Agreeing with Sir Keir Starmer that “peace only comes through strength” – as he told the Labour conference in Glasgow – doesn’t make you a warmonger.
Nor does saying the UK and Europe must do more for our defence and security.
Agreeing with Donald Trump that men have no place competing in women’s sports doesn’t make you a trans bigot.
Agreeing with Kemi Badenoch, and even Nigel Farage, that an open-doors immigration policy is unsustainable doesn’t make you a racist.
And agreeing with John Swinney that Scotland has the right to choose to be an independent country if it democratically decides that at the ballot box doesn’t make you a narrow-minded nationalist.
It’s an unusual concept for some zealots but it’s possible to agree occasionally with folk whom you may have little in common with in other areas.
But in our increasingly fractured society, we’re too often herded towards the view that we should tow rigid party lines.
‘Silos of groupthink’
Independence of thinking – where folk assess an issue and arrive at a view which doesn’t meet with the approval of the current dogma on the matter – is frowned upon and regarded with suspicion and often outright hostility.
All of this is driving us into silos of groupthink where the ability to reason and decide for ourselves is under attack.
There’s an increasing hostility to views which differ from the herd mentality.
Those folk unable to think for themselves regard those who can and do as enemies and put their own often wild and unhinged interpretations on what those of independent mind actually think.
Social media has allowed this divisive mentality to flourish but mainstream media and politics can’t escape criticism either.
I had a long conversation with someone at the weekend who is contemplating standing for Reform at the next Scottish election.
This individual is deeply religious, compassionate and kind towards the most marginalised in society, and doesn’t seek personal gain or advancement.
Like many politically homeless folk, she is deeply sceptical of the broken promises of the main political parties.
Yet listening to the prime minister at the weekend in his speech describe Reform as hard right, I couldn’t help but think perhaps it would be better if he came down from his lofty perch and met folk like this woman.
That though would require suspending the straight jacket of narrow party thinking to hear and debate alternative opinions.
‘Swinney tying himself in knots’
The PM has flip-flopped on so many things that it’s little wonder the Labour Party are distrusted.
So too listening to the hypocrisy of the current Tory leader talking tough on immigration when she was a member of the government which, after 14 years in power, saw it increase exponentially.
Similarly, it was excruciating watching John Swinney tie himself in knots in misunderstanding the actual law of the land, as he struggled to coherently answer questions on whether men should be allowed to share women’s changing facilities at work.
And that came only days after his Health Minister Neil Gray, after claiming he couldn’t comment on the Sandie Peggie tribunal because it was ongoing, then in the very next breath pledged his full support to NHS Fife.
This is a health board that has tied itself in knots over a farrago which has captured worldwide attention.
We have a political class unable to accept there are views which need to be debated and defeated by strength of argument rather than vitriolic assassination as right wing or fascist, or whatever insults they can conjure up rather than serious intellectual arguments.
As a result, the rise of the likes of Reform and others who are challenging the status quo is guaranteed.
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