It's a very interesting video, thanks for posting it! I was going to comment here, but I think I have too much to say. If you don't mind, I'll borrow the video and write about it over on my blog. :)
Excellent explanation of the forms of government as a sliding scale showing the extent of governmental control.
Most people think that Fascism is right-wing, when actually it is extreme left-wing. Even WIkipedia claims that Nazism is is extreme right wing, but a few sentences later says that it is a "nationalist form of socialism."
Using government control as the left-right scale works (as in, amount of government power is an interesting way to examine government), but it's misleading because it's not the way the terms are commonly used. Right/left in reality have far more to do with where government has control. Right wing governments exercise more control over what you can call social aspects: more limiting of civil liberties and imposition of moral norms. Left wing governments exercise more control over the economic aspects: reining in the free market and attempting to impose some degree of financial equity.
Of course, there are exceptions to that, and each 'wing' is not so simple. That's why it's much better to examine governments on at least two axes: economic equality and social control. That's why administrations like George W. Bush's can be accurately categorized as "right-wing" (to do otherwise would go against clear usage, obviously), even though they exerted a very high amount of government control. (Note, right-wing governments don't necessarily have free markets, they just don't have a desire for economic equality. This makes government economic plans that benefit the wealthy at the expense of the poor right-wing.)
It's a very interesting video, thanks for posting it! I was going to comment here, but I think I have too much to say. If you don't mind, I'll borrow the video and write about it over on my blog. :)
ReplyDeleteExcellent explanation of the forms of government as a sliding scale showing the extent of governmental control.
ReplyDeleteMost people think that Fascism is right-wing, when actually it is extreme left-wing. Even WIkipedia claims that Nazism is is extreme right wing, but a few sentences later says that it is a "nationalist form of socialism."
Yeah Andrew, I thought about just emailing you the video directly for you to analyze on your blog, but figured you'd eventually see it here! :)
ReplyDeleteUsing government control as the left-right scale works (as in, amount of government power is an interesting way to examine government), but it's misleading because it's not the way the terms are commonly used. Right/left in reality have far more to do with where government has control. Right wing governments exercise more control over what you can call social aspects: more limiting of civil liberties and imposition of moral norms. Left wing governments exercise more control over the economic aspects: reining in the free market and attempting to impose some degree of financial equity.
ReplyDeleteOf course, there are exceptions to that, and each 'wing' is not so simple. That's why it's much better to examine governments on at least two axes: economic equality and social control. That's why administrations like George W. Bush's can be accurately categorized as "right-wing" (to do otherwise would go against clear usage, obviously), even though they exerted a very high amount of government control. (Note, right-wing governments don't necessarily have free markets, they just don't have a desire for economic equality. This makes government economic plans that benefit the wealthy at the expense of the poor right-wing.)