I am not a liberal. I am not a conservative. I am not in the middle. I am a Full Spectrum Voter.
What IS a Full Spectrum Voter?
We embrace the whole political continuum, recognizing that there are valid ideas along its entirety. Very often, there are compatible ideas that come from different areas of the spectrum on single issues, and if true dialogue can occur, compromises can be made that have the potential for benefiting formally adversarial parties in greater ways than when only one idea along the spectrum succeeds.
There are some basic standards that all political discussions should meet. Full Spectrum Voters hold the following as necessary for productive, effective political dialogue:
You don’t have the right to your own opinion if you state it publicly. If you keep it to yourself, no problem. However, if you make a public statement, you have to back that up with rational, logical argument. Additionally, any criticism of another person’s statement must also be done with rational, logical argument, or be considered invalid.
Logical fallacies will not be used in the promotion of political ideas or any political agenda. A logical fallacy is a statement that fails to support itself with valid reasoning.
Values do not exist in a void. We recognize the importance of context when discussing values.
We believe in diversity, but not for its own sake. Sometimes the best combination is made of unequal parts. (To use an analogy, there is more flour than salt in a cake.)
We believe in democracy, but not for its own sake. It is a tool for governing, not a suicide pact. However, it is incumbent upon all those who participate in a democratic process to become informed about any issues they would vote upon. Voting is a responsibility, as well as a right. For that matter...
All rights come with responsibilities. That’s how rights work.
We believe in private ownership, but not for its own sake. There are levels of poverty and wealth that are immoral. These can be moderated based on how much others spend on the former, and how much the latter spends on others. Considering the interdependency of economic activity, the wealthy cannot prosper without the working class and middle class, and so have a civic duty to use elevated resources for the common good. If done so voluntarily, they can benefit from tax deductions and in some cases even tax credits. If they refuse, taxes can balance the discrepancy.
We believe in politicians taking adversarial positions when debating issues, but not for its own sake. Adversarial positions force those making an argument to examine its potential flaws, but being adversarial for the sake of mere political agitation and/or gain is undesirable. Please see #1, regarding to the right to one’s opinion.
