaughterhouse to provide you with meat protein. You want someone to clean your sewers, mow your lawn, and paint your yacht. You do have a yacht, don’t you? If you additionally abhor the thought of immigration as it might diminish your perceived political advantage when “those people” are predicted to vote for the opposition party, a higher birthrate is in your best interest.
Outlawing abortion and forcing women to bear unwanted children is therefore financially incentivized. Admitting that you are motivated by economic factors is distasteful, so it is easier to claim a religious objection. This brings us to individuals like the former president whose moral turpitude and religious acumen are widely known personality traits. To declare Donald Trump to be a pious person would generate laughter in most circles, even amongst his supporters. He was, however, not above having peaceful George Floyd protestors tear-gassed so that he might pose with a Bible in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church. Reports that he had his Secret Service escorts hold lightning rods to deflect any bolt from above are believed to be false. His is a religion of convenience. Donald Trump supports the banning of abortion on religious grounds while his true motivations must lie elsewhere.
As with many topics in the world of politics, what motivates people is often obscured with more palatable explanations. For many, being called racist is distasteful, even if you know you have such thoughts deep within your little black heart. You will deflect such a label and use reverse discrimination, white supremacy, or some twisted interpretation of the Bible to shield you from derision. Understanding the subtle differences between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation is key. In this instance, intrinsic reasoning is self-motivated for pleasure or self-esteem. Extrinsic reasoning is generally geared toward personal acceptance or avoidance of that which is disagreeable.
Neither Republicans nor Democrats are part of some Borg Collective with a groupthink mindset. What motivates each of us is highly individualized. While many people have avoided independent thought and are easily herded like sheep with scary rhetoric, it remains the duty of the rest of us to promote more creativity. Another example of misdirection in recent political activity has been the attempt to control the messaging in our schools by controlling content. A comprehensive education that promotes independent thinking goes against authoritarian philosophy.
We must avoid all attempts to follow some herd mentality. Resistance cannot be futile as it is necessary for the survival of our Democracy. We need a balance between a pure profit above-all scenario and a social structure that allows both the economy and its people to not only survive but thrive.
BTW, rumors that the Borg once tried to assimilate Donald Trump and rejected him because his rhetoric was too disruptive and the Collective couldn't get anything done, are false. It was only that, once he was attached to the hive, they had great difficulty separating fact from fiction and he kept trying to grope the female cyborg next to him.
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