One mans opinion of Left v. Right
 

"While the right wants to reward beneficial choices and discourage destructive directions, the left seeks to eliminate or reduce the impact of the disadvantages that result from bad decisions. In place of the conservative emphasis on accountability, the left proffers a gospel of indiscriminate compassion".



http://townhall.com/columnists/Micha...g_lifes_losers

Waaay more heat than light

I think it is important to discriminate between the social and the economic left and right.
You can be socialy right wing, yet economicaly left wing or vice-versa.

this text does not make that discresion.

dangit, I started laughing

Ya know Letum I used to make the same distinction between social and economic.
I then started to research the social activision which I thought was morally correct and didn't affect me economically. What I found was that huge economic insitutions have grown around the social morals which I found important. Much of the good I thought was being done was wasted upon extravagance and waste. The Red Cross, after 9/11, and how it used the contributions is but one example.

I have been been convinced, by my research, that social and economic ideals cannot be seperated. Although I am often saddened by the plight of the unfortunate, I cannot in good conscience condem those who are in a better position both socially and economically.

How about Stalin and Hitler?

Both where socialy authoritarian (on the right), however whilst Stalin was on the economic left, Hitler was mainly on the economic right wing.

Both were dictatorial. I will not base any difference between conservative or liberal based upon either of those regimes. I hope you are of the same mind.

Yeah, it's usually a good idea to keep Joe & Adolf out of political arguments.

But, to show the difference between economic theory and social policy, they're not bad. Both, as you said, dictatorial. An authoritarian social model, where all power is in one man. Yet regarding economics, Stalin was a lot further along to the left than Hitler.

Thinking of present day politics, observe the difference between social liberalism and economic liberalism.

most of this is semantics anyway, country-specific semantics. a blasphemy/heresy hobbyhorse for the century. bleh.

Oh sure they where both socially right wing and dictatorial, but whilst Stalin had a broadly pro-centralisation, anti-capital, economically left wing ideals; Hitler had a broadly anti-centralisation, anti-tax, pro-business economically right wing ideals.

In this way their social and economic left/right tendencies where separate.

I use Hitler and Stalin as they are extreme examples that make the point stark and clear.

He's right, they are bad examples. They only used those economic systems because they were the prevailing ones in the nations they meant to rule at the time. I seriously doubt either truely believed in them.

Prahaps they where not the best examples, but it is hard to think of clear cut, yet not obscure examples.

BTW....I doubt any leading polotician belives in any economic system that is not the prevailing one! ;)

[quote=Letum]
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Both were socially leftwing and dicatorial. Much like Fidel Castro's government of today.

Are you nuts?
Hitler belived in:

• Individualism over collectivism.
• Racism or racial segregation over racial tolerance.
• Eugenics over freedom of reproduction.
• Merit over equality.
• Competition over cooperation.
• Power politics and militarism over pacifism.
• One-person rule or self-rule over democracy.
• Capitalism over Marxism.
• Realism over idealism.
• Nationalism over internationalism.
• Exclusiveness over inclusiveness.
• Gun ownership over gun control
• Common sense over theory or science.
• Pragmatism over principle.
• Religion over secularism.

All of these are highly right wing traits!

Tomorrow you will be bolding the other side because it suits you politically. Either way socialism/communism doesn't work.

Wow.