Politics Seems A Bit Like A Card Game

I grew up in a card playing family. I have so many great memories of hours spent around the kitchen or dining room table. Being included as a child was so wonderful. There was always someone who would stand beside you or behind you and be ready with advice. So many times I remember turning to someone behind me pointing to my hand and seeing a shake of their head. Usually they just waited for you to ask. It allowed the younger ones like me to try and suss it out for themselves. Games were pretty straight forward but it was good to get advice when confronted with two different scenarios, both of which seemed good. It helped with developing an understanding of the finer points to a game. Learning the intricacies came with time as well as experience. Inevitably the day came when no one stood behind you to help, but it was just a shout away to someone who wasn’t playing. The love of cards was so deep that anyone would immediately step up to help no matter what they were doing.

We were a backstabbing lot let me tell you. If someone got a little too far in the lead, everyone else would shift their strategy to take that person down. Oh we didn’t throw ourselves under the bus completely but if we could screw someone that was leading while simultaneously helping low man on the pole, we would. Strategy varied depending on who was leading. Alliances changed. The leader may still win but we did our best to keep the scores close. If we were the one leading we did our best to come out on top even if it meant annihilating everyone in our path. We played a game called “Oh Hell” that was a bidding game and often the screwing over started with the bidding. My Dad always called it “Screw your neighbour”. Which was an apt definition. In the end, no matter who won or lost, we tossed insults out freely and even after the game was over, there were claims of cheating. We were friends again though until the next game. Then it was every man for himself until we needed allies.

As I watch the world stage I am reminded of the card games we played as a family. Every day the news is filled with stories of politicians trash talking their opponents. Like cards, the ultimate goal is to win. To remain in power. Alliances change and some work may get done but ultimately it appears to me that power and winning is the goal. Campaigning isn’t about serving the needs of those who elect you. It is about promising you will do whatever is needed to get their votes. But most important it is a game of searching out the faults or past sins of your opponents. Make them look bad. And if you have to add a dose of bullshit, well so be it. I have often heard people say they won’t vote because all politicians are liars and cheats. Well I honestly think that some people get into politics because they want to change something they don’t like. Inevitably, as with anything people become comfortable in their role. They develop a sense of self importance. Makes perfect sense to me. You are in the public eye. You are perhaps involved in decisions which impact your country. Not just at home but abroad. And people treat you just a little different when you are in a position of power. There is deference bestowed on those we read about. Fame, makes us all feel just a little in awe.

As for voters they can be classified under a few predictable headings although there are many varying ideologies. Ideology according to Webster is the science of ideas. And while its philosophical origins make it rather a benign word, Napoleon did give it a more negative connotation as he used it to insult his opponents. Much like Trump did with the term woke. Makes me laugh because the modern definition of woke is actually used for someone who has developed an awareness to the social injustices of the world and is intent on righting past wrongs. Using it as an insult shows ignorance. Moving on, the world has tried to define political ideologies forever and to sort people of varying ideas into groups. While ideologies pertain to any group of ideas such as religious, philosophical and political it is essentially a way to sort and group based on commonalities. The one big draw back is people are so unique that grouping them based on a limited set of traits is kind of useless.

Let me give an example. It is no secret where I stand politically. At least how I vote. And yet during the whole covid crisis if the NDP government mandated vaccinations for all, I would have voted against the party in the next election. That is a freedom I would fight for tooth and nail. So much of what I believe in is considered very right wing. And yet, because I currently vote for a centrist Liberal party I am denounced as a Libtard. It isn’t the insult some think. I do not define myself based on the politicians I vote for. If I was to vote for the party I most identify with it would be the green party. Saying that may perhaps draw ridicule. But I am for all intents and purposes a tree hugger. But I am not an idiot. I have a piece of paper that proves it by one measure. But IQ aside, the environment is of a great concern for me. And while that party encompasses many of my priorities, I am pragmatic. So I play the game as a voter. Who represents my priorities best and also has the greater chance of winning. But also, as in cards, who I see to be the most damaging for my priorities is who I will vote against.

I am not entirely immune to political rhetoric, but I chose another art of discourse when looking at politics. And that is logic. Logic is not the same as emotion. Logic is more concerned with whether or not the argument is right or wrong. Can it be proven. Yes or no. True or false. In 2016, when my sister, who lived in the States, said she was going to vote for Trump I was shocked. But I loved her so I asked why? She said Hillary was a liar. I asked her to name one thing Hillary lied about. She couldn’t give me an answer and sputtered on about all sorts of other things. I am not saying Hillary did or did not lie. It was not germane to the conversation. The point was to see whether my sisters decision was formed through a careful delve into ideas that proved her argument. Or was it based on rhetoric from those around her? Rhetoric is used to persuade and she was persuaded. How? Heuristics. In an age where our attention spans have diminished to 30 second sound bites, people need fast and condensed information. Just the facts Jack. Heuristics takes a view point of close enough. Leave out a lot information to get a quick decision. Politically, that left out information is important. Political rhetoric is not political discourse. Important to remember.

