In America, prior even to its founding and up until perhaps a generation ago, there was an institution called the free press, dedicated at least in principle to the free flow of accurate information. That institution, which we know generally as "the media," has transformed itself into an engine dedicated not to informing the public mind, but to shaping the public mind, to create certain 'correct' beliefs and attittudes.
To achieve the properly shaped minds, of course, words have to be shaded and redefined. The meanings become fluid; for example, truth "can't be discerned," or it just "doesn't exist," or if it does, then it is "relative." It is therefore just not true that I can assume that anyone who might read this will understand what I mean by the political terms conservative, liberal, anarchist, socialist, and the like.
In defining these terms, it is preferable to use the x-y quadrant familiar to those who have high school algebra rather than the line analogy. The primary reason is that the line is too simplistic; the "left" and the "right" does not allow for the spectrum of variants which must be conveyed. In fact, even the two-dimensional representation requires simplification.
In this model, the positive x-axis represents increasing individual responsibility and decreasing government responsibility, while the negative x-axis represents decreasing individual responsibility and increasing government responsibility. Responsibility is used in the sense of accepting the consequences for an act or omission. The positive y-axis represents increased individual freedom and decreasing government freedom, concomitantly, the negative y-axis represents decreasing individual freedom and increasing governmental freedom.
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| Figure 1: Cartesian (x,y) representation of the political quadrants |
I recognize there is a connection between freedom to choose to act and the acceptance of responsibility for choices made. Most readers will assume it is a direct connection. It is not; that is merely the American's conditioned response. We are culturally conditioned to assume that if there is a choice, we, the individual, make the choice. Those who have lived in other countries will know that it is just as likely that some government official will make the choice for you. Now obviously, not every choice is available in every situation. Take for example, Bill Gates' modest home. In a free society, I can't choose to take that from him unless he offers to sell it; that would be theft and would interfere with his choices. If I want to live in such a home, I can offer to buy or I can choose to build one of my own. In the socialist society, society doesn't care where I want to live or where Bill wants to live; the government makes that choice in such a manner as it deems best for the government's goals..
In a similar manner, when one thinks of acceptance of personal responsibility, one assumes that responsibility for one's own choices is what is meant. That is only partially true. Personal responsibility in the context of politics is not that which relates to your choice of job or home, but is also acceptance of the responsibility to contribute to making the society function, that is, being educated on the issues, voting according to your principles, and so forth.
Furthermore, no political system ever reaches the absolute extremes. No government, no mere mortal is ever able to have all the information, make all the choices, or assume all the consequences. Of course, that does not mean that systems approaching the extreme do not become intolerable at some point. Virtually all do.
The important thing to understand here is that politics is not best understood as a spectrum. The different political groups don't fit neatly into "left" and "right." Anarchists and Communists are on the "left" but do not agree on much, while conservatives and Fascists both are considered right-wing, but only a few decades ago were enemies in a world war.
In order to see where America is and what Americans need to do, it's important to understand how to view America from the right quadrant.
