Thursday, December 08, 2005
Who Are We?
Recently I've been struggling with a few questions: what is the role of government? How can government best help people? How can the political process serve as an avenue for people to improve their condition? What are the realistic limitations of government and the political with regards to making inviduals and society better?I suppose some of these answers can be answered or least directed by subscribing to some form of political philosophy. It seems that these days though, a person can only be one of two things: liberal or conservative. When I read the newspaper or watch television, seems like unless you identify as a conservative, you must be a liberal.
But what does that mean?
What does that mean to be a liberal- or, to use the more fashionable term- a progressive?
What value sets define the term and what policies flow from those value sets?
What would a more liberal America look like?
I've often wondered where Black folk fall within this context. I don't think most Black folk really fall into either pre-set category.
Sure we vote Democrat 90% of the time, but that has more to do with historical party loyalty than current policy initiatives.
I mean, don't a lot of us constantly argue that the Democratic Party isn't addressing our issues? Don't we often comment that we're just catered to during elections, seldom to see the fulfillment of a campaign promise?
So I guess my questions are two fold: what defines a liberal, and what then defines a Black liberal?
I keep thinking of J.C. Watts' book, What Color is a Conservative?
To be honest, I haven't read it.
But I'd love to hear some opinions on the matter.
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