25Aug2009
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If you see intellectual history as a history of ideas, things are much clearer. Suppose one had to give a Martian a field guide to 20th-century Earthling ideology. I would broadly define “left-wing” as statist, collectivist, egalitarian (within a defined group, be it based on class, race, or nationality), enamored of the Romantic spiritualization of the political, and hostile to tradition, religious orthodoxy, natural rights, and Lockean individualism. I would define “right-wing,” particularly within the Anglo-American tradition, as pro-market, favoring limited government, respectful of religion and tradition, and protective of the individual and his rights. By any remotely similar definition, fascism belongs on the left — and, to date, not a single critic of the book has even come close to rebutting this basic point.
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Jonah Goldberg (via sds)
Right on the money. The way “right-wing” and “left-wing” are generally understood is entirely erroneous.. When anarchists are viewed as left-wingers and Nazis/fascists as right-wingers, you know something went terribly wrong.
I’m reminded of this awesome video I saw a while back that accurately explains the political spectrum.
I’ll go ahead and post it.
