How viewing politics through the lens of ideology affects our understanding of politics
Joshua Lohka
Politics is an inescapable aspect of life. Through elections, social reforms and beliefs concerning humanity; politics is omnipresent. However the existence of politics within the lives of the individual does little to disrupt the veil which clouds an individual’s understanding of what politics is and how it functions. The lens of ideology seeks to remedy this failure of understanding. Ideology, which exists hand in hand with politics offers a complete understanding of politics. How it functions, how individuals are drawn to it, and why certain political ideology’s flourish. The lens of ideology shifts our perception of politics and the political ideologies that function within, exposing how the purpose of politics is to utilize ideologies as calls to action, made to further the agenda of a party leader. A party leader that encourages and develops social conventions in an effort to better cement the political ideology of the state into the fabric of individual’s lives, in turn developing second-realities for citizens to follow, greatening the hold politically powerful individuals wield with respect to how society functions within their nation. The observation of politics under the guide of ideology, allows for a more developed understanding of the tools politics controls to fulfill the goal of the political party.
Each political party subscribes to a political ideology, although this statement is inherently simplistic, it is the basis for any action a political party, or politician within the party chooses to undertake. The ideology is the call to action politicians and their conglomerate parties utilise to attract support and outline the goals of the party, the raison d’etre. Moreover the call to action embodied by each political ideology and subsequent subscribed party acts as a recruitment call of membership, where individuals are sought after to join political movements through the use of an appealing narrative that the party embodies. The Green party of Canada exemplifies this through public support over the Wet’suwet’en blockade of the Coastal GasLink pipeline, “ we stand with the Wet’suwet’en. And demand the immediate removal of the RCMP” (Green Party of Canada, 2020). The aforementioned claim of support by the Green Party of Canada serves to promote the political ideology of the party, “the replacement of fossil fuels [to better the environment]” (Green Party of Canada Platform, 2021). creating a narrative that any individual who views the environment as worth protecting should then support the Green Part of Canada. The call to action’s most iconic use is that of revolution, notably the Russian revolution which established communism within the Soviet Union. Within this instance the political ideology followed by the party was that of communism, with the call to action being the urge for the proletariat to overthrow the bourgeoisie and ruling tsar. The events of the Russian revolution when viewed by means of ideology demonstrate how the party followed communism as a political focus, or a political ideology; however, the goal to set about a new age of enlightenment was set by the party ruler. Vladimir Lenin. It is pivotal to note that although the party at large subscribed to the concept of communism written out by Karl Marx and Friedrich Englels, its specific goals were controlled by the party leader, as is the case within modern political systems. This leadership means that any call to action exists as a multi-faceted instrument. Under the political ideology of the party it is used in the recruitment of new members as well as to direct supporters to a goal the political party in question seeks to accomplish. However, as these goals are determined by the party leader the call to actions serves again the agenda which the party leader set. The novel, The Real Inconvenient Truth By Dr. M.J. Sangster displays how these hidden agendas within politics may act as a potential instrument for corruption, arguing that the IPCC serves a self fulfilling agenda which seeks not to promote an improved climate but self justification to ensure the survival of the organization. Although Mr. Sangsters novel is based around the climate change debate, the concept of political organizations supporting a hidden agenda is not unheard of within national and regional politics. Through an initial understanding that politics is governed by the ideologies that political parties subscribe to, it becomes understood that at an overarching level the purpose of the political ideology is not simply a view of how the ought to live within a society, but is instead a course of action to lead parties, attract new followers and guide both party and member in achieving goals set about by party leadership.
