Live Right, Vote Left

I am often confused by the inconsistency between people’s lifestyles and their politics.

The inconsistency is most beautifully exhibited by left wing voters.

I have some some nice middle class friends where at least one member of the couple – usually the woman – is left wing.

They exhibit all the traits of social conservatives – appreciation of (old) western culture (the arts; museums etc); concern for their children’s education; living in nice middle-class enclaves; a very non-diverse circle of friends; shopping in Waitrose; European holidays in large rented villas, UK holidays in either Centre Parks or upmarket locations of natural beauty (Not too far from one of the Royal Palaces). These friends are not involved with political activism. They adopt the typical laiser-faire attitudes of right-wingers: live and let live, everything will probably work out for the best in the end.

By all known logic, especially bearing in mind where we are in the cultural landscape right now, they should all be right wing. Only the right wing is going to protect those things they hold dear. However, a significant number of them are left wing.

I always find the inconsistency between their lifestyles and their politics to be jarring. They have hitched their colours to the Labour Party. I don’t understand the fit. I find it hypocritical. I call them ‘socialist conservatives’.

Are the political views of socialist conservatives something they have adopted by way of virtue-signalling? Or is it a legacy of their upbringing that they can’t bring themselves to abandon? In other words: how deep are their leftist convictions? To better understand the political philosophies of these people I have started compiling a list of questions that I will (subtly) put to them. So, subtly they won’t know what I’m doing. The idea is to probe their understanding of the world we live in and their place in it. I want to see if they are aware of their hypocriticality or not. Against each question, I have added the context for the question.

Questions to get to core of peoples’ political beliefs:

1. Do you believe that all people are born equal and that it is nurture, rather than nature, that forms them? Context: true Leftists believe everyone is born the same

2. Do you believe that inequalities between people are only ever the result of injustices? Context: a true Leftist would always believe this.

3. Do you believe that social cohesion has reduced in our society over the last generation? Why do you think that is? Context: if they say “immigration”, it means they’re right wing. However, they may not answer truthfully.

4. Do you believe more in equality of opportunity or equality of outcome? Context: Right wingers would say opportunity. Equality of outcome will never be achieved without draconian government intervention.

5. Do you believe there are differences between the races? Like, for example, that blacks are fast runners. Or that Aborigines have innate sense of direction. What other differences have you noticed? Context: it’s always interesting to discover Leftist views on race.

6. Do you believe that intelligence is mostly inherited? Context: Leftists don’t believe that intelligence is inherited. Leftists pretend to believe that nurture is solely responsible.
7. Do you believe that we should live in a meritocracy? Or should there be affirmative action, e.g. quotas? Context: Leftists would espouse a tortuous logic to justify why meritocracy is not the correct approach. If your friend tries to argue for affirmative action, ask them about the situation at Harvard University where Asian students were discriminated against in order to accommodate places for other minorities.
8. Do you believe that people are primarily responsible for their own wellbeing and the well being of their children? Or should the government intervene more in our lives? Context: Leftists would make an argument for the State. If your friend argues for self-determining families, they sound right-wing.

9. What do you think of the state of the Left currently e.g. identity politics; anti-semitism; anti free speech movements; open borders; socialism; Antifa; 4th wave Feminism; no-platforming, grievance culture: multiculturalism etc etc? Context: a right winger would be appalled by these aspects of Western culture.

10. Do you believe Western civilisation is worth protecting? Context: only an imbecile, high on the fumes of political correctness could possibly argue that Western Civilisation is evil and must be destroyed. I doubt your ‘lefty’ friends would go anywhere near that far.
11. Do you believe that socialism is worth trying in Britain? Context: they’ll say ‘yes’ whilst praying it never happens.
12. Do you believe The Left still has the well-being of the poor working class as their primary concern? Context: watch them squirm their way through this one.
13. Do you believe that governments should make tough decisions for the greater good (even if some members of society are adversely affected by some decisions)? Or should governments make compromise decisions that deliver less benefits but do not adversely affect anyone? Context: Women tend to chose the latter. Then follow up with the next question.
14. If answer to above question was ‘Compromise’, ask how compromise is possible in an increasingly fractured and multicultural society.
15. Do you believe that, collectively, the world has never been economically better off than it is alright now? Context: this is a fact. It will be interesting whether the person acknowledges it
16. Do you believe Westerners should be free to follow their culture as per custom? Or should Western culture adapt to better fit with incoming cultures? Feel free to use massacre of Charlie Hebdo journalists as an example.
17. Do you think Britain is a sexist and racist society? If so, can you name a society that isn’t?
18. Do you believe that free speech should be protected or curtailed? If curtailed, which subjects should be off-limits?

If you are going to (subtly) introduce these questions to your friends in order to gauge where their true political affiliations lie, I would suggest you you need to ask them about possible unintended consequences of some of the ‘pat’ rehearsed answers they are likely to provide. For example, they may well refer repeatedly to ‘oppression’. Ask them to describe a world where no one is oppressed. Do they believe they would be as economically comfortable in such a world as they are now?