People can’t exactly be divided into binary, zeroes and ones, black and white (not the race or skin colour), but I am starting to think that there are two different types of people. And those two different types of people, as I am thinking about it, happen to fit fairly closely into the Republican vs Democrat ideologies, and to a somewhat lesser extent into the NDP vs Conservative perspective, and maybe the reason is because the Liberal party is a middle ground. But the Canadian side is really an aside. I’m talking about “Honor”, or as Donald Trump recently called it “honer”. 🙂
Republicans, which are often portrayed as the party of the rich, business elite, are surprisingly much bigger than that. While their party is primarily based around policies that benefit the rich, and businesses, they also attract many low income, low educated, and middle class people as well. Many of those are racist, and they have come to love the Republican brand, not because it is racist, but because it is the alternative to the Democratic brand, which is progressive change, and helping those who are less fortunate. Those ideals tend to help the poor, and the minorities, including people of color tend to be poor so the Democratic agenda would seem to be more appealing to those people.
Another key group of constituents for the Republican party is evangelicals, people in the bible belt. Oddly, Christianity would seem to teach to help those who are less fortunate, and to be charitable and tolerant. I think however, that the evangelicals are threatened by the change, they are threatened by the expanse of government, and only recently they have been threatened by the acceptance of homosexuality, abortion, and religious tolerance and sometimes inconveniently the separation of Church and State, in what they conveniently believe to be a Christian country, that lets them do what they want.
At it’s core however; I believe that Republicans appeal to those who believe strongly in Honour (Honor). Honor is chivalrous, knightly, higher class, good, and gallant. Republicans see leaders, and successful people as knights, leaders and lords. Those people who are consistent with the American dream have become successful with the same opportunities as others (even though those people are often born with a silver spoon in their mouth). Not that all Republicans are honorable, many are net benefitters of Republican policies through lower taxes, or decreased regulation, for those people honor may never become part of the equation only selfishness. Many are like the white supremacists, not honorable at all, though as I discuss below they believe themselves to be, and try to stand for their own traditions.
Those who believe in honor also believe in and respect tradition, often over and above progress, and especially over what they see as progress for the sake of progress. Those people who believe in honour see the Democrats with their “socialist” hands giving free things to the lazy, and dishonorable. They see the democratic process as giving power to the dishonorable, and the unsuccessful. Power to feed on the success of the honorable and successful through wealth redistribution. They see that everyone has the same rules, the same opportunities and believe that like knights they should be rewarded for their success, and those who did not work as hard, did not succeed as well should not be able to simply take from them. Many of these honorable people would willingly, or believe that they would willingly offer their own charity to the groups or individuals that they deemed worthy of reeving it.
None of this is meant to indicate that people who vote democratically (or liberally) are not honorable people, more so that honor as an entity is not important, or not “as” important to them. Some are net benefitters of these policies, getting handouts, or rights consistent with their own ends, for them self sacrifice is never an issue, they may or may not be honorable. For others however, they choose to support the Liberal Democratic agenda, which they see as not directly affecting them, and benefitting others. This type of behaviour, while truly honorable behaviour is not done for the sake of honor. It also disregards or dismisses the harm or perceived harm imposed on others as a result of implementing those policies.
If life were like Game of Thrones the Starks would be Republicans because of all the stock they put in Honor.
The Ironborn would be Republicans as well though, because they believe they have earned what they successfully can take.
The wildlings would be democrats because of their acceptance of everyone.
The faith would be democrats because of their sacrifice, honorable as it is, it is not done for the sake of honor, and is dismisses or disregards the sacrifice it imposes on others..
The Vale would be Libertarian, because they don’t bother with anything outside their borders, thinking people will just leave them alone if they leave them alone.