United We Stand sounds great, but we are not a united country. We are in fact deeply polarized with a significant majority trapped between in apathy, frustration, or disgust.

Politically, these poles are called conservatives and liberals. The conservatives however tend to prefer the colloquial terms Right and Left for what should be obvious reasons. Let us take a quick look at these words and then you can decide whether politicians and pundits at least can cast spells with common language.

The word “conservative” implies preserving. In this case preserving the traditional values of our ancestors. Sounds fine on the surface, but peel off the top layer and see what is wriggling underneath. Our ancestors practiced slavery, genocide, racial segregation, religious intolerance, oppression of women, etc. It is primarily an unwillingness to evolve, either socially or individually. It is no wonder they prefer to refer to themselves as “The Right” with the automatic assumption that everyone else is wrong.

The word liberal brings with it the connotations of freedom and generosity, and yet it has been given a veneer implying totalitarian oppression through its unwarranted association with the Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republic was neither communist nor socialist. It wasn’t even a republic, but rather an oppressively totalitarian regime.

“The Left” is even worse with its Medieval Christian connotations of evil. The Latin word for “left” is sinister, which received its modern definition because left-handed people were thought to be wrong somehow.

It has occurred to me from my own observations that a more appropriate designation for these two groups would be big and small. I base this on their respective world views.

Liberals tend to start big: “save the world,” “world peace,” “think globally,” -and then work their way down- “universal healthcare,” “good schools” “community markets,” “family planning” “act locally.”

Conservatives on the other hand tend to start small and expand. “Me first,” “me and mine,” “family first” “my church/social club/sports team” “my religion,” “America, love it or leave it.”

These are of course tendencies and not rules. But if we look at the way each group looks at separate issues then patterns quickly emerge.

Liberals try to look at the world as a whole. OK, liberals look at the world anyway they want, but one of the central ideas behind liberalism is that we all live on the same small planet. Some liberals just think of it as a human world and worry only about humans. The broader view is that it is a single ball of life that we are all a part of. Every living creature and ecosystem has a right to life. There is a general willingness among liberals to sacrifice some of their own well being for the greater well being of the planet.

The more righteous party has a tendency to break down and isolate issues. This allows them to focus attention on a narrow point without revealing the greater consequences of their actions. Rather than solving a problem, there is a tendency to remove it from their yard. As long as it is happening elsewhere and not to them, it is not a problem. Is it not ironic that those who use the “United We Stand” phrase the most are the most divisive?

And let us not forget the immortal words of Samuel Johnson:
“Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.”