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Get your Mother's Day gifts at the Galleria! Add your comments on this week's "What is the Deal?" column at Uncle Hiram's Bulletin Board. April 27, 2003 What is the deal with Ideology? By Jan A. Larson Just about everyone forms opinions one way or the other on a various public policy issues and those opinions shape that person's political ideology. One's ideology, in turn, drives ambition. When the members of a group have similar political ambitions, then that group is said to possess an ideology. Some have a liberal ideology, some have a conservative ideology and there are those at the extremes. Some ideologies are more narrowly focused such as those held by affirmative action advocates, anti-abortion advocates and those that advocate tax reform. It is common for individuals within a group to vigorously pursue the group's ideology, witness members of Congress. I've always been amazed at how many votes in Congress are along party lines. The members of the House of Representatives and the Senate are generally well educated with strong personalities and are, what some might call type "A" personalities. They are "movers and shakers" and most have held leadership positions throughout their lives. Yet when it comes to issues affecting the country, these well educated leaders flock like so many sheep to the "party line." I always wonder how many Senators and Representatives set aside their personal beliefs in favor of their party's position or ideology? In many cases, I would suspect that the number is not insignificant. The problem with blind loyalty to an ideology? The abandonment of common sense. Mavra Stark, a local chapter president of the National Organization for Women in New Jersey, put her foot in her mouth defending NOW's pro-choice ideology when she stated that accused murderer Scott Peterson should not be tried for double murder in the death of his wife and unborn son. Apparently in her mind, the murder of the fetus by Peterson is just too close to the same outcome if Laci Peterson had gotten an abortion. Murder = abortion? That would be contrary to NOW's ideology and Stark couldn't let that stand. Stark has been lambasted in the press. Her comments reflected no compassion for the Peterson family, for Laci Peterson or her son. Stark simply used a heart-breaking incident to (foolishly) try to promote her ideology. Ideology can drive some to wish injury (or worse) or hardship for their fellow countrymen so their position may be validated. There were some public pronouncements before the Iraq war, notably from a Princeton professor, hoping for an American defeat. An American defeat in that war would have only come about after a protracted struggle with many, many more casualties on both sides than occurred as the war actually played out. Instead of tens of dead Americans, such ideologues would have preferred to see thousands of families grieve for a loved one so they could be right. There are some on the political left that want nothing more than for President Bush's economic plan to fail so they can (1) claim they were right, and (2) put more of their own ideological group into positions of power. So, what is wrong with that? For this scenario to play out, the United States must go through another one or two years with a weak economy, a lackluster stock market, high unemployment, inflation, foreclosures, etc., etc. causing hardship for many Americans. At some point and in some circumstances, ideology must be set aside in the interest of the common good. Conservative or liberal, hawk or dove, pro-choice or pro-life, there are times when we would all be better served by advocating the position that promotes the common good and setting aside blind ambition. -- Send feedback to the author. The "What is the Deal?" column will appears weekly on the Pie of Knowledge website. Guest submissions are welcome and encouraged. To submit an article to "What is the Deal?" click here. To subscribe to the "What is the Deal?" mailing list and receive early notification when a new column is available, click here. The Pie of Knowledge will never, ever divulge email addresses to any third party for any reason unless so ordered by a court of law. Contributions to the Pie of Knowledge are greatly appreciated. 
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