Economic libertarians and Christian evangelicals, united by their common enemy, are strange bedfellows in today's Republican party, just as the two Georges - the archconservative Wallace and the uberliberal McGovern - found themselves in the same Democratic Party in 1972.
Interpretation
The quote highlights the unusual alliances formed in political parties based on shared opposition rather than common beliefs.
Steven Pinker points out the paradox of political alliances, where economic libertarians and Christian evangelicals, despite their differing ideologies, come together in the Republican party due to a mutual opposition. This phenomenon mirrors the historical situation in 1972 when two ideologically opposed figures, George Wallace and George McGovern, were part of the same Democratic Party, illustrating how political dynamics can create unexpected coalitions.
In practice
This quote can be used to illustrate the complexities of modern political alliances during a political debate.
The foundation of individual rights is the assumption that people have wants and needs and are authorities on what those wants and needs are. If people's stated desires were just some kind of erasable inscription or reprogrammable brainwashing, any atrocity could be justified.
The linguistic clumsiness of tourists and students might be the price we pay for the linguistic genius we displayed as babies, just as the decrepitude of age in the price we pay for the vigor of youth.
If we are not to abandon values such as peace and equality, or our commitments to science and truth, then we must pry these values away from claims about our psychological makeup that are vulnerable to being proven false.
We adults protect ourselves with laws, police, workplace regulations and social norms and there is no conceivable reason why children should be left more vulnerable, other that laziness or callousness in considering what life is like from their point of view.
The idea that children are passive repositories to be shaped by their parents has been massively overstated. A child's peer group is a far greater determinant of its development and achievements than parental aspiration.
Reason is non-negotiable. Try to argue against it, or to exclude it from some realm of knowledge, and you've already lost the argument, because you're using reason to make your case. ... We don't "believe" in reason.
I say further that for this great legislative body to ignore the Constitution and the fundamental concepts of our governmental system is to act in a manner which could ultimately destroy the freedom of all American citizens, including the freedoms of the very persons whose feelings and whose liberties are the major subject of this legislation.
Politics matter, but politics can't come first. If politics come first in your life, something is wrong with you. It's a sad thing.
I am not political. It is not my job. But I would be happy if politicians could read my work and draw some conclusions from it.
Surely anyone who has ever been elected to public office understands that one commodity above all others, namely the trust and confidence of the people, is fundamental in maintaining a free and open political system.
Only armchair politicians are immune from committing mistakes. Errors are inherent in political action.
Whenever you put a man on the Supreme Court he ceases to be your friend.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.