The Actual Political Spectrum

LeighPatrick.com ^ | April 21, 2014 | LP Sullivan

[Leigh Patrick Sullivan]

We all are familiar with the political spectrum, that hypothetical horizontal line on which we find our ‘point’ – our personal political ideology. The principle is basic: left is liberal, right is conservative.

But while the standard spectrum is still valid as a foundation, in reality it isn’t a flat line at all.

[Still Thinking]

He has a point, although I think the "Four Way Political Quiz" better enunciates the concept and the position of a given individual. (Left vs. Right and authoritarian vs. libertarian)

I also contest his inclusion of fascism on the right. I doubt the leaders of the National Socialist German Worker's Party, for example, would be Republicans if they were around today.

[Still Thinking]

Oh sorry, didn’t realize this was from your own site. Sub “your” for “his”.

[lormand]

The model is actually spherical, with opposing poles. There is no discontinuity in the ‘lines’ as would be your parabolic model, or a linear model. That’s my personal theory however.

[PapaNew]

As Reagan said, it's not right or left, it's up or down. The problem with that graphic is it is inverted.

Small government and expansive free market enterprise takes a society UP, whereas big government takes a society DOWN, like a giant weight until they're "sleeping with the fishes."

[T-Bird45]

Pre-empting humblegunner’s imminent arrival: any reason for excerpting your own blog besides needing clicks?

[Zeneta]

I agree with your concept, however the labels “Conservative” and “Social Conservative” don’t belong on the path to Fascism.

The left in our country believe they do, those that are “Conservative” and “Social Conservative”, IMHO believe they push down the path of “Libertarian”, “Objectivism”, with possibly “Anarchy” at the extreme.

[KarlInOhio]

The original Italian fascists were a splinter from their socialist party. Mussolini was the editor of the socialist newspaper Avanti! (Forward!, hmm who had that slogan recently?). He broke from the socialist party because the socialists wanted Italy to remain out of WW I while Mussolini saw the war as a chance to "liberate" Italians living under Austro-Hungarian rule.

[Jacquerie]

I notice the limit of your participation at FreeRepublic consists of posting a link to your blog every month or so . . .

No thanks.

[Uncle Miltie]

I like cheese.

[napscoordinator]

There is a 20 percent liberal and a 20 percent conservative and everyone else is just there....somewhere in the middle. They run the United States. They are all “Kennedy” (Supreme Court). They rule the roost.

[Viennacon]

Not sure I buy it, because conservatism is not a self-contained ideology, it is a reaction to progressivism’s attempts to subvert precedent and experience. Without progressivism, there would be no conservatism, and progressivism has only been around a few hundred years, so the spectrum seems to cater to modern perceptions of politics rather than a universal.

The Founders for instance, continued sodomy statutes in the USA, Washington famously dismissed Lt. Enslin in 1778 for attempting sodomy with another soldier. Was Washington really a ‘big government’ guy? Was he a ‘social conservative’? No, this wasn’t seen as government overreach any more than laws against murder or theft. That came later with the advance of progressivism and the destruction of the institutions that used to perform roles the government could not, namely the church and family.

There was no social conservatism or liberalism at this time, you were either depraved or moral, and that was it.

[Still Thinking]

[Still Thinking]

Are you a moose? Do you have a sister? What’s your position on rabbits and pancakes?

[Zeneta]

Definitions are important.

There was a time when Liberal was conservative.

If you were for less government intrusion, you were considered Liberal.

It was in Judge Robert Bork’s book; (great book)

Slouching Towards Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline

http://www.amazon.com/Slouching-Towards-Gomorrah-Liberalism-American/dp/0060573112

Where Judge Bork, who I think was quoting Newt Gingrich, said “Conservatism, is Anarchy with Guardrails”. The guardrails being the moral character of the Judeo-Christian nature of man and our founding.

[Zeneta]

Right of Self Determination - Monty Python Holy Grail : Autonomous Collective

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8bqQ-C1PSE

[ExCTCitizen]

The Libertarian Party has a diamond shaped quiz.

[Cyber Liberty]

One of my all-time favorite MP scenes. “Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.”

[Vinylly]

I was taught that the political spectrum was not a straight line too, but really a circle. The far left extremists is basically the same as the far right extremists and they are at the same position on the circle. An example; Stalin and communism is the same position as Hitler and National Socialism. Or, Harry Reid and Obammer are in the same position as Hitler and Stalin's Socialism. The Republicans and d'Rats are probably some where along the circle depending on your political viewpoint.

[Zeneta]

This is another great MP scene.

But I think it’s where the left got off track.

Just replace “Romans” with “Capitalism”.

What have the Romans ever done for us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExWfh6sGyso