We tend to view each other as homogenous groups in ideological lockstep, but our personal views often vary and the center is debatable. Go figure.Īccording to research by Pew and Gallup, 35% of Americans say they are conservatives, 26% are liberals, and 35% are moderates. But neo-Nazis (neo meaning a new form) gravitate to our political right, as exemplified by Arthur Jones running for Congress as a Republican in Illinois last year. In arguments about which side is home to radicals (views, practices, and policies of extreme change) and fascism (exaltation of nation and often race above individuals, with a centralized autocratic government, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition), Nazis are the most commonly thrown hot potato.Ĭommonly considered to be rightists, Nazi is a derivation of “national socialist.” Socialism (advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of production and distribution of goods) is of the left. However, moneyed elites and special interests fund both sides. America’s Congress is seated the same way with “right wing” conservative Republicans often perceived as championing the wealthy upper class and “left wing” liberal Democrats advocating for the masses. Conservative supporters of the monarchy sat to the presiding officer’s right with anti-royalist revolutionaries on the left. The designations “right” and “left” originated with France’s National Assembly while it drafted a constitution in 1789.
(Libertarians are generally regarded as stringent conservatives who emphasize the supremacy of individualism.) (For the sake of this exercise, I chose Merriam-Webster, “America’s most-trusted online dictionary.”)Ĭonservative: An adherent of traditional methods, views, or conditions a political philosophy based on social stability, established institutions, gradual development, lower taxes, limited government regulation of business and investing, strong national defense, and individual financial responsibility for personal needs such as retirement income or health-care coverage. So, I present for your consideration the following definitions of common political terms. I assumed my mix of views made me a centrist or moderate. What you think tends to depend on where you stand along the political spectrum. During my three years of cranking out this weekly screed, various readers have branded me a leftist (“the Poughkeepsie Journal’s pet propagandist” is my personal favorite), a rightist whitewasher, a totalitarian and refreshingly unbiased.
0 kommentar(er)
