Monty Python on How to Be A Partisan

image
Published: 10 Aug, 2017
Updated: 17 Oct, 2022
1 min read

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y

We've all seen it: a news network will convene a panel of pundits from opposing political parties to discuss an issue.

Five minutes later, the entire conversation has devolved into the pundits yelling over each other, with arguments deteriorating into such intellectually-devoid statements as “yes they did!” and “no they didn’t!”

We’ve also seen the two political parties change their stances on several topics.

For example, the individual mandate in healthcare originated at the conservative Heritage foundation, and was featured in a bipartisan bill in 2007. In addition, 2008 candidate Barack Obama opposed it, but it later became the cornerstone of Obamacare.

Without realizing the two parties have held similar beliefs at some point in their history, pundits often avoid discussing the nuances of their current positions and instead turn conversations into arguments, often for arguments’ sake...which reminded me of a Monty Python skit.

Latest articles

10 reasons nothing ever gets done on the border
10 Reasons Nothing Ever Gets Done on the Border Crisis
ICE raids, Los Angeles riots, “No King” protests. It’s all people can talk about these days as immigration is front and center in the American social and political zeitgeist. For many voters, this all may seem familiar....
13 Jun, 2025
-
11 min read
I voted sticker being put on someone.
Republican Joins Democrats in Maine to Give Voters More Choice
Showing an independent streak in keeping with Maine’s political tradition, Sen. Rick Bennett (R–Oxford) broke ranks with his party this week to join 91 Democrats in supporting a bill that would finally fulfill the will of Maine voters: implementing ranked choice voting (RCV) in all state general elections....
13 Jun, 2025
-
7 min read
How It Really Works Health Care Behind Bars
Health Care Behind Bars - How It Really Works
The health care crisis behind bars affects two distinct but deeply connected groups: incarcerated individuals and correctional officers. While incarcerated people are constitutionally entitled to care, access remains inconsistent, and most enter custody with significant medical and mental health needs. They face higher rates of chronic illness, infectious disease, and psychiatric conditions than the general public....
12 Jun, 2025
-
20 min read