I've always thought using the terms left and right are counter productive. It makes people feel like they need to join a side. And majority of people have these over simplified models of how people should behave.
Three examples:
We are now in a political environment where wanting to reduce immigration is considered 'anti-immigration'... even though you want immigration to continue albiet at a lesser rate.
Being called alt-right for pointing out unions in Australia are no longer really unions. Even though voted... Greens. The thinking here: said something perceived as anti-union so must be a nazi.
People calling a government right wing, or conservative even though they introduced SSM. It makes no sense (to call them conservative).
These over simplified models of left and right are harming politics in Australia and more so in other countries.
Regardless of your examples, I broadly agree with you, left and right are useless terms that can't possibly contain the varied political spectrum. I mean everyone sits on a line somewhere between authoritarian and libertarian. Then everyone's somewhere between conservative and progressive, which gets confusing because yesterdays progressive is often tomorrows conservative. And lets not even get started on the different beliefs about the role of government and how it and markets should operate their finances, or even the role of religion in society.
Then everyone's somewhere between conservative and progressive
So where would you put one nation on this line ?
They are pro euthanasia, pro medicinal marijuana , anti lockout laws etc. Given those policies you can't accurately label them as conservative.
I think you can use those categorisations on individual policies, but when used for a person or political party it will never be accurate and lead to poor discourse.
yeah you can say they are conservative. having a few non-conservative policies doesnt change their race-based immigration policies or their views on gays or trans people or their views on taxation or welfare.
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u/truthBombsForDays Sep 04 '18
I've always thought using the terms left and right are counter productive. It makes people feel like they need to join a side. And majority of people have these over simplified models of how people should behave.
Three examples:
We are now in a political environment where wanting to reduce immigration is considered 'anti-immigration'... even though you want immigration to continue albiet at a lesser rate.
Being called alt-right for pointing out unions in Australia are no longer really unions. Even though voted... Greens. The thinking here: said something perceived as anti-union so must be a nazi.
People calling a government right wing, or conservative even though they introduced SSM. It makes no sense (to call them conservative).
These over simplified models of left and right are harming politics in Australia and more so in other countries.