The Politics of Captain America!

[r0ckyreed]

I am recently awed by Captain America.  He is virtuous, caring, intelligent, and brave/courageous beyond doubt.  I would say Captain America is stage Green or Yellow.  Here is the argument scene from Captain America: Civil War.  What do you believe are Captain America's views on politics?  (What are Stark's?)

 

My Analysis

Captain America is the ideal for America.  He is humble, kind, and willing to sacrifice his own life for what he believes in.  He is also humble and selfless.  He only cares about others.  Captain America could have lifted Thor's hammer, but chose not to because he did not want to humiliate Thor.  Shows that Cap is a hero at heart.

 Captain America trusts individuals more than systems and organizations and his highest ideal seems to be freedom.  Due to his conflict with SHIELD in Winter Soldier, Cap saw how government can easily be corrupted and used to control people and control different facets of government.  Cap's experiences lead him to distrust governments because they are led by people with agendas that can change.  Government does not always value the lives of individuals, but Cap does.  Cap values the one life as much as the many, which I think makes him a deontologist. 

Cap's political views seem very Liberal to me.  In Endgame, there is a scene where he is giving Grief Counseling to a gay man.  This scene illustrates that Cap values multiculturalism.  I believe that Cap would support government involvement in healthcare, free market, environmental protection, education, etc.  Even though I believe Cap would support governmental involvement, he would only support it to the extent that government involvement is used to create more freedom.  Without government, people would enslave, destroy the environment, spread diseases, and  possibly have no education system.  I think Cap knows the importance of government, but Cap just does not favor unchecked governmental power over the collective freedoms.

 There is a difference between individual freedom and collective freedom.  Individual freedom is where each person is absolutely free to do whatever they desire, and as a result, one person's freedom can take away freedom from another.  Collective freedom is providing "freedom and justice for all."  This means that I will have to sacrifice some freedoms such as owning another person as property, respecting the property and rights of others, safer restrictions on weapons, mandatory masks in public spaces, etc. Freedom must be balanced with responsibility and consequence.

 I believe Cap is a Liberal who values the collective freedom, but when Cap saw how government was easily corrupted and controlled by Hydra, he saw that surrendering his rights to the government as a bad idea because the agendas of the government can change.  I do not believe that Cap supports anarchy, but he just wants the powers of government to be put in check and not to impose their will onto individuals.  Cap's perspective on the Sokovia Accords were that they would surrender the Avenger's right to choose and help others in need.  They would also have to give up their identities and be subject to governmental authority.  They would basically be a puppet or super soldier for the government.  Cap values his freedom, which I could see might be Libertarian, but I do believe that deep down, Cap does value a better government, not no government, but the government can change. A better government might mean that the role of government is to promote equality, freedom, and justice.  Government is not used to tell others how they should live, but to ensure and uphold the human rights for the collective.  But on the other hand, this does sound like Tony Stark's position.

The government cannot be trusted to know or decide what the best choices are for each individual, which is the point I think Cap was making.  Individual should be free to chose.  So I think Cap supports a balance of freedom and consequence.  There have to be rules that govern our behavior or our behavior will spiral out of control.  

I don't know.  These are my opinions on what I believe the politics of Cap are.  What do you all think?

 

 

Edited August 31, 2020 by r0ckyreed

[Apparition of Jack]

Captain America isn’t Green, he’s healthy Blue. It’s in his name.

[r0ckyreed]

I don’t think he is blue. He cannot be stage blue if he has surpassed stage Orange. Cap is not a conformist. He does what is right. Cap cares about the environment and the collective. Cap does not care about achieving wealth or fame (stage orange), Cap cares more about people and how to help them. Stage Blue are conformist thinkers is how I took that stage. They believe in following traditions and norms. But Cap realizes after he wakes up that he does not know what is right anymore. He is beyond blue because Cap cares more about building people up. If Cap were a real character today, I would see him supporting psychedelics, marijuana, higher environmental protection laws, etc. 

Cap fits all the characteristics of Stage Green. He does have some heavily blue values, but it is clear to me that Cap’s mind has moved beyond stage blue (conformist thinking) and stage orange (achievement, fame, money, success). Cap is respectful and considerate of different cultural perspectives which is not something that people strictly in stage blue would accept. Cap’s actions are beyond doubt stage green (higher than other avengers. Cap is considered the moral compass of avengers.). But I do see how some of his patriotic values are stage blue, but as we see him evolve throughout the movies, his Stage Green shines through his character and actions. If Cap is stage Blue, then the rest of the Avengers are stage Red? Cap seems to be in a whole other realm than the other avengers.

 

Stage Green Examples: 

Love, heart, soul, empathy, intimacy, kindness

Compassion, mercy, leniency

Humanism, liberalism, social progress

Equality: gender, race, economic

Everyone is equal

Egalitarianism/Democracy

Anti-materialist, anti-consumerist, anti-greed

Social conscience

Supporting humanitarian causes

Activism & protests

Live-and-let-live attitude

Diversity, multiculturalism

Cosmopolitanism

Flattening hierarchies

Cultural relativism

Relationships, bonding

Pacifism, peace

Finding common ground

Harmony

Human well-being

Interpersonal skills

Warm interaction, hugs

Pleasing everyone

Sensitivity

Femininity

Teamwork

Dialoguing

Sharing ideas and feelings

Mind-altering drugs

Exploring altered states of consciousness

Spirituality

Spiritual but not religious

Communal spirituality

Environment, ecology

Back to nature

Sustainability

Recycling

Human-centered, heart-centered communities

Protect the vulnerable, help the downtrodden

Redistribution of resources, level playing field

Inclusiveness, everyone gets an opportunity

Don’t exclude anyone

Tolerance

Openmindedness

Free love, intimate sex

Sex education

Cooperation vs competition

Animals, children, the disabled, minorities

Creativity, beauty, art

Gurus

Bringing people of the world together

Socialism

Crying, expressing vulnerable emotions

Intuition over logic

Right brained

Health food & exercise

[r0ckyreed]

So where do you all think Captain America would align politically?