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I would not divide the world into left and right.

I would differentiate between honest and dishonest.

Truthful or liar. Fair or unfair. Just or unjust.

If a person is truthful, whatever their politics, I’d stand with them.

If they’re fair, of either the left or right, then they would find me on their side.

Is it not possible to be left-wing economically, but be socially conservative?

Could it be that these categories don’t adequately capture the spectrum of human thought?

The problem I have with the ideologues who declare themselves patriots is that they lie a lot.

If they were truthful in apportioning blame for their grievances, I might have sympathy for their cause.

For it is true that poverty is on the rise in our country, while health and education provision is in disarray. People see decay all around them.

However, the diagnosis offered by patriotic ideologues is neither grounded on truth nor fairness.

Facts and statistics are never important to them: in fact, the opposite is true. Not only are they disregarded, but also undermined.

As for fairness: how could it be just to blame whole communities for the alleged crimes of individuals? Fairness would be to count all crimes of both friend and foe, and leave the innocent be.

But it is not just the self-declared patriot that lies. Religious communities also lie at times, contrary to the ethics they proclaim. So, too, do activists of the left.

It takes an individual, personal choice to be truthful and fair.

Who cares if you’re of the left or right, as long as you’re honest and fair?