Left and right labels have different connotations in different countries. But in the American sense, I subscribe to the explanation that left and right is measured by the involvement of the government on the affairs of its subjects. So if you had a line of measurement, you would place totalitarianism at the left end of the spectrum and anarchy at the right. All other labels would follow in between; liberal being left of the conservatives on the right.
Using this measuring stick, it is interesting to note that nearly all European politics are left wing, even those that are labeled as “right wing” such as neo-fascism. I think you can say the same of “right wing governments” in South America.
In Mr. Simon’s article, he notes that many described liberals and conservatives share views that could be described as having roots in the other camp. And he would be right because most of America is moderate with desires to have government intervention in some areas but not others. These desires are shifting with the times, but the yardstick doesn’t change.
Let’s take the example of border security. A truly right wing/libertarian position under this measurement would be the advocating of open borders, yet border security is a position supported by people who call themselves conservatives. In Mr. Simon’s article, his question about trade protectionism is clearly a liberal one and fits consistently into the Democratic presidential platform. Yet, even a self-described conservative like Pat Buchanan supports protectionism.
The confusion results when people try to prescribe ideology to American party politics and platforms or worse, to dictionary definitions such as when Mr. Simon says that “Obama and Clinton are highly conservative, seeking to conserve at all costs a fading (labor) aristocracy.” When this happens, the terms become messy and results in Mr. Simon’s confusion. But the reality is that the terms of this model are static, party politics are not. Conservatism is not an ideology of conserving the status quo. Under this prescribed definition conservatism is supporting the minimizing the intervention of government action. The government support of labor through protectionist law cannot be described as conservative.
Again, the middle ground is where most people really reside and it is just a matter of deciding how much intervention you support that determines whether you are more liberal or conservative. Few people are so committed to the extreme that they would fall on the outer edges say like Ron Paul or Barry Sanders.
