Left and Right
written by: An Anne G
The use of Left and Right in politics, came into existence in France, about 1789, during the French Revolution. Although the significance of the terms have evolved, they remain categories used to describe opposing political positions. The Left was described as “the Party of movement” and the Right “the Party of order” and somewhere in the middle, to varying degrees, were the moderates. The left and right, opposing sides, as regards to where they sat on either side of the center.
In the United States of America, the GOP (Republican Party) is Right, or Right Wing; the Conservative Party. The Dems (Democratic Party) is Left, or Left Wing; the Liberal Party. In the middle from right to left are a variety of varying political philosophies and platforms depending on a particular politician’s political stance.
It is difficult to know where a politician may truly stand, inasmuch as Party pressure, Lobbyers and Special Interests, play a big role in the decisions an elected official may ultimately make. As very often tends to occur, he or she forgets who they are working for.
We choose our leaders in democratic elections and trust them to make rational and intelligent decisions, in the best interest of our nation’s citizens, both at home and abroad. All our elected politicians, of all branches of our government, should be driven by their constituents, be they Blue, Red or White.
The Scottish sociologist Robert M. MacIver noted in The Web of Government (1947):
The right is always the party sector associated with the interests of the upper or dominant classes, the left the sector expressive of the lower economic or social classes, and the centre that of the middle classes. Historically this criterion seems acceptable. The conservative right has defended entrenched prerogatives, privileges and powers; the left has attacked them. The right has been more favorable to the aristocratic position, to the hierarchy of birth or of wealth; the left has fought for the equalization of advantage or of opportunity, for the claims of the less advantaged. Defense and attack have met, under democratic conditions, not in the name of class but in the name of principle; but the opposing principles have broadly corresponded to the interests of the different classes.
Politics has become the sport of privilege and politicians, the players. Somewhere in the middle of Left and Right is middle. In the middle of this muddled concept is limbo. A place where we, the “Voice”, of our country languishes. We can change this by speaking up and making our voices heard. The 2016 Presidential Elections are only months away. Say present and make your vote count. Make a statement and let our politicians know, we are the “Government of the people, by the people, for the people …, not only Left or Right.
"Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess." - Oscar Wilde
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