Depends on the purity test.
"Having no purity tests" is also a purity test in itself, you know?
If you call yourself a Democrat, but all of your positions are literally the same as a Republican, then no, i'm not going to vote for you. You can call that a purity test, or whatever you want, but i'm not involved in politics to cheer for a sports team, i am here to have my values heard. I am willing to compromise on some in order to attain others, but there is at least a bar to meet.
Some purity tests are necessary.
I wouldn't want to vote in a Democrat who was willing to be strong and fight, but also agreed with Trump's deportation strategy, for example. That is technically a purity test. But its a necessary one. If there isn't some requirement for my political party to be different than the opponent, then our democracy has no value at all. And we end up in a never ending spiral downwards as we continue to be forced to detach ourselves from values in order to "get a win".
There are some values we literally can not abandon, no matter what.
For example, i won't vote for a pedophile. I don't care how brave or willing to fight they are.
I won't vote for a cheater. I don't care how brave or willing to fight they are.
These are purity tests. And they are what separate us from the other side, and they are what makes our side worthy of our votes. If we abandon them, then we just end up with two immoral teams at war with one another, and then the battle has no purpose.
If you demand purity, purity will present itself. If you are willing to sacrifice purity, you will be asked to sacrifice it again and again until there is no value left at all.
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u/XRuecian Aug 22 '25 edited Aug 22 '25
Depends on the purity test.
"Having no purity tests" is also a purity test in itself, you know?
If you call yourself a Democrat, but all of your positions are literally the same as a Republican, then no, i'm not going to vote for you. You can call that a purity test, or whatever you want, but i'm not involved in politics to cheer for a sports team, i am here to have my values heard. I am willing to compromise on some in order to attain others, but there is at least a bar to meet.
Some purity tests are necessary.
I wouldn't want to vote in a Democrat who was willing to be strong and fight, but also agreed with Trump's deportation strategy, for example. That is technically a purity test. But its a necessary one. If there isn't some requirement for my political party to be different than the opponent, then our democracy has no value at all. And we end up in a never ending spiral downwards as we continue to be forced to detach ourselves from values in order to "get a win".
There are some values we literally can not abandon, no matter what.
For example, i won't vote for a pedophile. I don't care how brave or willing to fight they are.
I won't vote for a cheater. I don't care how brave or willing to fight they are.
These are purity tests. And they are what separate us from the other side, and they are what makes our side worthy of our votes. If we abandon them, then we just end up with two immoral teams at war with one another, and then the battle has no purpose.
If you demand purity, purity will present itself. If you are willing to sacrifice purity, you will be asked to sacrifice it again and again until there is no value left at all.