Thursday, March 02, 2006

America is a Center-Right Country

If you say something enough times it starts to seem plausible. For example, I just read Monique E. Stewart's review of Martha Zoller's "Indivisible." One of the books theses is that "America is a center-right country - historically, ideologically, and practically." I could tell this was important because Ms. Stewart referenced it 5 times in a 15 paragraph review. And the fifth time, it sort of crystallized in my mind. We are a center right nation.

She also says that people without health insurance basically don't deserve it. If they wanted Health Insurance they would buy it, but instead they buy TVs and Mink Coats. But she only spent a pair of paragraphs on it, so I am able to shrug that off.

What does Center-Right mean anyway? What scale is she using? What criteria? Ms. Stewart referenced Ms. Zollers comments on Health Care, Immigration, and Abortion as issues where the majority agree with conservatives. But how does she know? Perhaps the secret is held in this sentence, early on in the review. "Using mostly anecdotal evidence, Zoller explores the founding principles of our country and concludes that, after a hiatus marked by such events as the sexual revolution, Americans are turning back to their conservative roots."

In other words, this seems like the book you should believe in because it's telling you what you want to hear (if you are a conservatoid).

No comments: