After being let down, or left behind by various schools of political thought over the years, I made a conscious decision that began percolating at least 12 months ago to completely jettison all political ideology in favour of individualism.
Individualism doesn’t become watered down. Individualism doesn’t let you down with a lack of direction or conviction. Individualism doesn’t go lurching off toward crazy town. Individualism allows the luxury of personal improvement free of the constraints of crippling collectivist ideology. Obviously collectivism usually has socialist connotations, but in this context I’m referring to any collective political movement. Yes, even the Pastafarians…
Individualism allows you to step back and cast a critical eye toward not only the ideologies you’ve never been a fan of, but also those you subscribed to. An individualist approach also allows for more meaningful validation of the merits of certain political viewpoints, and just as importantly, more meaningful criticism of others.
Honestly, in 2017 I feel more alienated and detached from the entire political spectrum than I ever have been, and have decided to go it alone with the odd bit of commentary from the sidelines.
Many are going Alt-Left and Alt-Right, but the cynic in me feels that at least some if not more of the newcomers to both movements are ‘Alt-Fluid’. You have insufferable anarchists who went from sharing Pepe memes to donning Antifa masks, and reformed virtue signallers taking up Tiki torches in Charlottesville. Even the organiser of that particular rally is ex ‘Occupy Wall Street’.
The philosophical Renaissance led by people like Jordan Peterson has convinced at least a few of us that pointing out the folly of one ideology doesn’t necessarily necessitate going all in on another ideology, particularly when you have irreconcilable differences. If for example you see eye to eye with 90-95% of coalition policy, that’s great. Vote for them. But if you’re like me and sitting at only 70% at the most, that probably isn’t good enough to validate them.
Individualism doesn’t necessarily mean a summer of love libertarian approach. More a reluctance to hitch one’s wagon to a political ideology that may well veer off the trail or drag you straight off a cliff. It’s a liberating position to take. A free market position. Perhaps if more of us were to make it clear that we aren’t ideologically rusted on, and are shopping around for policy that reflects our own personal values, priorities, and sensibilities we’d see more relevant representation.
