Political spectrum, The Fuzzy Left and Right

.

Left and right wing is a fuzzy concept that leads to confusion.

We get the concept of right and left wing politics from where the political parties sit; on the left or right.

In one nation the left may be to the right of the right in another nation. In fact the right in America is where the left used to be, in many ways John Kennedy was more conservative than George Bush II.

Is there a better way to define political position?

Yeppers. We will present a quick and easy idea.

Sadly any continuum is going to have a left and right end. We will avoid the standard labels that confuse -- liberal, conservative, socialist, fascist, moderate, etc.

Government --- <= - => ---- Individual
in control ----- <= - => ---- in control
_l______________________________l_
Totalitarian ---- <= - = >----laissez faire

To the left you have bureaucrats in government making decisions for everyone; personal initiative is discouraged if not banned. "When the government's boot is on your throat, whether it is a left boot or a right boot is of no consequence." - Gary Lloyd

If you must use descriptive terms of direction; put both socialist and fascist toward the left; laissez faire and anarcho-capitalist to the right.

"Political tags - such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth - are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire." - Robert Heinlein

To the right you have individuals making decisions about their own lives. The only use for government may be to control those that would impose their will on others. "A little government and a little luck are necessary in life, but only a fool trusts either of them." -- P. J. O'Rourke

The world is changing as technology empowers the individual.

Totalitarian governments have been the historic norm. Most political parties in most countries today are on the left side of the scale, many to the far totalitarian left. "Bureaucracy is a giant mechanism operated by pygmies." - Balzac

What may be most important for you is the direction of a country's government.

Organizations that derived their power from large economies of scale are collapsing under the individual's power of choice. Those willing to take responsibility for their own lives are finding many new lifestyle options. This is once again shifting the equation to the liberty enhancing right.

"Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others?" - Thomas Jefferson

(USA citizens, look here)

Take some time to think of what this may mean to your own personal future.

.