The big difference between the family card game and the political arena is that one ends and the family continues in a peaceful co-existing form outside of the game. Politics is the game that doesn’t end and that is exhausting to most people. And so they give up. They walk away angry and refuse to play. That helps no one. Not themselves and certainly not those who need help. It is in a sense selfish to not care enough to be informed. The amount of people who vote against their own interests is amazing. I had renters who were upset when the Alberta government chose to change the flat tax to progressive. Now the renters were living on Government supported funds. Very low income. The tax changes would impact people making $100,000 more than my renters. The rhetoric was fear of higher taxes. The heuristical argument left out was that it was higher income earners that would pay more. My renters were duped. Misled. Lied to. All it takes is a little effort to fill in the blanks to make informed decisions.

The card game is about keeping things as equal as possible. At least with family. But poker is more like the political game. The agenda is to win and if not first place at least take home more than what you came with. Politics makes us think only for ourselves. A recent conversation with my niece regarding transgender individuals as well as the pronoun debate brought the conclusion that our ideas are very influenced by our backgrounds. Rural versus urban as well as exposure versus non exposure. She doesn’t really get the debate and is not in full agreement with much of the change being pushed. In her mind as long as we respect each others rights to disagree there can be peaceful discourse. To be honest, I don’t get any of it either. The difference is that I am surrounded by so many people who are a part of the 2SLGBTQI+ community. I related a story about a trans man playing in the same hockey league as my daughter. He played as a woman with friends and while transitioning was not comfortable playing with biological men. Lets face it. In southern redneck Alberta that is a hard group to break into. And as my daughter pointed out, safety is a factor. This man would not feel safe. So he plays in a old lady women’s league. While there is some push back, for the most part no one cares. My daughter Drew is very much an advocate for her community of friends within the 2SLGBTQI+ world. As she says, the world doesn’t see the courage it takes to fight for their rights and recognition. Every day of their lives.

Here is the thing. I recognize my privilege in this world. Privilege bestowed on me for no good reason. That is the crux of the issue. Understanding there are those less fortunate and choosing to use undeserved privilege to help balance the scales. Twenty years ago we had a Pastor who was very anti gay marriage. It got to the point where every Sunday there was a negative reference made and often entire sermons were devoted to the subject. We just stopped going to church until he left. It wasn’t the message I wanted for my kids. Besides, Martin Luther felt marriage was a civil union. We are Lutheran so I chose that idea. In University my son accidentally got into a class that ended up being very feminist based. He wanted to drop it and I asked about the requirements. Two papers. No exams. So easy, so why drop it? My advice was to scope out the views of the prof and write the papers from her biases. Easy mark but also a good exercise in seeing the other side. So he stayed and of course had to attend in order to read the class vibe. At one point during a discussion a young lady became very angry with my son and said “You just don’t get it!” To which he replied “Of course I don’t get it. I am a blonde blue eyed man. But I am here. I am trying!” He learned a lot in that class. It was actually a class about Canadian Women Poets. One poem did not use verbs and that was the most controversial point for him. I don’t consider myself a feminist. My daughter hates that. But I am a believer in equal rights for all. No special interest. Yet I recognize all who need to fight for their place in a world that for them is dangerous.

Politics can be a dangerous game. One we can’t walk away from. Even if life is good, it can turn upside down quickly. Just read a paper about our southern neighbours. I read a poem once that is very insightful. It is a much condensed version of a speech made by Martin Niemoller who was a German Lutheran Pastor. He was anti-communism but pro Hitler. The speech has been condensed and changed to fit the narrative of the speakers. But also according to the Holocaust Encyclopedia his speech changed every time he gave it to include various victims of the Nazi regime. What follows is from their page.

They came for the socialists, but I didn’t speak out – because I was not a socialist

They came for the trade unionists, but I didn’t speak out – because I was not a trade unionist

They came for the Jews, but I didn’t speak out – because I was not Jew

Then they came for me – and there was no one there to speak for me

I have learned a lot about the game of life over the last 64 years. I am not a poker player. But I know the rules. I prefer the comfort of the peaceful family card game but I know that family dynamics change and I am prepared for that. I will watch this political game here and everywhere because I won’t assume all is well. Just because it always was. And while fear is never a part of my narrative, caution is. And I will be looking for the tells. Because my preferred end game is where we all leave the table friends and where the game ends with a small gap between the loser and winner. Because we all played the game not to destroy others but to keep them all equal. What game are you gonna play? Because you are in it whether you want to be or not.