Last month, in northern China’s Inner Mongolia, there was a story of a herd of sheep roaming in circles for 12 days inside farm pens.
Sheep are notorious for mimicking the behavior of other members of their flock. This allows, among other things, to keep up with the animal in sight to avoid predators and reduce individual vulnerability.
Still, the phenomenon of walking in circles is a bit extreme, with some speculating that the sheep were suffering from listeriosis, also known as “whirl disease,” while others suspected it was some sort of hoax.
Whatever the reason, it’s a great metaphor.
“Fools don’t just follow their leader like a flock of sheep, they don’t mind being taken into the same old circle.”
Unfortunately, it has its limits. It suffers from the same weaknesses as accusations of hypocrisy thrown unceremoniously by political opponents.
We are all hypocrites at times in that we say one thing and do another. However, we tend to recognize the shortcomings of our enemies more than ourselves or our friends. is.
It’s like telling someone to drive the herd out of here.
Our side of the aisle consists of thoughtful, analytical voters who weigh issues carefully and reach reasonable conclusions. On the other side is a flock of sheep that blindly follow Party lines, no matter how overtly absurd.
Or they might be parrots that simply repeat what they’re told, or moths heading for the flames, or dogs wagging their tails, or even lemmings.
For our growth as members of the informed electorate, it would be helpful to acknowledge that we are all subject to circulating diseases from time to time, if that is really what we want. occurs for the same reason that the Chinese sheep were in a holding pattern – there are no outside influences to break the pattern. Means it has no effect.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been accused of a “political stunt” of busing illegal immigrants into New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, and other self-proclaimed “sanctuary cities.” But what he actually did was call their bluff and show the real consequences of the flood of needy newcomers, albeit on a smaller scale.
They were overwhelmed and unable to pretend to act in isolation.
The Supreme Court did the same for pro-life Republicans when it overturned Roe v. Wade. Taking a hardline stance on abortion is one thing when abortion is the law of the country and nothing can be done about it. That’s what I mean. Now there are real-world consequences that Republicans have to deal with one way or another.
I can only hope that our politicians break out of the pattern and look at the issue with a fresh perspective, a new set of questions, and a true understanding of the real world consequences. We have an obligation to make that trip ourselves.
Do the voter sheep follow the leader sheep, or do the leader sheep follow the voter? can you know?
Indiana Policy Review columnist Leo Morris is the recipient of the Hoosier Press Association’s Best Editorial Writer Award. Morris was named a finalist in editorial writing by the Pulitzer Prize Committee as his editor of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel Opinion.please contact him [email protected] send comment to [email protected]