Stop buying the 'Left v. Right' myth | Hyrum and Verlan Lewis | The Reason Interview

[@NickGillespie]

Thanks for watching! Here's a quick question: In light of the Lewis brothers' analysis, what are the one or two issues that you think have become dominant in the Republican and Democratic coalitions? Immigration seems to matter massively in Trump's GOP, almost to the exclusion of everything else. But on the Dem side, esp. in the wake of massive electoral failure, what is *the* issue (or two) you think they will try to focus their group around?

[@rbu2136]

Hierarchical politics based on race gender sxual orientation. The media participants make their living on this. So will not change. Just more talk of how the electorate is ignorant.

[@Houlgravely]

I think the Republican Party has a stronger case to make about economic policy than Democrats too, especially in light of the GOA's recent report about how the Biden-Harris administration has wasted over 1 trillion in taxpayer money, the most egregious amount of any administration since the country's founding. If the Republicans get smarter about this, then the Democrats will struggle outside of social issues moving forward. They now have to overcome a reputation of being more fiscally irresponsible than the "fascists". The other key point is energy. If the Democrats can showcase an affordable roadmap to lower energy costs for average Americans, they can also campaign on that in a big way.

[@johnkling3537]

@@NickGillespie the question is, will the Democrats use fear as their tool, and continue to push climate change, gun safety, and the next emergency of public safety, or change stride and try to regain areas within public support for union jobs, student loan forgiveness, or or other mass benefit handouts. The flips will occur more rapidly as AI tools are used for sentiment tracking.

[@bassandtrebleclef]

To my eyes, Inflation and democrats gaslighting the country saying it's no big deal is why they lost. People don't like being lied to. Democrats are blaming voters for now but maybe that will change.

[@skyfreak73]

I think they will amp up the volume on the oppressor/oppressed narrative.

[@pamgallina]

Most important issue, we're forbidden from even talking about. The plain fact that our entire political system is completely controlled by one elite, exclusive, private club.

[@kurthertel4299]

I only judge politicians and policies based on where they fall on a scale of authoritarianism. Ofc I can't vote for either major party.

[@skyfreak73]

I do similar, but I apply the lens of statism

[@johnkling3537]

A very useful analysis and discussion. Thank you.

[@ReasonTV]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@cristinalacoste2062]

This was a great conversation! Until we embrace these ideas we can't move forward. We'll just continue to spin our wheels between elections.

[@geraldking4080]

There's no ideological difference between snowboarding and alpine skiing. Nordic skiers are a different breed.

[@DaveRowan-d7k]

Hopefully housing, lack of housing for folks making around min wage. Seems like the one issue that we all agree on. Rent is 60-70-80 percent of take home pay. Why not fix U.S. housing policy in our tax code? LIHTC would be a good start. We put in into our tax code in TRA 1986 , fix it already! Its NOT affordable , stop building it.

[@EarlHayward]

The solution is more complex… Regulations, Federal policies, and social behavior all impact supply and demand. While housing costs have increased, square footage per person has increased, amenities have increased, but regulations constrain development and supply, and recent immigration issues increase demand. As someone who is socially liberal, but fiscally conservative, I don’t fit with either party. That being said, I firmly believe progressives and, to a lesser degree, liberals create (by omission or intention) most problems we have. Going back even before Cloward-Piven, many liberals seem to create the issues or intentionally break system in their desire for progress as they don’t want to wait for the “invisible hand” so to speak. Many on the left don’t want urban sprawl but resist high density housing near where they live; they want clean air, but ignore the costs of manufacturing all the materials for an electric car; they want an increase in minimum wage, but ignore the supply chain impact and loss of opportunities for people to work.

[@bigtex741]

Aren't you doing the exact same thing that these intellectuals argue against? That is creating a binary between the common man and the intelligentsia. How did that work out for us during the Covid crisis?

[@skyfreak73]

Who do you perceive as creating a binary between "common man" and "intelligentsia"? These guests don't argue against binaries. They argue that the left/right binary doesn't represent anything meaningful.

[@bigtex741]

@@skyfreak73 I think you have answered your own question.

[@skyfreak73]

@@bigtex741 Odd, since I didn't ask myself a question but rather you. If you feel comfortable allowing others to speak for you, I won't stop you.

[@skyfreak73]

11:18 Mr Lewis claims that Reagan cut spending from 21% of GDP to 18% of GDP. He did not.

[@alexanderx33]

Actually there is a single spectrum, centralization/centralized vs decentralization/decentralized. Literally anything can fit into either category. Please post counterexamples!

[@droe2570]

Sure, but the problem is that different policies can sit on different areas, and a party or person can embrace policies on one side, while embracing the opposite side for other policies. Trying to reduce a person or party to one side of the spectrum is an oversimplification.

[@alexanderx33]

@droe2570 I didn't say that one person would be consistant in where they stand on centralization vs decentralization on all issues. I said all issue positions can be placed on a centralization/decentralization spectrum. Though its not as though there are not broad conclusions you can draw based on a persons bias for one versus the other. Statists are essentially always going for more centralization and anarchists are always going for less centralization.

[@droe2570]

@@alexanderx33 Fair enough. I do think that centralization/decentralization is only one spectrum. A person could support decentralization of political power to the level of city/township, but then demand high authoritarianism at that level of governance.

[@skyfreak73]

Their argument wasn't that there are no single spectrums but that the current left/right spectrum falls short in describing anything meaningful. Centralized/distributed represents a spectrum but not the only spectrum.

[@robertgaines9286]

For all of his idiocy, Trump tried to talk up the Covid vaccines. The cult went against him and booed him.

[@SC-fu9if]

Damn nick looks and sounds like a grandma now. Just when you thought he couldn't get any ghayer. Hahaha