Understanding Political Left & Right

I saw Glenn Beck sketch the basics of this on his chalkboard the other day and thought it'd make a good addition to the blog.  So after some additions and improvements, here's my handy little chart explaining the political spectrum of left and right.

On the far right we have absolute liberty, no law, no order... total freedom.  On the far left we have absolute tyranny, total government, total order... no freedom. 

In between these extremes is the modern political spectrum.  From Libertarians, to Conservatives, to Liberals to Socialists, this where the tug-of-war that is American politics lies. 

P.S. Today's political left always tries to portray the Nazi's as a right wing movement, due to Hitler's nationalism, but that ignores the rest of his agenda which was very left wing.  Much more info on this is available at my post FYI: Hitler was a Socialist. 

P.P.S. I put moderate in quotes, because I believe political moderates are a myth., as I've never met a "moderate" who actually knew what they were talking about.  It is my belief that "moderates" and so-called "independents" are just people who are unable or unwilling to search out the facts and form concrete opinions.  These people simply let their opinions be swayed by whatever political breeze is currently blowing the strongest or by whatever the MSM/DNC Cabal tells them to think.

Comments

[Bunk Strutts]

Nice simple illustration, that.

There was an excellent video comparing different types of government by the Heritage Foundation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4r0VUybeXY

[Woody]

Well I guess now we know where Glenn got the idea. Thanks Bunk!

[Fritz Katz]

I agree with the whole premise, except I'd move the American flag much further to the left, nearer to the Communist/Fascist/Progressives. That would more accurately reflect the current political situation we have today.

[Woody]

I agree Fritz, I put it in the center to illustrate that it is not set in stone, and we can move it up and down the scale with our votes.

[Fritz Katz]

Maybe it should be a circle instead of a line?

In an anarchist society, thugs with most firepower would quickly take everyone’s liberty away — and the straight line would curve into a circle, to the Total Government.

In a libertarian society, there are still police and military to protect and defend us from criminals, terrorists, and foriegn govts. that attack us. A libertarian society is one in which you have God-given rights to do what you think is right for yourself — but you can’t take away rights or impose your will on others (who have the same God-given rights).

[S Hall]

You're wrong in your assumption that libertarian is inherently a right-wing, conservative posture.

It is the left that seeks to create a rule of law they can neither support nor defend that induces anarchy. In Obama's tent, words, just words, simply words; an outcome that eventually wraps a full-circle of selfish application to benefit an ever-expanding circus of special interests... libertarianism.

Conservative is... well, conservative: just and defensible Rule of Law sensibilities that focus on the Common Good via small government.

Leftism seeks "fair and just" treatment to muddy morality into a whirlpool of chaos. It is not simply a matter of total freedom, because there is no such thing. Neither do the actions of the anarchist leave those around them unaffected, because this, too, cannot exist.

It may seem on the surface an attainable ideal, but the deeper you reach, the dirtier it becomes.

[Woody]

Well S, I don't see it that way. Libertarian is all about less and less government and more and more liberty, sometimes to the point of absurdity, so I believe the placement here is correct.

You are correct on Leftism. All of their policies require submission, and that submission demands punishment in order to function.

http://woody.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/04/dr-zero-on-obedience.html

Of course, if I really wanted to explore every nuance of these philosophies I'd have to make the chart 3D, but I'm not James Cameron, so this'll have to do.

Thanks for commenting though. Stop back anytime!

[nikto]

Beware of communist nazis in your broom closet.

They are there.

Really.

Doubtful?

Go check.

[anon]

hey, I'm an indipendent AND very well informed.

I dislike the term "moderate" as it infers I do not have an opinion on issues.

It is impossible for a group of people so closely allied with their party to be correct 100% of the time. So, much of my support goes towards the candidate with viable plans for the most vital issues. (some political party affiliation idiocy is ignored on both sides)

[Anonymous]

First off, Geln Beck speaks absolute lies, which is why his show is now off-air. Second off, You have your right wing and left wing mixed up. Right wing are the nazis, republicans, the like. Left wing, is Anrachism, democracy and liberalism. This link might help you understand. http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://americainchains2009.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/left_right_political_spectrum_011.jpg&imgrefurl=http://americainchains2009.wordpress.com/2010/03/page/2/&usg=__79pjHHhKCzW5ZfME5DRu-qPuvF0=&h=400&w=800&sz=115&hl=en&start=0&sig2=zsEvTQBYf58Bib9b5-lgSg&zoom=1&tbnid=oOdDTbzH1AKKbM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=179&ei=eACmTaWWK5C2sAPB1_H5DA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dleft%2Bwing%2Bright%2Bwing%2Bchart%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1I7GPEA_en%26biw%3D1004%26bih%3D559%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=484&oei=eACmTaWWK5C2sAPB1_H5DA&page=1&ndsp=14&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0&tx=100&ty=47
3rd off, Julian assange is a hero. Revealing the corruption of the government.

[TooMuchTime]

Anonymous, you are a putz. The graphic you provide shows world socialism on the left and national socialism on the right. So, in essence, the graphic is a look at the socialist spectrum. To be correct, you must have all to nothing, as Woody's graphic shows. That is, total government to zero government.

The only problem I have with Woody's graphic and with the one from Google is that fascism is shown as a form of government. It is not. Fascism is just a means to an end. In it's most begnin form, fascism is just "united we stand, divided we fall." President Lincoln used fascism to unite the country during the civil war to end slavery. That is why there are representations of fasces' on the chair on which the statue of Lincoln sits.

http://tinyurl.com/3ca8ds8

In case you're interested, this country has used the fascist symbols throughout it's history.

http://tinyurl.com/cgaxm5

Congress does to this very day.

http://tinyurl.com/43foa5l

JFK used fascism to unite the country in the 1960s. He didn't want the Russians to get to the moon first.

Unfortunately, it takes a left-wing socialst like Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol-Pol, Kim, Mugabe, etc. to turn fascism into something bad. They murder 10s of millions of people, excuse me...they RE-EDUCATE 10s of millions of people that don't agree with having socialism forced on them.

Fascism isn't inherently evil. Socialism is. Just like the crap Obama is forcing on us now.

[Woody]

LMAO. What a dumbass.

A free market run by the employees. And who would start the companies? Who would pony up the initial capital? Who would invent and make new breakthroughs? who'd make sure people show up on time and actually perform their jobs correctly? Nobody, that's who.

Naive douchebaggery at it's finest.

[TooMuchTime]

Anarco-socialist, once again you prove that liberals have no comprehension of government. You obviously don't understand that fascism is not a form of government. If both democrats and republicans in this country have used fascism to achieve their goals, does that make them fascists? Probably. Does it make them as evil as the left wing socialists like Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, Kim, etc.? No. It IS socialism that is evil. There is nothing inherently wrong with "united we stand, divided we fall." It's how you use or abuse it that makes it wrong.

And, what is YOUR fascism? What do you want to use to rally people to your cause? The absence of state and the free market run by employees? No classes or ruling elite? So, I guess this makes you a fascist, too. I've never actually "met" or "spoke" with someone that hates themselves as much as you.

Also, since when is anarchy equal to freedom? View this:

http://tinyurl.com/86lodw

Anarchy is the complete absence of gov't. You don't have freedom because there is no civility -- no laws to obey -- no property rights because property belongs to the person that takes it, and there are no repercussions. Only a moron would believe that anarchy is freedom.

It is always interesting that the morons that advocate socialism or anarchy (opposite ends of the political spectrum), are the ones that have never lived under either. The people that complain the loudest and argue against socialism and anarchy are the people that have suffered through it.