by Heath Cleaveland

Created on: June 05, 2009   Last Updated: June 09, 2009

When we talk about conservatives, we are talking about those who we think are right of center. When we talk about liberals, we mean those left of center. In so doing, we establish a finite one-dimensional scale on which to rate politicians by their beliefs and actions. The way we define our own political system, dooms it to mostly failing and we see the results today.

The center is defined as being ambivalent to most of the top political issues. Some of the key issues are as follows:

Abortion: Right = Baby's right to life, Left= Mother's right to choose

Spending: Right= Spend on war only, Left= Spend on the people

Right to bear arms: Right= More guns!, Left= Destroy all guns!

Business: Right= Big business, Left= Big government

Gay rights: Right= Marriage is defined by God, Left= All are free to choose

These key issues define the so-called polarity of left and right, conservative and liberal. So-called, because these issues do not define the interests of the majority.

Most of us aren't going to picket abortion clinics. Most of us will spend what we need to on defense, while defending our rights and spend the rest on making our lives better. More and more, people are seeing both sides of the gun equation. Make guns too easy to get and more shootings; too hard and they're only in the hands of criminals. As for big business, let's face it, big business and big government go hand-in-hand. Finally, gay rights are interesting to a select minority of people.

The preconceived notions we have about right and left (and center), are examples of how politics has stagnated and no longer holds our interest. We don't like talking about politics because when someone doesn't agree with us, we don't want to talk anymore. What can be said for an institution that brings us into unnecessary wars, takes our money to fund them and causes the collapse of our economic system through mismanagement?

When running for office, politicians typically have an agenda; a list of things to do and a platform with a list of beliefs on the key topics. Both of these lists they design, are to appeal to the voters most likely to vote for them. What politicians seem to have forgotten is that we want to know who 'they' are, not who they are in the party. Hiding behind party issues, liberal democrats and conservative republicans, try to avoid politically incorrect posturing and do not raise the level of dialogue.

Liberals and conservatives are both missing what we, average Americans, have

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