Electoral politics in representative democracies has become an ever more important thread in the fabric of our society. The decisions we make regarding whom we vote for seem to have taken on even greater importance. Not that who we elect was ever less important throughout our history; however, with the current discourse around how politics has begun to directly affect the social nature of most people (political policies have always explicitly affected minorities). The choices we make about how we participate in electoral politics have become a reflection of our character, amongst other things. A common pushback against this notion has been the argument that both sides are equally bad.
In this article, we will examine why this rebuttal is not only inadequate but also dangerous.
The Political Compass and Aisle
Though largely a Western framework, the political aisle (and the broader political compass) of right- and left-wing ideology seemingly offers two solutions for tackling social and economic issues. Though most policies aren’t always demarcated by a hard line and are rather a spectrum or sliding scale, the binary nature of western political commentary has led to what can be perceived as a hard demarcation, and since as an effect of colonialism, western commentary is treated as the default intellectual ideology, most political commentary even in countries that heavily lean on one side is treated as a binary.
This binary forms the basis of the “both sides” of two seemingly competing ideas on how to govern and live life across social and economic spheres. For instance, the Democratic Party in the United States, which is somewhat left-leaning, is viewed as, and presents itself as, the antithesis of the right-wing Republican Party. Because many participating in electoral politics face an ‘either or’ situation, as in they have one of two options, they will justify their vote or abstinence from it by stating that both sides are equally bad, especially when confronted with the moral deficiencies of that vote.
The Fallacy of the Both Sides Argument
There are many reasons why someone would elect a particular candidate, and though they’re mostly personal choices in decisions people make in an attempt to affect the world they live in, it is no secret that some of these decisions are more deeply selfish than others, think a billionaire voting for a candidate who is in favour of privatising social services. Most of us are not billionaires, but many do vote for certain candidates, and when confronted with the moral cost of that vote, a common rebuttal is that both sides are equally bad.
Whilst deficiencies, especially in the binary framework of Western electoral politics, are quite evident, saying that both sides are equally bad is simply not true, though it does contain several aspects of truth.
Barack Obama and Donald Trump are often viewed as polar opposites, especially due to the fact that the latter has often used racist rhetoric and the former is an embodiment of the shortcomings of that racism. However, there are several similarities in the pair, not limited to but including attacking sovereign states without congressional approval and bombing or partaking in the bombing of innocent people ( when Obama bombed Doctors Without Borders, he became the first Nobel Prize recipient to bomb another Nobel Prize recipient).
Looking at the pair’s similarities, one could argue that they are alike and equally bad, but such a claim is the death of nuance. Whilst identity politics have always been a part of politics, it is no secret that Trump has emboldened racial tensions in and outside the United States with his rhetoric, which has led to an emergence of copycat political acts across Europe adopting the same language, which has led to violence in parts of Britain, the United States and several other places. This, in comparison to most leaders, who (though their actions might have disagreed) did not, through their rhetoric, create an environment in which such tensions could germinate.
Conclusion
The aim of this article is not to tell you whom to vote for or that the left is morally superior to the right, but to ask you to deeply consider nuance when comparing two sides, if only you do have two options to choose from. In the United States and the United Kingdom, an alternative ideology has emerged outside the established order, and though it is forced to operate within that framework, its presence shows that there are more than just two sides.
Let us know your thoughts. If you have burning thoughts or opinions to express, please feel free to reach out to us at larra@globalindiannetwork.com.
