A Hypothesis On Conservatives and Liberals

[SlowwHand]

The spectrum of degrees involving liberal to conservative was being discussed within a thread, and the thought occured to me that the need for discussion required it's own separate and distinct thread.

Radical Liberals and Radical Conservatives, are so unknowingly close to each other, they're about to bump asses.
Let me tell you why.

Most people envision this spectum as linear, moving from Left to Right.
The concept that I present to you now, is much the same as early exploration marking the difference between a flat world, and a round world.

Liberal-------------Moderate-------------Conservative.

I don't think the increments and terminology used between either point and Moderate is that critical.
What's critical is the addition of Radical, which follows.

Rad Lib----Liberal-----Moderate----Consevative---Rad Con

Now, rather than in the linear example we see above, make it circular.
In this manner you'll see that the Radicals becomes adjoined.

I'll stop here and let the analysts analyze, and we can go from there.

What do you think? Am I making myself clear as mud, again?

[Paul Hanson]

But surely radical liberals and radical conservatives are even more distinct from each other than your normal liberals and conservatives?

[chequita guevara]

God, now you're gonna get the Libertarians all hot and bothered.

[Stuie]

Yup, it's a circle not a line, with the far right and the far left basically sharing the same ideology. I learned that in 10th grade.

Or, you can do this with it...

[SlowwHand]

Thank you, Stuie.

[yavoon]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
God, now you're gonna get the Libertarians all hot and bothered.

thats akin to pissing off the hermaphrodites.

[Arrian]

If there is such a thing as a radical liberal (which does sound oxymoronic), they would be the type that is extremely pushy about things like multiculturalism, liberal PC (I specify, because the conservs have PC too, of course), etc. I think PETA would fall in this category.

-Arrian

[SlowwHand]

I would also submit, in answer to Che, that a Libertarian by necessity would fall somewhere near the Moderate label.

[Arrian]

Libertarians aren't moderates. Moderates are the people willing to compromise. Libertarians, like Communists, aren't the compromising sort. They have other things in common with the commies too, actually.

-Arrian

[Stuie]

If you use that 2d graph I posted (which is called a Nolan graph, for those interested) a moderate would be dead center.

[chequita guevara]

radical - progressive - liberal - moderate - conservative - reactionary

Radicals are on the extreme left. Anarchists and Communists are radicals.

On the other end you find reactionaries. Fascists, monarchists, religious fundimentalists can all be found here.

Progressives are like liberals with spinal cords. Here you find the activists, socialists, social democrats.

I put moderates on the right side because they are actually fundimentally conservative: opposed to rapid change, don't rock the boat, apathetics.

[Shi Huangdi]

This thread is abomination to politcal science

[Japher]

I always thought a radical was an extremist and could be used for any of the political associations.

[lord of the mark]

If what youre trying to say is that from a certain point of view, communism and fascism resemble each other - and should just be called "totalitarianism" this is a moderately old point of view associated with Hannah Arendt, George Orwell, etc. Of course lots of folks dont like it.

For a contemporary version, that relates this notion to Islamism and terror, see "Liberalism and Terror" by liberal (progressive? moderate radical? well, he writes for the The New Republic, The New Yorker and The American Prospect) Paul Berman.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
radical - progressive - liberal - moderate - conservative - reactionary


Progressives are like liberals with spinal cords. Here you find the activists, socialists, social democrats.

Neo liberals are like moderates with opposable thumbs. Social democrats are like democratic socialists, but with a four chambered heart. Neo-conservatives are to trotskyites, as birds are to dinosaurs.