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November 08, 2004
Left? Right? What's the Difference?
In the adult Sunday School class I attend, we got sidetracked slightly into a mildly political discussion yesterday. Some were talking about "the Left" and "the Right" and clearly equating those schools of thought with the Democrats and the Republicans, respectively.
Finally someone in the class asked, "Could someone please explain to me the differences between the Left and the Right? I've listened to [local conservative talk-show host] and [local liberal talk-show host], and I can't tell the difference."
Bingo. It often takes a relatively apolitical person to recognize the fact that the identification of each side with a particular political party has relegated both sides to being nothing more than flacks for politicians. After all, if the Right were really true to its principles, it could never support George W. Bush or practically any other Republican; and similarly, if the Left were really true to its principles, it would not be mourning the victory of Bush over Kerry.
Need more proof that the official Right is practically indistinguishable from the official Left? Check out this column by National Review's David Frum (author of the "axis of evil" speech), in which he (a) argues in favor of a federal tax on high-calorie, high-fat foods and (b) states that "almost all conservatives" favor Medicare and Medicaid. Yikes!
Posted by Mike Tennant at November 8, 2004 09:00 AM