Right wingers and Left wingers.

[Xarog]

I'm rather tired of people using the two terms in an attempt to control discourse, both on this forum and elsehwere.

So why is it that people must resort to these two labels, and how is it that either group deserves ridicule or rebuke (outside the fact that they seem to give up the ability for free thought by attaching themselves to a group - but that's another story)?

I've seen several stupid claims. Like left wingers are all softy cowards, or that right-wingers are all religious nuts.

But what really gets my goat is that people seem to deny any alternatives other than either right or left wing, like there's absolutely no possible divergence from these two 'polar opposites', when the truth is that there's a wide scope of other views, both within these two rather similar philosophies and out.

 

[jontyB]

I'm rather tired of people using the two terms in an attempt to control discourse, both on this forum and elsehwere.

So why is it that people must resort to these two labels, and how is it that either group deserves ridicule or rebuke (outside the fact that they seem to give up the ability for free thought by attaching themselves to a group - but that's another story)?

I've seen several stupid claims. Like left wingers are all softy cowards, or that right-wingers are all religious nuts.

But what really gets my goat is that people seem to deny any alternatives other than either right or left wing, like there's absolutely no possible divergence from these two 'polar opposites', when the truth is that there's a wide scope of other views, both within these two rather similar philosophies and out.

Good question. I think the majority of people are somewhere in between. On this forum I've noticed it is being used as an insult more than anything else. I, for example am frequently labeled a right winger, though recently I have been said to be Tony Leon's gay lover. Oddly I am not affiliated with the DA in anyway, but because my views are often critical of the Government (for whom I volunteer quite a bit of my time every month btw), and anything anti Government is instantly associated with opposition parties, I guess the assumption is not completely unfair (though very much incorrect). However, much of the criticism of myself and other "right-wingers" labeled forumites do appear to come from 3 or 4 particular forumites. These forumites most certainly appear to defend the Government and particularly ANC officials on every possible front, even when sound, reasonable and adequate debate providing sufficient reasoning to the contrary is presented. Startlingly, provision of evidence is automatically expected (and most frequently honoured) of all the "right-wingers", whereas similar requests for sources and collaborative issuance is generally and entirely ignored by the "left-wingers".

 

[icyrus]

Those whose points cannot stand on their own merit often resort to such labels.

 

[Geriatrix]

Politics are pointless. What freaks me out more is when people label THEMSELVES as either left(liberal) or right(conservative).
So the thinking process goes like "ok, I'm a lefty(or righty), therefor I have to agree with this and disagree with that, no matter what fact or logic dictates"
WTF?

 

[Nod]

Terms like "thinking outside the box" and "be open minded" is not all that common for people.

 

[Angelo]

recently I have been said to be Tony Leon's gay lover.

 

[jontyB]

Oh you liked that?