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Rosen: Long live the differences (Right vs. Left)
Rocky Mountain News column ^ | March 25th, 2005 | Mike Rosen

Posted on 03/25/2005 1:39:16 AM PST by ajolympian2004

Some people believe that all social problems have solutions; other people believe that some problems cannot be solved, only mitigated, and that public policy is a matter of trade-offs. People in the leftist camp tend to fall into the first category, those on the right, in the latter.

In the Political Junkie Handbook, Michael Crane offers a provocative listing of "100+ Differences Between the Left and Right." Here's a sampling with some embellishments and additions:

Left: Human rights are more important than property rights. Right: Property rights are the foundation of all rights.

Left: Karl Marx. Right: Adam Smith.

Left: Humanity. Right: Individuality.

Left: Quotas. Right: Merit.

Left: A fair and living wage. Right: Wages must be based on productivity.

Left: Protectionism. Right: Free trade.

Left: Wage and price controls. Right: Supply and demand.

Left: Regulate. Right: Deregulate.

Left: Coercion. Right: Volunteerism.

Left: Idealism. Right: Common sense.

Left: Counterculture. Right: Judeo-Christian tradition.

Left: Feminize men/masculinize women. Right: Men and women are equals on opposite poles.

Left: Boys and girls are the same, except girls are better. Right: Respect the differences between the sexes.

Left: Herstory. Right: History.

Left: Nurture. Right: Nature.

Left: Mass transit. Right: Automobiles.

Left: Marijuana. Right: Cigars.

Left: Welfare. Right: Charity.

Left: Differently abled. Right: Handicapped.

Left: Visualize peace. Right: Peace through strength.

Left: Feelings. Right: Thoughts.

Left: Centralization and government planning. Right: Decentralization and free enterprise.

Left: Cooperation. Right: Competition.

Left: Alec Baldwin. Right: Charlton Heston.

Left: Alger Hiss. Right: Whittaker Chambers.

Left: John Maynard Keynes. Right: Frederich Hayek.

Left: John Kenneth Galbraith. Right: Milton Friedman.

Left: Jean Jacques Rousseau. Right: Edmund Burke.

Left: Gore Vidal. Right: William F. Buckley Jr.

Left: Michael Moore. Right: George W. Bush.

Left: 2+2 = whatever. Right: 2+2 = 4.

Left: Public schools as laboratories for social engineering. Right: Basic and rigorous academics.

Left: Government school monopoly. Right: Choice and competition.

Left: Veggie soyburgers. Right: McDonald's.

Left: Granola. Right: Wheaties.

Left: Communes. Right: Gated communities.

Left: Mom & Pop's Organic Food Emporium. Right: Wal-Mart.

Left: Boulder. Right: Mayberry, RFD.

Left: Sandals. Right: Wingtips.

Left: Ward Churchill. Right: Bill Bennett.

Left: Hunter S. Thompson. Right: Thomas Wolfe.

Left: Demonstrators. Right: Cops.

Left: Pacifists. Right: Marines.

Left: Takers. Right: Doers.

Left: Tax receivers. Right: Taxpayers.

Left: There is too much inequality of wealth. Right: Free people not equal; equal people are not free.

Left: Redistribute wealth. Right: Create wealth.

Left: Equality of outcome. Right: Equality of opportunity.

Left: Security seeking. Right: Risk taking.

Left: Labor unions. Right: Right to work.

Left: A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. Right: Mankind is the pinnacle of creation.

Left: Environmental purity. Right: Environmental/commercial trade-offs.

Left: Windmills. Right: Nuclear power plants.

Left: Bicycles. Right: SUVs.

Left: Volvo. Right: Lexus.

Left: Self-esteem is an entitlement. Right: Self-esteem is earned.

Left: Al Franken. Right: Rush Limbaugh.

Left: Capital punishment is uncivilized. Right: Murder is uncivilized.

Left: World government. Right: U.S. constitution.

Left: Foreign aid. Right: Foreign investment.

As Ayn Rand once observed, if your differences appear to be irreconcilable, the first thing you should do is check your premises.

Mike Rosen's radio show airs daily from 9 a.m. to noon on 850 KOA.


TOPICS: Editorial
KEYWORDS: conservative; koa; left; liberal; mikerosen; right; rosen
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My addition to this list is:

Left: Open Space. Right: Golf Courses

1 posted on 03/25/2005 1:39:17 AM PST by ajolympian2004
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To: ajolympian2004
Right: Property rights are the foundation of all rights.

Say what? Property rights ain't worth squat without the right to life.

2 posted on 03/25/2005 1:42:28 AM PST by thoughtomator (Terri Schiavo, murdered by court order. Who's next? Maybe you!)
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To: ajolympian2004
Left:Hate

Right:God

3 posted on 03/25/2005 1:59:14 AM PST by Deetes (Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick)
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To: Deetes
Left:Hate

Right:God

Ditto on that. Hate is the foundation of quicksand on which the left bases everything else in their world of darkness.

