From Billy Beck:...The essential political conflict of our time is between collectivism and individualism. Very few people can see the thing in those truest terms, and this is why most individuals' practical politics can't be distinguished to precisely one or the other of those two sides: the nice lady who wants free meds doesn't know "socialism" from a tuna sandwich, and the gun-toting farmer usually has only the dimmest concepts of "rights" or the implications of his stand on weapons. They don't know the fullest context or implications of their politics. However, the power of principles does not diminish from ignorance.
Very roughly, the "sort" is taking place along the individualist/collectivist divide. It has all kinds of distortions (for instance: instinctive individualists joining pressure groups -- e.g., NRA) compounded by cultural geography, etc., but I say that what you're really seeing is the last stand of the American idea.
I've said it before: all politics in my country now is dress rehearsal for civil war.
Or: "Politics is war by other means."
The socialists might eventually achieve the "unity" they want. It's going to be right bloody hell -- one way or another -- in doing it.
Tempus fugit.
I like to divide people a little differently, between those who would use force to compel people against there will and those who would not. Example; the government compels me via the use of force to pay taxes, not to use drugs and to to only go to a "licensed" barber (they cut hair for goodness sake). It seems that force should only be used to defend rights, property and liberty.
ReplyDeleteI guess this is more of a libertarian way of thinking. I'm all for helping people, get job training, afford medication if they can or have affordable housing, I'm just against the government doing it. Private charities would do it better, cheaper and without forcing people to participate.
an individualist who would use force to compel someone is uncommon. the party they intend to compel is equally likely to kill them for it, whether they fall along the lines of individidualist or collectivist. given enough time, they will have been selected against, extinct.
ReplyDeletelikewise, a collectivist who won't play the force game probably joins the fodder his fellow brownshirts are stepping in.
your "way of thinking" pretty much lines up exactly the same (it is isomorphic). you can call them reds and blues if you like. you can call them innes and ootes.
begging the metaphysical question only introduces confusion. standardize your units.