Wednesday, January 17, 2007

God's Politics and the Communitarian Viewpoint

I have started reading the most wonderful book.
It's called "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It" and I highly (and I cannot stress that word enough) recommend it to everyone who believes in the importance of moral politics. Here's a video of the author, Jim Wallis, on the Daily Show, expressing what this book is really about-

http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=special.display&item=050111_godspolitics

I have to tell you this has really got me thinking! Ever since I took an interest in politics I discovered that my political identity had no good fit. Like the Republicans, I was socially conservative, but believed they handled their approach to social problems all wrong and without the proper amount of tolerance. Like Democrats, I was economically conservative, believing strongly in the importance of supporting social programs, especially those helping the poor. I never really fit with either party. I was what they called a communitarian-the one label on the four way continuum that had no real voice. Even the partyless libertarian's got elected to office occasionally, but I hadn't heard of a single communitarian politician.

"God's Politics" advocates my exact political stance though. The author describes what I understand to be the communitarian platform exactly as the missing void for what people of faith need as an electoral option.
Now if only I could find a way to give birth to a stable communitarian party! A party where you could disagree with the War in Iraq and the lack of diplomacy while at the same time supporting welfare and aid to the poor in other countries! To me it seems like the perfect Christian option.
I've come to believe that the two party system is strongly inadequate for the needs of truly devoted Christians. In his interview with Jon Stewart, Wallis makes the statement that he thinks a political movement is ready to begin as a result of this problem. I hope so because I desperately want to be a part of it. Be certain there will be more on this subject soon!