Genetics, Environment, and Politics

Chris Mooney had an article for Mother Jones this week entitled, “Your genes tell you how to vote.” Oh really? Look I’m not a militant nature vs. nurture person. I think it is a combination of genetics and environmental factors. I’m an identical twin for god’s sake. I’ve heard it all, but we don’t share a mind, and we don’t agree politically…well any more than we do with our older sister. So I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at this article. Really, this is news now?

University of Nebraska-Lincoln political scientist John Hibbing, co-author of the book Predisposed: Liberals, Conservatives, and the Biology of Political Differences, says “The basic idea of a heritable component to political beliefs has been around for at least a quarter of a century. It’s shown up too many times, in too many different places, with too many samples. So there’s something there.”

Of course, I’m not saying there isn’t. I’ve read the new study out taking about heretical memory. The article notes some studies done on twins (identical compared to fraternal) and as usual says nothing about other siblings. Political tendencies is one of the traits that shows up as identical twins having more in common than fraternal twins. I’m not getting into the studies. I get tired of all things twin all the time. Mostly, I think these studies are looking for the results they want. For every set of identical twins raised apart that share values there are foster siblings raised together that have similar values. Or people who don't know each other that share political ideals. Pass.

The article does note that most twins have a shared environment which would account for similar views as well. The article also notes, “None of this research, to be sure, says that genes determine everything. The ‘environment’ still matters a great deal. Nonetheless, the percentage of total variation in our views attributed to genes is quite substantial.”

The body of evidence suggests that genetics are responsible for between 30 and 40 percent of political views. However, science can’t determine which genes are actually responsible, see my doubt again. One potential gene is DRD4, which is a receptor for neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. Dopamine also influences schizophrenia and Parkinson’s. This gene isn’t a “political gene”, but instead a gene with political implications in specific context.

The idea is that we inherit core dispositions of how we think the world should be run and work thus how society should be structured. The assumption then becomes people are social creatures; we form groups, and then form society. All this behavior is group-orientated and “natural.” I’m not a huge fan of the words normal and natural. Obviously, they serve a purpose particularly when looking at human development. Regardless, an example and the flaws as I see them, not scientific.

My family is blue collar democrat/liberal (though I’m much farther left than the rest of them), we have been for generations on both sides hailing from coal mines and factories. As mentioned I have an identical twin sister, we are very different aside from appearance, though through the magic of hair dye. J is far more moderate than I am (so is M our older sister). They both show more support for military operations (I say this because I’m so pro-military I think we should end the wars and bring them home), but there are notable differences in the way we approach the military. M and I believe J believed it was necessary to invade Afghanistan and Iraq. So what is different about us? Education, location, spiritual beliefs (J and I are both atheists, but M is a Christian leaning Catholic), personal environmental experiences. Now is anyone in my immediate family a conservative? No, I don’t think my father would allow that in the house so maybe someone is in the closet. I mention religion and education above because studies have been done indicating atheists and people with more formal education are more progressive and liberal than others. They also reside in the Midwest, where moderately left is one step away from dirty hippy…I’m pretty sure I’m a socialist by that metric, but here on the Eastish coast, I’m a left, but there are far more variations among political leanings on the left.

Maybe it is genetic, but maybe genetics are influenced by environment, people evolve and adapt to their conditions and then pass those adaptations to their children. I just don’t see how they can control for the assumptions and assertions they are making. Also, assertions like these can have long reaching consequences for other things like religion, education, etc. Are men genetically predisposed to being better at math and science? Or are they perceived as being better at math and science because as a society we have decided they should be and invest more in their math development? What about people of one race, ethnicity, or hailing from one location? Finally, LGBTQ, particularly the T part: born or conditioned? Obviously, I’m not comfortable with these assertions.

Movie Review: Blue State

Blue State is an critique of the activist left, and it proved a pretty direct mocking of the right. Over all I like it. I like that the activists sounded like a pompous ass sometimes, the hippies sounded absurd, and the deserters sounded like real people questioning their actions ever step of the way.