The elected officials that make up a political party serve a single goal, re-election. Blatantly obvious as this may seem, the means by which a party may attempt to establish itself into society in an effort to remain a constituents first choice at the election polls is considerably more ambiguous. This ambiguity becomes apparent through the use of questioning everyday occurrences by means of ideology. Notably, questioning social conventions that society at large view as non-negotiable and as fact. By questioning these conventions using a framework of ideology, individuals question what end goals each convention serves to propagate. An example of a common social convention accepted by the vast majority of individuals is the concept that men and women are equal. To question this convention is taboo at the best of times within our society and viewed as misogynistic at worst. However there remains a question as to why this convention exists? To examine this convention without the concept of ideology, it is simply viewed as a polite statement to encourage equal treatment between individuals of the opposite sex; such as same pay, education, and opportunities. Ideology allows individuals to dive deeper into the use and meaning of the convention. Under the influence of ideology the examining question one operates under to develop an understanding of the convention shifts, from what does this convention support, to how is this convention used, who does this convention support, and why is it needed to support these individuals? The answer to the first ideology based questions is that the convention is used within society to promote feminism at the core of the feminist manifesto. The answer to the second ideology based question concerning who the convention supports is simple, women and those who are members of the feminist movement. The final question posed by an ideology based examination of the convention is far less objective and can only truly be answered by those who are directly supported by the convention. However it can be implied that a convention which supports the feminist movement is implemented due to the discrimination that women faced within the past, such as laws banning women the right to vote. Through the examination of a common social convention using the concept of ideology, the convention becomes far more complex than a simple phrase supporting equal rights for women and their male counterparts. The convention displayed develops into a fundamental calling card to the ideology of feminism, a statement that when used strengthens the ties feminism yields over our society. Moreover an examination of the convention as well as feminist offers explanations as to the conventions existence. For example, one may come to the conclusion that the examined convention exists for the purpose of spreading feminism as discreetly as possible in an effort to propagate the belief that women are as deserving of rights as men. Examples of conventions existing to support political agendas are fluent within society, one such convention popularized within the twentieth century was the association of communism with an end to societal decency. The vilification of communism served to support the current presidential regime within the United States. When viewed objectively under the lens of ideology, the convention that communism would doom the globe is used to spread fear within the populous of the United States, leading to greater support for members of the ruling presidential regime to enact laws that would safeguard the United States from communism. Use of this convention by the United States government to garner support for anti communist laws and sanctions is displayed through the war in Vietnam. A war that initially “received broad support. [with] only two members of the United States congress voting against [the war].” (ushistory.org, 2021). It is important to note that social conventions are neither good nor bad, instead conventions simply are. They exist as simplified calls to action that political organizations subscribe to. Conventions exist to promote the values of an ideology, as such it is only when a convention is observed through a focus on ideology that the convention in question can be properly understood.
When politics is observed through ideology; examined with the intention of discovering the motivations and meanings behind actions and conventions imposed by political organizations, the concept of a second reality is revealed. A second reality is a concept where an individual subscribes to a reality that is in conflict with their true reality. This subscription is taken up with the goal that the individual’s thoughts and beliefs would always hold true no matter the reality of the situation outside of the second reality. When applied by political entities, second realities are curated as means to shift public perception either in favour of the political party or against a rival political entity, much like social conventions. The difference between the second reality and the social convention remains that the second reality is invisible to those who do not seek it out. As well, where the social convention is made to encourage an ideological call to action, the second reality is the entire ideology taken hold within an individual. The Invasion of Iraq post nine-eleven presents a second reality of patriotism, where the United States, wilfully ignorant within their second reality, believed that their invasion of Iraq would be welcomed by the Iraqi people. The unwelcome attitude the United States encountered by the Iraqi people, further demonstrates the conflict of the second reality the United States subscribed to and the true reality presented to the nation. The second reality displayed within the invasion was built off the social convention that the United States is in essence the global enforcer of law and order. This convention would become the second reality that the Iraqi people would welcome the foreign invasion of their homeland to end terrorism. The second realities of our modern world becomes apparent through the observation of public policies and sentiment, by the optic of ideology. As an ideological perspective on politics is based on questioning the motivations and reasoning behind events, bills, and policies, it is ideal for exposing the conflict a second reality faces when compared to the true reality of the world. Moreover it should be noted that second realities are not subject solely to government agencies in the traditional sense, but to non-traditional organizations such a terrorist groups. A terrorist organization which preaches anti semitism may promote a call to actions outlining discrimination against Jews, this call to action would develop into social conventions where casual anti semitism becomes accepted by the organization’s society. Lastly the social conventions of the anti semitic organization would develop into a second reality where Jews are viewed as evil, and subsequent actions by the organization to forcefully persecute Jews would be viewed as welcome by the global community, regardless of the reality that the prosecution of the Jewish faith is globally condemned. The example of the anti semitic terrorist organization demonstrates how social conventions breed second realities, realities that are only exposed through questioning the motives of an organization, as is done when individuals seek to observe politics and subsequent political events by means of ideology.
Ideology allows individuals to examine politics thoroughly, while gaining insight to the actions and reasoning that political entities present nations, communities, and societies. The critical use of ideology presents how political parties adopt political ideologies as calls to action, tools to recruit followers to a political system where social conventions are expressed and promoted, so long as they favour the current regime in power. It is these social conventions that develop into second realities accepted by entire societies and invisible to those who do not actively question choices made by political forces. Second realities that, fool believers into a false world view as was seen with the United States invasion of Iraq. Without an understanding of ideology and an application of the concepts of ideology on politics there is little depth that one is able to legitimately understand concerning the political world. Although politics is indeed inescapable, it is not beyond the individual’s ability to comprehend.
Bibliography
Green Party of Canada (2020). Facebook.
https://m.facebook.com/GreenPartyofCanada/photos/a.10150200617027244/10158056154732244/?type=3&source=48&tn=EH-R
Green Party of Canada (2021). Green Party of Canada Platform 2021. Greenparty.ca
https://www.greenparty.ca/sites/default/files/gpc_platform_en_v-02.pdf
Sangster, MJ. (2019). The Real Inconvenient Truth
ushistory.org. (2021). The Vietnam War
https://www.ushistory.org/us/55.asp
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