The Fallacy of Balance (Rant) by Alison Ross

There is, in this country and elswhere that shelters a largely pseudo-democratic government, the ridiculously simplistic, crudely fallacious idea that what we need is "balance" between conservative and liberal viewpoints. Nothing could be more aloof from the truth. What we need, actually is the truth itself - and the truth is neither conservative nor liberal, but rather a label-devoid ideal.

The truth does not lie between the two ideologies of liberal and conservative - it lies outside of those ideologies. Indeed, the truth is no ideology at all. It transcends the parameters imposed by any school of thought.

The truth has to do with justice and peace and human rights ideals. Obviously those are broad terms open to interpreation, but I do believe that lucid logic dictates the authentic essence of these concepts.

People are simply not thinking when they claim we need a balance between conservative and liberal viewpoints. Because, really, when you deconstruct such a claim, what does it actually mean? It doesn't amount to anything whatsoever.

I think what people are trying to say when they make such assertions is that we require moderation in our ideologies - that what's needed is a middle way.

And that is all fine and well, and the Buddhist value of the middle way is a noble one.

But conservative thinking often harbors a more individualistic approach, while liberal thinking often harbors a more collectivist approach. How does one find a "middle way" between those ways of thinking? There is no sense in it; it's a non-ideology, because it wouldn't work to be both individualistic and collectivist in our social approach. And what is the middle ground between those two options - sometimes collectivist and sometimes individualist? Again, that's untenable. There is no substance to that mindset.

People falsely assume that the conservative and liberal ways of thinking are two extreme polarities that should be mitigated with a modified approach. While it may be true that these are disparate mindsets, a modified application is not what is needed, but rather one altogether exterior to the the ill-concerived idea of "balance."

The truth is not liberal, conservative, secular, religious, socialistic, Darwinistic, fundamentalist, and so on. It is, simply, a naked fact stripped of any layers of subjective interpretation.

The truth, quite concretely, encompasses humane ideals. When people are being oppressed by hierarchical tyrannical entities, this is the vulgar antithesis of authentic living. We were meant to be happy, and to extend our natural compassion toward others within our orbit, and beyond our sphere of family and friends. Life is about love, and oppressing people is not expressing love, it's expressing fear.

Love is peace, love is justice, love is truth. No matter how cliche it rings to some ears, this is what truth is in all its unadorned glory.

Finding a "balance" between two schools of thought has zero to do with actual truth. It's just an idiotic fallacy that germinates in ignorance and culiminates in bothersome behavior on behalf of those adhering to such an insubstantive ideal. For it's really no ideal at all, just a vaporous non-concept making a muddled mockery of reality.