Surprising Effects of Brain Centers on Political Debate

Try to remain calm. I’m going to politely ask you to actively engage your mind, rather than simply reacting emotionally. I am not going to attack you. Studies have shown that people who hold staunch political views, of whatever stripe, respond to virtually all political news or advocacy with the emotional center of the brain, rather than the problem solving areas. The result is that everything is filtered through emotion - which by definition is not entirely rational. Doesn’t matter if you’re on the left or right, or if you’re sure your own melding of socialism, xenophobia, and Star Trek philosophy can save the world. Most of us have decided what constitutes the truth, and facts are simply tools to be spun or ignored if they’re inconvenient.

Just for a moment, let’s actively engage in a real consideration of politics. I’m going to propose a not at all startling proposition. I’ll explain my thinking, and then I’ll invite you to respond in a civil manner. The proposition is this:

George Bush is not a disaster because he is a Republican; he is a disaster because his policies don’t work, and his administration has handled a variety of our nation’s challenges poorly. Were I a conservative, I’d be disappointed in his presidency for a number of reasons. He has not shown any sort of fiscally conservative policy. He’s never vetoed a spending bill, he’s allowed deficits to explode.

He’s expanded the federal government. The traditional conservative position favors smaller government. He’s simultaneously strengthened the federal government, taking more power away from state governments, which is in exact opposition to traditional conservative philosophy.

He’s abandoned his campaign promise to ask congress for a Constitution ban on gay marriage, a cornerstone of the overwhelming support evangelicals gave him. He eliminated federal funding for a program that put 100,000 additional police officers on the streets, in exact opposition to the traditional conservative policy of being tough on crime.