--- On Mon, 8/3/09, Rich Kulawiec <[email protected]> wrote: > I frequently laugh at the clueless morons who label some contemporary > politicians as "hard left" and similar terms: they have no idea what > they're talking about, either because they've failed to study recent > history or because they're simply not intelligent enough to > comprehend it.
Well, then you can laugh at me with whatever frequency you find bearable, then. ;~) Such terms are colloquialisms at best. If I did believe in a linear political spectrum - and I don't - many aspects of the ideologies rolled up into what pass for Left or Right-handed political parties (at least in the US, but not only here) are at best contradictory. Right-oriented ideologies that mandate support for outrageous government intrusions into personal choice and privacy, Left-oriented ideologies that mandate discrimination (ad nauseum). Of course nothing in Western political ideology often approaches within 30% of either extreme, which is as it should be. The only thing consistently true about absolute adherence to ideologies in the real world is that it isn't possible and tying causes untold harm. But unless we all want to caveat every statement with paragraphs of political discourse and definition then we have choose some arbitrary common reference points. The mean average of the common cloud of current political opinions is the "center", left and right of that to varying distances is more or less right or left. The commonly known contradictory beliefs of both "side" are given as understood without detailing them. It's always fun to discuss these things with the group here at funsec - by nature it's a complex, intelligent and diverse group - but for purposes of some modicum of adherence to the list's intention I as always invite everyone to debate these sorts of things to no particular end at the Motley Moose. Those further to the "right" of me shouldn't fear the largely "leftish" crowd who hang out there, it's an eclectic and accepting environment that welcomes shaggy strangers of all stripes. -chris http://motleymoose.com _______________________________________________ Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts. https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list.
