The Bias of Reality

“Reality has a well known liberal bias.” 

So sayeth the sharp-witted political wit, Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert.

It is probably the most famous quotation to come out of his brilliant show, The Colbert Report, and it has the merit not only of being funny, but of having a large ring of truth about (or should I say “truthiness”?) too, at least it does in America.

Why do I say that?  Well, as a British expat, I know that there is such a thing as a rational, secular conservative, in fact there are millions of them.  Right wingers in Britain may be a little more religious that their left-leaning fellow citizens, but they have nothing like the same religious fervor that swamps the conservative movement here in the USA.  British conservatives are quite capable of debating the merits of social policy without invoking the Bible or God at every opportunity, and even when I believe they’re on the wrong side of the argument, there is at least some comfort in knowing that I have a chance of changing their mind if I present them with a persuasive enough rational argument.

Contrast American conservatives.  Oh, I know there are plenty of secular and non-believing Republicans and conservatives around–I know a few personally–but they are in the unenviable position of belonging to a party that is dominated by the religious right and their allies.  Their voice is not heard.  Indeed, they are often treated with suspicion and even vilified if they speak up to defend their rational beliefs. 

It’s not all sweetness and light for non-believers on the left side of the political spectrum either, of course.  But at least we don’t have to battle the same amount of religious intensity when it comes to debating politics, moral issues and public policy.  Sure, there is still plenty of irrationality to go around, but it tends to be less organized, less focused, and can usually be overcome eventually.

Of course, in the end, there is only one true reality, and it’s neither left or right, it just is.  It’s just unfortunate that in America, one side (in general) is so much further away from the truth of that reality than the other.  It doesn’t always have to be so, and I am hopeful I will live to see the day when it is no longer that way.