[Politics] Left wing, Right wing, Liberal

[Machiavelli]

I can't stand the whole 'left' and 'right' nonsense. It seems to be a tag given to people in any given situation. Absolutely tedious.

Can we move away from it? Doubtful.

Why?
Is it because all the problems have been solved?
Is it because you want political debate to go away?
Is it because you don't think people have genuinely held views and hopes that match up with different political parties and ideologies?
Is it because you think that there haven't been different political experiments conducted in the world, and that they haven't produced different results?
Is it because you think people don't want to identify as either left or right?

These questions apply to the OP, and the majority of those on this thread too.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

Why?
Is it because all the problems have been solved? No
Is it because you want political debate to go away? No
Is it because you don't think people have genuinely held views and hopes that match up with different political parties and ideologies? No
Is it because you think that there haven't been different political experiments conducted in the world, and that they haven't produced different results? No
Is it because you think people don't want to identify as either left or right? It's there choice how they want to identify

These questions apply to the OP, and the majority of those on this thread too.

IMO, The problem isn't the politics. The problem is the lazy categorisation and the division it provokes.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

IMO, The problem isn't the politics. The problem is the lazy categorisation and the division it provokes.

The categories don’t really mean much today because they mean different things to different people. In my younger days I was very left wing because I believed (still do !) in public ownership of swathes of industry and services. That ideal doesn’t even register with most people now and I find myself disagreeing with people who self identify as being left wing but don’t hold any views I would see as left wing.

 

[Icy Gull]

In fairness we do need a left winger/wing back but are not quite so desperate for a right winger/wingback

 

[Machiavelli]

IMO, The problem isn't the politics. The problem is the lazy categorisation and the division it provokes.

Interesting, and I don't disagree. But it raises the point that [MENTION=34242]Neville's Breakfast[/MENTION] makes that the categories of left and right themselves are undergoing change in people's understanding and, again, I don't disagree with this.
It is usual that key terms (categories, binaries, etc) have a fixed meaning for a period, but then mutate, and I think we're living through this with left and right.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Why? Because I think it's a lazy way of stereotyping and giving people a lable. Just because you express one opinion, you get called a 'leftie' or a 'nazi'. It's pathetic. For someone who is pretty much politically agnostic, I find it completely tedious.

Is it because all the problems have been solved? No.

Is it because you want political debate to go away? Not really, but then one 'side' is rarely going to change the minds of the other 'side' so, to a certain extent, it's a bit pointless.

Is it because you don't think people have genuinely held views and hopes that match up with different political parties and ideologies? Clearly they do, but when you're tagged as someone on the left and the right for, say, supporting footballers fighting racism by taking a knee, it's far too simplistic and lazy generalising.

Is it because you think that there haven't been different political experiments conducted in the world, and that they haven't produced different results? No.

Is it because you think people don't want to identify as either left or right? Some do and some don't, which is kinda my point.

These questions apply to the OP, and the majority of those on this thread too.

Answers above in bold.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I have right wing views, left wing views, socialist views, green views, anti-green views, capitalist views and many other views inbetween.

I think 99.9% of politicians are self-serving scumbags and I'm yet to find one who has the interest of others at heart who can make a difference.

There's an element of 'divide and conquer' when forcing people to take a side, I agree. I'm waiting for someone to form the 'Common Sense Party'. I'd join it happily!

I thought Laurence Fox was doing that