OT-Shooting

Christina Websell wrote:


You seemed to be expressing right wing views before. Correct me if I'm
wrong (and I won't take offence honestly). Explain what you meant.

I doubt whether he/she/it knows, itself! (Clearly a troll,
that's why I plonked it.)

"ScratchMonkey" wrote in message
. ..
"Christina Websell" wrote in
:

You seemed to be expressing right wing views before. Correct me if I'm
wrong (and I won't take offence honestly). Explain what you meant.

No offense taken. I'm a patient guy.

"Right wing" has virtually no meaning anymore. It's a mish-mash of
ideologies, spawned by the bizarre coalition-forming nature of the US 2-
party duopoly. To call someone "right wing" is not painting them with a
wide brush so much as it is with an industrial paint sprayer.

Prior to the 1920's, the "left wing" was the libertarian Jeffersonian
Democrat group sitting on the left side of the aisle in Congress. But
around then the Socialists managed to totally usurp the Democratic Party
platform. Like Nader and the Greens now, the Socialists then threatened
to draw votes away from the older parties and in defense the Dems adopted
all the positions of the upstart. (This is why one shouldn't ignore new
parties, and why they have more power than their votes might suggest.
Consider this week's Washington State governorship decision as a case in
point.)

The two "wings" now share a common desire for massive intrusive
government, intervening in every aspect of our lives. There's some minor
variation in what aspect they want to intervene in first.

I, OTOH, favor minimal government established to protect individual
"negative" rights (those that don't impose any obligation on others
except "leave them alone"). That includes eliminating special government-
granted protections on corporations so that their owners are once again
on an even playing field with individuals. I also favor local government
over global (because it's more accountable), with "higher" levels of
government granted only the power to protect individuals from predatory
local and foreign government. (This was originally the sole mission of
the Federal Government.) I suppose you could say I'm an ant in a world of
grasshoppers.

It's easier that that here. Right wing means you are racist and homophobic
and cannot, do not want to understand why asylum seekers might want to come
here. ETC.
Left wing is the complete opposite. A stupid liberal I was called (yes, it
still rankles). I don't call it stupid to try and understand that other
peoples of the world aren't as fortunate as I am, and as for being
homosexual or heterosexual I look upon it as being either right handed or
left handed. Random.

Tweed

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote in message
...


Christina Websell wrote:


You seemed to be expressing right wing views before. Correct me if I'm
wrong (and I won't take offence honestly). Explain what you meant.

I doubt whether he/she/it knows, itself! (Clearly a troll, that's why I
plonked it.)


Oh, do you think so? I'm giving him a chance.

Tweed

ScratchMonkey" wrote in message

Prior to the 1920's, the "left wing" was the libertarian Jeffersonian
Democrat group sitting on the left side of the aisle in Congress. But
around then the Socialists managed to totally usurp the Democratic Party
platform.

Actually, the right-wing/left-wing designations didn't start in the USA,
but in France.

Joyce

Christina Websell wrote:

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote:

(Clearly a troll, that's why I plonked it.)

Oh, do you think so? I'm giving him a chance.

I don't think he's a troll. He is a catslave, after all. He's just an
enthusiastic proselytizer about his religion, er, I mean politics.

Joyce

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" had some very
interesting things to say about Treating citizens like children:

I doubt whether he/she/it knows, itself! (Clearly a troll,
that's why I plonked it.)

Let's see, stereotyping, namecalling.... Really "tolerant" and
"inclusive" of you.

--
"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be
doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding.
:-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL

wrote:

ScratchMonkey" wrote in message

Prior to the 1920's, the "left wing" was the libertarian Jeffersonian
Democrat group sitting on the left side of the aisle in Congress. But
around then the Socialists managed to totally usurp the Democratic Party
platform.

Actually, the right-wing/left-wing designations didn't start in the USA,
but in France.

And judging from comments from posters to my travel group,
what American Republicans consider "liberal" and "radical"
are closer to "conservative" in most countries.


Joyce

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote:

... judging from comments from posters to my travel group, what
American Republicans consider "liberal" and "radical" are closer
to "conservative" in most countries.

One of my very favorite things about RPCA is that we're an
international group. And one thing I've discovered (among many
wonderful things) as a result of this, is that although within the
USA, I or my beliefs may be considered "liberal", "fanatically
left-wing", "well-meaning but misguided", "probably a terrorist", and
many other things, those beliefs are quite mainstream - and frankly,
rather unremarkable - in many parts of Europe, Canada, and perhaps
even Australia and New Zealand. Makes me feel a little less like
Cassandra, you know?

Not planning to leave the USA, though (apologies to those who were
hoping for a dramatic exit!). I love where I live. I'd certainly
consider living abroad for a while if the opportunity arose, but this
is home. Overcrowded, ridiculously expensive, poised on the brink of
the Mother of All Earthquakes - I wouldn't live anywhere else!

Joyce

In article ,
"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote:

wrote:

ScratchMonkey" wrote in message

Prior to the 1920's, the "left wing" was the libertarian Jeffersonian
Democrat group sitting on the left side of the aisle in Congress. But
around then the Socialists managed to totally usurp the Democratic Party
platform.

Actually, the right-wing/left-wing designations didn't start in the USA,
but in France.

And judging from comments from posters to my travel group,
what American Republicans consider "liberal" and "radical"
are closer to "conservative" in most countries.


And in Australia, "neocon" is closer to "fascist" than it is in Amerika.


rachel

In article , rachel
polanskis wrote:

In article ,
"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote:

wrote:

ScratchMonkey" wrote in
message

Prior to the 1920's, the "left wing" was the libertarian
Jeffersonian
Democrat group sitting on the left side of the aisle in Congress.
But
around then the Socialists managed to totally usurp the Democratic
Party
platform.

This is not true through all of US history, and, indeed, the term comes
from the French Parliament, not the US Congress. I can't tell you, from
memory, when seating in the US Congress was changed to arrangement by
party, but I can say with certainty that the original seating pattern,
at least in the Senate, was by seniority, the most senior at the left.


Actually, the right-wing/left-wing designations didn't start in the
USA,
but in France.

And judging from comments from posters to my travel group,
what American Republicans consider "liberal" and "radical"
are closer to "conservative" in most countries.


And in Australia, "neocon" is closer to "fascist" than it is in Amerika.

I don't intend to start a political discussion, but, in a generally
peaceful and family-oriented newsgroup, I'm sensitive to what may be
unintentionally inflammatory language in the different dialects of
English. As Churchill described it, "Two peoples separated by a common
language," and all that.

The spelling "Amerika", to a citizen of the US, suggests that all
related content is to be an anti-US diatribe. The derivation is not
clear; it may be an attempt to sound German and imply USAians adhere to
the tenets of the National Socialist German Workers' Party, or,
alternatively, adhere to the tenets of the equally despicable domestic
racist organization, the Ku Klux Klan.

You will note that I used the full and proper English translation of a
certain group in order to avoid invoking Godwin. Was that which invokes
Godwin your intent?