Idealism, Pragmatism, and Politics
Many ideas are great in theory. Communism is great in theory, but not so great in practice. On the other hand, idealists often push for change, while pragmatists often fail to acknowledge problems or fight hard enough for solutions. When designing policy, remaining pragmatic is important. I love politics, but I do not love politicians. I deeply admire the people who start social movements to fight for justice, from Jesus, to Gandhi, to Martin Luther King, Jr. Religious heretic Michael Servetus also makes the list. In order to win elections, politicians have to ingratiate themselves to the wealthy and powerful, in which I am not interested. Many of the historical figures who I admire ended up being killed for their advocacy, which is a symptom of the injustice that they were fighting. But fear should not slow the fight against injustice.