What is the difference between right wing and left wing?
Can someone give me a simple, non-partisan explanation of what the difference is between right-wing and left-wing? I passed social studies but politics isn't my strong suit - I want to be as informed as possible. Thanks!
Why do many of the right winged Americans that I talk to seem to dislike the U.K. so much?
Most don’t. In fact there’s a long-lived faction in American politics, going back to the original Federalists, that refers constantly to the UK as a model for, a contrast to, and as the closest ally of the US. Up to the 1st world war, the economic development of the US was driven by British capital and American foreign policy was largely set in relation to British concerns. Since the 2nd world war that relationship has inverted, but its still very close. And the people most concerned with it are aligned with the Republicans.What does happen is that on social issues, the UK tends to be raised as an example of a country that is culturally similar to the US but does not implement various policies preferred by the US right, and is nonetheless modestly successful. When you’re faced with an argument like this, you can do various things.You can argue that the UK and US are not culturally similar in the relevant way. That’s usually the truth but its kind of an abstract argument that can only be made with statistics or with cultural contrasts that most people won’t have an adequate grasp of both cultures to understand.But more straightforwardly you can argue that the UK is a terrible place, beset with knife-wielding Muslim terrorists, driving their namby-pamby unarmed police out of no-go zones where Sharia law is enforced by the cowed British judiciary. This is of course nonsense. But its emotionally compelling nonsense, and key American demographics don’t know enough about the UK to judge it one way or another.It just so happens that the constituencies in US politics that align with the UK tend to be parts of the “northern elite”, whereas the parts that want significantly different policies from the UK on many of the big shibboleth social issues have historically been populist. They used to align mostly with the Democrats, but as part of the post-1960s re-alignment of the parties they tend to be Republicans now, creating one of the parties many strange internal divisions.
Did the demonization of communism give the right the upper hand in the U.S.?
I mean think about it, "communist!" even "socialist!" is like a swear word in this country (due to the cold war and the environment of fear that it created for so many years). but what do you get when you take leftist philosophy to it's most extreme conclusion? you have communism... and that's not a bad thing. Just because there are socialist elements in your political philosophy doesn't mean you're Stalin or Kim Jong Il. Politics need balance to KEEP from being extreme. What do you get when you take right wing philosophy to it's most extreme conclusion? fascism, that's what. Forced allegiance and sacrifice to your country with no return from the government. Or worse... theocratic fascism, look at Islamic countries, look at how brutal they are, that is the religious right wing taken to it's logical extreme. The right can embrace fascist ideals without being pegged as fascists for two reasons: 1. A lot of people don't even understand what fascist ideology implies and 2. Fascism is connected to something considered monstrous and inhuman (the holocaust) and it is considered impolite or even cruel to compare people to fascists. Do you think the left seems so guileless and ineffectual in this country because it is essentially cut off from it's core ideals (standing up for the working class, creating social programs and regulating business/commerce) by a shared American hatred of communism? Do you think the party could be restored by embracing those ideals again? Do you think, in this economy (which is only going to get worse) people will turn to more socialist philosophies as the divide between rich and poor grows larger and the middle class shrinks to almost nothing (hint: If you think you're on the "rich" side of the divide, you're not. Almost definitely not.)?
Describe at least two controversies surrounding the maintenance of a “wall of separation” between church and state.?
Describe at least two controversies surrounding the maintenance of a “wall of separation” between church and state. And, describe at least two controversies involving the free exercise of religion, and how they have been resolved
Were the founding fathers racists and hypocrites?
I mean they are glorified a lot especially by the right but if you read some of the stuff they wrote and did such as Benjamin Franklin's writings over German immigration to the U.S. calling them too stupid to learn English and how they'll eventually take over the colonies. It sounds like something that would come out of Mitt Romney.
What have you learned about "THE LAW" from the media? In particular, what ideas and notions about the law have?
If by the media you are referring to the media that gets the most attention such ABC, NBC, CBS and all their affiliates and newspapers like the New York Times... I have learned that in their narrow minded opinions, laws passed and supported by Democrats are good and laws passed and supported by Republicans are bad.