To explain where I’m coming from I want to state at the outset that I regard myself as an ‘empath’. (I can be compassionate almost to the point of letting people take advantage of me — although naturally I try to be on guard against such, as all empaths should be.) I try to envision a world where people share and look out for each other. ^[1] I would prefer, at least in many respects, a cooperative society based on mutual aid and sharing to the endlessly competitive and profit- and money or market-driven one that we live in. But leftist politics, regardless of what flavour or political party it is presented in — whether Marxist or Leninist or social democrat or Labour or whatever — is not the route or gateway to such a society. And in this article I will try to explain why.

You need to understand that politicians and other state-allied influencers (e.g. radio hosts, etc.) will exploit your compassion, empathy and good nature for their purposes or the goals of the state. You will be hoodwinked, seduced or cajoled in to offering up your time, energy, money, attention, allegiance, etc. to causes which — although they seem honorable, noble, sensible, moral and even ‘empathetic’ on the surface — are almost anything but.

You’ll be asked to sacrifice part of yourself for a vague and nebulous version of the ‘common good’ — and called a conspiracy theorist if you question the logic, sanity, morality or true motivation of programs and policies which are purportedly aimed at increasing or defending this ‘common good’.

At the beginning of this article I mentioned that empaths should guard against people who would take advantage of their compassionate and generous nature. And do you know one class of people that is prone to taking such advantage? Politicans.

You need to understand that even if a politician is well-intentioned and enters politics for the ‘right reasons’ (which in itself is a long shot), they are confronted on an almost daily basis with the minutiae of a wide range of problems from such different aspects of life and society that — even if they lived several lifetimes — they could barely understand these problems fully let alone solve them.

You need to understand that bureaucrats — even if they are well-intentioned — don’t understand the details of your living circumstances or that of those close to you or even the circumstances of your wider community. So why would you allow or expect them to enact policies or regulations which dictate ‘how things should be done’ to improve said circumstances?

By delegating the responsibility for problem-solving to your local politicians or representatives all you are doing is setting up a single point of failure for the hundreds or thousands of people in your community.

You need to mentally shield or steel yourself against the propaganda of the ‘health care’ cult and realize that — by and large (I concede there are exceptions) — our health is primarily our own responsibility. Messaging around ‘health care’ is possibly the most insidious and nefarious of all the rhetoric coming from the political left.

You need to ask: despite the billions of euro spent every year on ‘health care’ in this country (Ireland) are health outcomes really improving?

Aspirants to political office know that talk about ‘caring for the sick and vulnerable’ is a univerally-proven way to tug at people’s heart strings and that campaigning on a promise to deliver such ‘care’ is a potential ticket to a political career.

You need to ask: Why, if Government is so concerned about the housing crisis and the plight of those struggling to find a home, is it not talking about the land problem? Why is the fact that the majority of land in this country (at least in the South) has been essentially ‘confiscated’ seldom if ever raised?

You need to ask: Again, if our policy makers (ostensibly concerned about the ‘common good’) are so concerned that everyone should have a roof over their heads, why do they threaten to incarcerate people who ‘take matters in to their own hands’ and don’t wait for permission to build their own homes? (I’m referring here to people who have built homes and cabins on their own land only to be threatened with imprisonment shortly after.)

You need to skeptical when you hear people talking about ‘equality’ (or using the related term ‘equity’). There are different kinds of ‘equality’ — equality of outcome, equality of opportunity, and equality in the exercise of our natural rights.

The idea of ‘equality of outcome’ is completely wrongheaded but is often the very type of ‘equality’ that leftist politicians and supporters propose and embrace. People have different abilities and preferences; equality of outcome could only ever be accomplished by violating people’s rights, free will and desire for self-determination on a grand scale. And you can be almost certain that many of the people who sanction or condone such violence will reserve a ‘more than equal share’ for themselves.

Calling for ‘equality of opportunity’ is only valid and moral if it doesn’t involve violation of rights. You have to ask: how will these opportunities be provided? Who will provide them? And what if someone doesn’t want to provide them? Are you going to hold a gun to their head (whether literally or metaphorically) to force them to do so? Does a society which condones such violent force sound peaceful and moral to you?

The only type of ‘equality’ that is universally valid and tenable is equality in the exercise of natural rights. (The term 'rights', in this context, simply refers to actions that cause no harm to other sentient beings.) ^[2]

You need to understand the character of many self-identified leftists. Unlike genuine empaths these people are quite low on compassion but are fervent advocates of control (typically via the state). Although they regularly prate on about ‘equality’ and ‘access to vital services’ they are not necessarily all that interested in helping people directly (especially if it involves personal sacrifices). To be frank, they are often narrow-minded, deeply unpleasant, deeply un-caring and when-the-occasion-arises vicious characters.

They support ostensibly noble social causes and Government programs not because they are genuinely or deeply concerned about the suffering of human beings but because these programs subsidize their careers and livelihoods (e.g. in ‘health care’ or as ‘artists’ who live on Government grant money while conveying (ostensibly) important messages through their ‘art’) and consolidate their comfortable position within the state machinery.

Before you embrace leftist causes or get involved in leftist politics or jump on the next ideological bandwagon driven by leftist organizations, maybe examine more closely who you’d be ‘getting in to bed with’. Although they might ramble on about the ‘greater good’ their actions, when examined properly, are almost entirely self-serving.

You need to practice voluntary mutual aid amongst people you know or who share your values. I invite you, if you are really interested in expanding your outlook, to read about and explore the idea of a ‘gift economy’ (one form of voluntary mutual aid). You need to start exercising your imagination in figuring out ways to do this.

In summary, I suggest to divorce yourself from the political left.