It Makes a Difference to the Sheep

ONE OF THE HALLMARKS OF PARTISANSHIP is equating all that is evil and wrong with the world with not human beings in general but with the other guys. Will Saletan discusses this phenomenon in connection with the oft-repeated observation that Republicans lie. Lie? Of course Republicans lie. They're politicians for heck's sake! But are they the only ones? Read the whole thing but here's his conclusion:

I'm not excusing the games Republicans play. But by projecting all evil onto Republicans, Democrats spread the same political disease: the notion that you don't have to be wary of lying or cheating unless the other side is doing it. Lying and cheating don't belong to Republicans or Democrats. We're all susceptible, and we're all guilty.

Sure, some people are more guilty than others. But if that's your obsession, I commend to you the words of my colleague, Jack Shafer: If you're interested in which wing lies more, you're probably not very interested in the truth.

Amen!