If there is one phrase that I would be happy to never hear again it’s, “Well, both sides do it.”
Not only is it patently false, it introduces an equivalency into the conversation that should not exist. Republicans and Democrats are fundamentally different in almost every way. In an ideal world, they would be two groups with the same goal in mind – a better, more prosperous country for all – but with perhaps different views on the best way to achieve that goal. That is simply no longer the case.
‘Bothsidesism’
In a recent op-ed, Paul Krugman used the term “bothsidesism” to discuss this very problem. In Krugman’s words, “bothsidesism” is,
“…The almost pathological determination to portray politicians and their programs as being equally good or equally bad, no matter how ludicrous that pretense becomes.”
We currently have one nominee with extensive foreign policy experience. She has been assaulted from all sides for over 20 years, and yet she still stands. She has demonstrated time and again that she has the knowledge, the temperament, and the diplomatic skills to be the leader of the free world.
And, on the other side, we have Donald J. Trump. A man best known as a reality television star and real estate magnate before this insane election season began. A man with absolutely zero foreign policy knowledge or experience. A man who refers to Filipinos as “animals,” to Mexicans as “rapists,” and to women as “fat pigs.” A man who cannot let the slightest barb against him slide without tweeting a childish response.
There is no equivalence here.
It’s Not Just Trump
As Krugman points out later in his article,
“Mr. Trump is far from being the only current political figure who benefits from the determination to find balance where none exists. Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House, has a reputation as a policy wonk, committed to fiscal responsibility, that is utterly incomprehensible if you look at the slapdash, fundamentally dishonest policy documents he actually puts out. But the cult of balance requires that someone on the Republican side be portrayed as a serious, honest fiscal expert, so Mr. Ryan gets slotted into that role no matter how much a con man he may be in reality.”
Put simply, there are not two sides to every story. When someone goes on cable news to address “birtherism,” for instance, the media should not feel obligated to bring someone on who believes that Obama is a secret Muslim Kenyan. That person is wrong, and they do not deserve equal time just to provide “balance.” If Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson appears on a news program to discuss astrophysics, the network doesn’t need to include someone who believes the earth is flat to “counter” him. It’s absurd.
But it’s not only absurd.
It’s Dangerous
Believing that both sides are the same is a dangerous path to travel. Such beliefs are part of why we find ourselves facing the possibility of a Trump presidency. When Democratic voters became disillusioned with Obama, they stayed home in 2010. That gave rise to the gerrymandered House of Representatives that we have now. They believed that because Obama was not able to be the liberal warrior they were hoping for, their votes didn’t matter.
As a result, we now find ourselves awash in bathroom bills. Women’s reproductive rights are being assaulted on a near-weekly basis. And a racist Hitler cheeto, endorsed by the KKK, is the Republican nominee for president.
Image via screen shot from New America Media.
