What do these two Renaissance gentlemen have in common besides their ruffled white collars and facial hair? Although one was a politician and the other a scientist, they both studied and experimented with the forces of alignment, repulsion, and attraction.
Introduction
Are magnetism and politics analogous? We have all watched a magnet “magically” attract metal objects. Likewise, we all know that there is an attraction that many people feel for politicians and political movements. It can be called interest in, appeal, attractiveness, allure, enchantment, or magnetism. Many people are drawn to and align their interests with their chosen political movements or leaders. Why and how does this happen? I am making an analogy, not creating an absolute bond or connection between natural and political magnetism.
We often hear that a person was a liberal Democrat but later switched their political pole to become a conservative Republican. We know of people who favored the Viet Nam or Iraq War but later became opposed. How and why do people flip to the opposite political pole?
Most of us think of the political left and right extremes as being on a linear spectrum of political belief, analogous to the two ends of a simple bar magnet. The ends of the bar magnet are as far apart as they can be, just as we understand the extreme political left and right to be in a political sense. However, another political theory says the extremes on the left and right are very much alike and have the similar characteristics of a different magnet called a horseshoe magnet.
As I will discuss later, the poles of a horseshoe magnet are close together. It is also a fact that a horseshoe magnet, all things being equal, has a more intense magnetic attraction than a bar magnet.
I contend that the behavior of the horseshoe magnet can better explain some of today’s political movements and operatives’ activities than a bar magnet. The magnetism of the extremists draws otherwise moderate people away from the core values of a democracy (e.g., liberty, equality, and justice) toward the implicit values of anti-democracy (e.g., subservience, inequality, chaos, and injustice.) I believe that the people who gravitate to either of today’s extreme political poles have more in common with each other than with independent-minded moderates. Furthermore, I think the field strength of the extreme political poles explains why the American tradition of compromise and moderation has come under increasing attack over the last three decades.
After living in a complex, mixed society for nearly 75 years, I believe democracy is preferable to any extremist solution, whether on the hard right political pole or the hard left.
My reading of major societal upheavals, such as the Dutch Revolt of 1566-1648, the English Revolutions of 1639-1651 and 1688, the American Revolution of 1775-1783, the French Revolution of 1787-1799, the Russian Revolution of 1917-1923, the Cuban Revolution of 1959, and the Nazi rise to power in 1933-1945 lead me to believe that choosing a more democratic solution involving compromise produces a better result. Modern history shows that autocratic, intolerant, extremist solutions never succeed in the long run. The Cuban Revolution replaced a right-wing military dictatorship with a left-wing military dictatorship.
Human nature, particularly when acting as individuals, tends to prefer simple, quick solutions. Simple, extremist solutions are like eating chocolate…they are very appealing, but in excess, not so good for us. Unfortunately, the larger world is neither simple nor compliant for quick solutions. However, the more successful societies ultimately avoid the simple, extremist solutions and work diligently through give and take with differing perspectives to arrive at fair and balanced solutions for all. Extremists on a horseshoe magnet’s “hot” ends (more explanation later) hate those who try to be fair and balanced. They only see the world through single-focus lenses and only solutions that favor them. They are uncompromising and believe their self-confident, magnetic attraction is powerful enough to force the alignment of others to their political stance.