Can Politics Really Run On Love?
I don’t really believe in politics. That we accept the false pretense of a bipartisan, dualistic system is an insult to human nature. Mark Passio, researcher, speaker, and self-proclaimed anarchist has even said of politics that it is a dialectic set up to keep people in opposition with themselves. Jeanne Floresca, author, minister, and healer recently challenged her community of social media followers, asking: “Since we already know what politicizing fear does, let’s imagine what would happen when we politicize love. What if love was considered as a real and relevant position that we should consider when we deal with serious issues like politics?” Floresca believes that many are tired of learning about life through fear. “Many are ready for a new way of being and this shift in consciousness will have people seeing things differently -- one of which will be love as a political idea gaining traction,” she says. “When you think about it, politicians are supposed to act for the good of the people — and good and love go hand in hand.”In her recently released book, The Politics of Love: A Handbook for a New American Revolution, activist, author, and 2020 presidential candidate, Marianne Williamson writes: “A politics of love is one in which we address the psychological and emotional wounds underlying our political realities and seek to heal them in meaningful ways.”On the debate stage, Williamson’s ideas often stand juxtaposed against the typical political landscape -- her ideas often bashed by fellow political candidates (ironically, the same ones who are out trying to better the world themselves).
When we listen to people slandering one another who then expect us to pluck one of them out as the best and brightest to stand as our leader, we’re not choosing anyone out of love, we’re simply choosing the lesser of evils.
This is cognitive dissonance 101 -- and the system is broken. Our candidates need to ask themselves (and each other) how more love in politics would affect policies and trade? How would it help resolve disparities in education and issues on immigration and the environment? How would it guide politicians in resolving conflict? Love is neither Democratic nor Republican, it is an inclusive message that the idea of bipartisanism is an illusion. According to Williamson, “It’s the idea that by committing to love, we will make a meaningful contribution to the joyful, fierce, and disruptive energies that are rising at this critical point in time.”It is time we create something new to dissolve political patterns that no longer serve through love. It is paramount that we dissect the underlying causes of how we allowed ourselves to get to where we are now. Something needs to change -- and that starts with love.Christine Dionese, co-founder of flavor ID is an integrative, epigenetic health and food therapy specialist, as well as a wellness, lifestyle, and food writer. She has dedicated her career to helping others understand the science of happiness and its powerful effects on everyday human health by harnessing the power of the epigenetic landscape. Christine lives, works, and plays in Southern California with her daughter and husband. Her fullest produced podcast, Well Examined explores the depths of personalized wellness and sovereignty for modern living.
