[ek_hornbeck]

I think one counterexample easily shows that Left vs. Right is a little more complicated than a spectrum of extreme collectivism to extreme individualism. If you ask a conservative vs. a liberal "are you willing to fight and die for your country," who is more likely to honestly say "yes"? The conservative. Yet what can be less "individualistic" and more collectivist than sacrificing your life, or that of friends and loved ones, for the good of your country?

Everyone has both an individual identity and a collective/group identity. The difference between left and right is often what you attach your group identity to.

[oldbrowser]

If you ask a conservative vs. a liberal "are you willing to fight and die for your country," who is more likely to honestly say "yes"? The conservative. Yet what can be less "individualistic" and more collectivist than sacrificing your life, or that of friends and loved ones, for the good of your country?

In order to have a country, you have to have an agreement among the membership.

T difference between the collectivist and the individuals is that the individual believes that the collectivism is a necessary evil and should only be used when absolutely necessary

Collectivists believe that individualism is a necessary evil that should be kept to the absolute minimum and collectivism is always the preferred system.