At times the film drags a little and gets a little predicable. I did really like the end, not the whole happily ever after scene with Breckin Meyer and Anna Paquin. Meyer's character learns that leaving the country isn't going to change anything, but that by running for office he can. Liberals everywhere rise up and take over Congress instead of bitching and moaning about moving to Canada, though Canada is a lovely nation to the north. The film brings up interesting arguments on both sides, liberals and conservatives. In the end neither look great. Bush does take a beating which might turn people off right away, but activists take a longer pummeling. Neither of which is undeserved.

I give it a 3.5/5, it was entertaining, but could have been better. The music was awesome though, that I'd give a 4/5.

When is High Five Day Again?

HIGH-FIVE INAUGURATION! - watch more funny videos

This is possibly the funniest thing I have seen in a long time.

Well...

So I saw this blog about how Obama and the Left are going to destroy the United States with their liberalness.  I find these arguments particularly entertaining because of the last eight years.  Actually they kind of piss me off too because these groups tend to us the fear tactic: "what if we're attacked?!?"  Well kids, on September 11, 2001 we were attacked.  A lot of people died who shouldn't have, and our nation responded.  This response consisted of civil liberties violations and a fly by the seat of your pants military response.  As a result even more people died, but many of them weren't Americans and according to this administrations actions in respect to their foreign policy those lives don't matter, which is why we should not run into military conflicts and stay in them when their is no point or reason.  

Anyway the blog I saw was posted to current.com, but it http://axisofright.com/.  I left the link here because when I first saw it I thought it said Axis of Fright, which could also be a accurate title.  

Of course I hate Palin for not having an abortion

We need to stop that woman from procreating. This actually leads me back to why I can't wrap my mind around Conservatives being against abortion after all these poor, minority women are going to give birth to poor, minority children, and if these kids make it through adolescents then they will of course vote liberal. Thus they are helping us create more liberals...but I digress.



Wonkette.com picked up this gem yesterday. According to the the National Review Liberals hate Palin for not having an abortions(I actually think this is plural, but I'm not sure than makes sense), because we all do...and of course we do. All the rest of her kids are so awesome; we don't want too many productive members of society.


As one of those liberals I would like to point out a woman's right to choose is her right, and if a woman chooses to make her child's like difficult by giving birth to it then more power to you. Most kids grow up to hate their parents anyway. My best thoughts to Trig Palin for a couple reasons: 1. his family, and 2. special needs kids face a lot of problems and they may not even know what those are yet. Some special needs kids end up living miserable lives, and I hope people don't forget that then they're talking about liberals loving abortions. That is a difficult decision to make and whatever the decision it should be respected.

I don't ususally like to rant, but...

As an adult with my own political and religious views I realize that other people have their very own thoughts and feelings on issues important to me. However, there is a place where these things should not be shoved down my throat. I am a liberal, a feminist, and a former Catholic gone Agnostic, but do you know who does not know (nor do they need to know) these things; my coworkers.

Lately, a coworker of mine has decided it is appropriate to blast Rush Limbaugh from her work space. Her work space just happens to be a file room that I have to enter numerous times during the work day/week. Just now, I walked in there and heard an interview with some ex-soldier who was a POW in the first Iraq War and he’s talking about how he was beaten and tortured etc, etc. Talk about inappropriate. Now, I’m not saying that what happened to him isn’t horrible, because it absolutely is. I believe there is nothing worse you can do to someone than strip them of their dignity and beat them senseless, but this really makes me want to leave pictures of Abu Ghraib on her desk.

I don’t mind that our beliefs do not agree (I do mind that I hear her say things like “too many liberals in the media” and so on) I really don’t. The best part of being an American (at least that idealized America that we all wish existed) is that you’re allowed free thought, speech, etc. However, the real travesty here is that my boss doesn’t seem to care that she is sitting in the file room all day listening to rants on abortion, torture, etc, and she makes no attempt to get her to listen to something (ANYTHING) else.

/end rant.

On a lighter note, I watched premiere of The Fringe last night and it was really great. My fiancé and I got a kick out of the Altered States reference and we really wanted the protagonist to come out as a monkey, but no luck. I’m interested to see where they take this show because it could quite possibly become a favorite of mine.

Also, and I realize I’m late to the game on this one, we finished watching Dead Like Me last night as well. This was a really solid series and I’m sad it got cancelled.