Right vs Left: The Power, Symbolism, and Political Divide

When we think of the word right, the connotations are many.

Most people are right-handed, so much so that at one point in time, left-handed individuals were forced to perform the unnatural task of writing with the wrong hand. Most of what is made is made for those who are right-handed. Being left-handed is regarded as a disability rather than a difference.

The right hand is used to describe the favourable side of God.

“I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10.

Jesus is said to sit on the right-hand side of God. “You have said it yourself,” Jesus answered. “But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

It’s therefore easy to conclude why we use the phrase ‘right-hand man.’ It describes a place of favour and honour. And, in the final judgment, those who are deemed worthy of a heavenly afterlife are placed on the right-hand side of God, while those hell-bound souls are damned to the left.

“All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.” — Matthew 25:31.

In a court of law, with your left hand on the bible, you hold up your right hand and swear to tell the truth. The oath-swearer aligns themselves with the truth, which is always the right thing to do.

Branding

Historically, a convicted criminal shown leniency by the court was given a brand on their right hand. T for theft, F for felon, and M for murder. Should they re-offend, they were ordered to raise their right hand and expose the brand.

While the origin of this practice of raising the right hand precedes this example, there is no doubt that the right hand is favoured because of its symbolic association with righteousness. When one is sworn into office, the right hand is raised. The symbolism here relates to one’s commitment to use the position for good and not evil.

In these examples, it’s easy to see how the right hand is identified with judgment, power, truth, honour, and righteousness.

Conversely, the right also has negative connotations. When we use the aphorism ‘might is right,’ the implication is that those in powerful positions can impose their sense of what is right and wrong. This concept of what is right is often how totalitarian regimes operate. The ruling elite gets to determine what constitutes the right way of doing things only because they have the means to bully the rest of us into doing it.

We see this form of coercion also associated with right-wingers, those who advocate fascism. It’s part of our everyday news these days to hear of how the extreme right is garnering support throughout the world. What follows the extreme right is a whittling down of personal freedoms, sectarianism, misogyny, xenophobia, and a general drive to cull any movement towards diversity.

We see this trend in the rise of neo-fascists in this country. What was once deemed as evil, the wearing of Nazi regalia, is coming into fashion again.

Neo-Nazis

Recently in Nashville, Neo-Nazis have taken to the streets to promote their anti-Semitic ideology. Their hateful rhetoric is laced with venom towards gays, immigrants, and Jews. Their blatant white power agenda has been, to some degree, bolstered by Republican changes to the state legislature; legal changes that have curbed the rights of LBGTQ+ and transgendered groups. Such changes allow the neo-Nazis to see the Republican Party as their ally.

This movement towards the far right is no surprise. Since Republicans sold their soul to the Orange man with the fake tan, it has opened the door to violent extremism. Now, it has become a party that cow-tows to the despicable policies of tyranny.

When it comes down to being ‘on the right side of history,’ sadly this growing trend towards a dictatorship can never be right. The characteristics of the MAGA movement are quite clearly cultist in nature. The unquestioning loyalty to a man whose sole concern is saving his own skin and avoiding jail time is mindless. Republicans have chosen to mask their true intentions with slogans. Time after time, they repeat idiotic statements that have as much substance as foam on a latte.

Their Orange leader lies repeatedly and they embrace it as truth. His corrupt behaviour is tolerated and excused. They fear confronting him for fear of losing support.

Is this the sort of government we should have running the country? Can we allow a man who consistently lies to the American people to become President? I believe we can. It has happened before. The same man who advocated drinking bleach as a means of curing COVID may have all his MAGA people drink the Kool-Aid as a show of loyalty.

Learning from History

If we learn anything from history, I hope it’s not repeating the same mistake twice. For years, he has managed to hoodwink his base, and like the dodgy salesman, sold them snake poison to cure their ills. His alignment with the extreme right should cause us to shudder, but it hasn’t. Throughout his political career, he has demonstrated how deviousness and corruption are reputable characteristics for a President.

We now have the chance to be right, meaning not the sort of right that this man emulates. Let’s be on the other side of his right. Let’s be on the left side. The side, he demonizes as socialism. The side that aims to look after social care and welfare.

Kamala Harris is on his wrong side, but it’s the side that will protect the rights of all citizens. It’s the side that will protect your Social Security and is not aimed towards lining the pockets of the wealthy.

I want to be as far from his right side as possible. He is the antithesis of all that Christianity espouses. There is no honour, no fairness, or truth in anything he says. I would see it as true justice if the convicted criminal who has used and abused women comes to heel in the next election to Kamala Harris.