4 posted on 03/25/2005 2:02:24 AM PST by ajolympian2004
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To: ajolympian2004
left: violent revolution
right: peaceful transition

left: we support Hitler on euthanasia
right: we oppose both

5 posted on 03/25/2005 2:24:29 AM PST by William of Orange (The Terri Schiavo case: democrats ask themselves, what would Hitler do?)
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To: thoughtomator

"Say what? Property rights ain't worth squat without the right to life."


And there is no true right to life without property rights!


6 posted on 03/25/2005 2:52:44 AM PST by RipSawyer ("Embed" Michael Moore with the 82nd airborne.)
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To: RipSawyer

How exactly is the right to life predicated on property rights? The other way around is easy - dead men haven't much use for property.


7 posted on 03/25/2005 3:03:38 AM PST by thoughtomator (Terri Schiavo, murdered by court order. Who's next? Maybe you!)
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To: ajolympian2004

Someone send this list to our elected majority in DC and ask them to please follow the "right" descriptions.


8 posted on 03/25/2005 3:07:18 AM PST by WhiteGuy ("a taxpayer dollar must be spent wisely, or not at all" - GW BUSH </sarcasm>)
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To: WhiteGuy
Someone send this list to our elected majority in DC and ask them to please follow the "right" descriptions.

This list is an excellent litmus test next time you are considering a candidate in a primary near you. I view this list as RINO prevention if used at the right moment during an election cycle.

9 posted on 03/25/2005 3:11:15 AM PST by ajolympian2004
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To: thoughtomator

Your life is YOUR property or does it belong to the state?


10 posted on 03/25/2005 3:13:59 AM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: tet68

Life is not property, period. In the only sense that life might be construed to be property, it is the property of the Creator.


11 posted on 03/25/2005 3:18:49 AM PST by thoughtomator (Terri Schiavo, murdered by court order. Who's next? Maybe you!)
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To: ajolympian2004
Excellent Post. However, did Michael Crane leave out all cultural issues. My additions.

Left: Pro-Abortion. Right: Pro-Life

Left: Partial Birth Abortion - Excellent. Right: it's evil

Left: Minorities stupid - must control. Right: Will
succeed if given proper tools, i.e. good education.

Left: Terri Shiavo - Kill. Right: Terri - nurture

Left: Terrorist - must understand. Right - Find and Kill

Left: Teenage Abortion - Secret State decision. Right: Need Parents.

Left: State supported homosexual marriage. Right:
marriage - one man and one woman.

Left: Expunge all Religion from Public square. Right:
Religion can be freely expressed

Left: Armed citizens can't be trusted. Right: Supports 2nd amendment.

Godspeed, The Dilg
12 posted on 03/25/2005 3:19:14 AM PST by thedilg
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To: ajolympian2004

"This list is an excellent litmus test next time you are considering a candidate in a primary near you. I view this list as RINO prevention if used at the right moment during an election cycle."

Excellent idea!

I wouldn't limit it's use to only a primary though...........

Notice must be served that no candidate gets a pass.........


13 posted on 03/25/2005 3:25:30 AM PST by WhiteGuy ("a taxpayer dollar must be spent wisely, or not at all" - GW BUSH </sarcasm>)
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To: ajolympian2004
Left: Human rights are more important than property rights. Right: Property rights are the foundation of all rights.

Left: A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. Right: Mankind is the pinnacle of creation.

These two statements (on the left side) are incompatible. I would say that the left doesn't care about human rights, except under very narrowly defined circumstances. For instance, a vicious killer has all kinds of rights and elicits all kinds of sympathy from the left, but his innocent victims have neither rights nor sympathy.

14 posted on 03/25/2005 4:46:27 AM PST by exDemMom (Euthanasia, NO WAY. Youth in Asia, OF COURSE.)
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To: thoughtomator
"How exactly is the right to life predicated on property rights? The other way around is easy - dead men haven't much use for property."

Amd without property rights, man can't earn the wherewithal to STAY alive. The two are co-equal and both necessary.

15 posted on 03/25/2005 4:49:24 AM PST by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel)
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To: Wonder Warthog

That's a solid explanation, thanks.


16 posted on 03/25/2005 4:52:09 AM PST by thoughtomator (Terri Schiavo, murdered by court order. Who's next? Maybe you!)
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To: GunnyBob

ping


17 posted on 03/25/2005 4:54:10 AM PST by ajolympian2004
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To: thoughtomator
Property rights ain't worth squat without the right to life.

Your life is your property, it belongs to you.

18 posted on 03/25/2005 5:01:14 AM PST by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Not according to the DEA.


19 posted on 03/25/2005 5:02:23 AM PST by thoughtomator (Terri Schiavo, murdered by court order. Who's next? Maybe you!)
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To: thoughtomator
Not according to the DEA.

So? That doesn't make them any more right than any other oppressor/thief/murderer.

20 posted on 03/25/2005 5:07:16 AM PST by marktwain
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