“both sides” is a pet peeve of mine. It is true in the sense that human nature affects both political parties, but that is not relevant to a political discussion. 

We should not forget the great advantage of having a two party political system. With only two major political parties, we can discern which is better on an issue. When we are too lazy and stupid to do so, we can use moral relativism with existential uncertainty as an excuse. Since it is impolite to draw attention to abject obtuseness, our attack on the American project stands (see society.txt). As such political attacks on decency pile up, our culture is contaminated. 

Thomas Hobbes wrote, “Life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” In his time, Hobbes promoted government as the solution. That just so happened to justify colonialism. In the vernacular today, we might express a similar sentiment as, “People are stupid.” That can be followed with a claim (that is the opposite of Hobbes): government is the problem. That just so happens to result is regulatory give-aways and tax handouts. 

In both cases, the passive voice is useful for deception. The pattern remains: presumption justifies exploitation.