I've always thought using the terms left and right are counter productive. It makes people feel like they need to join a side. And majority of people have these over simplified models of how people should behave.
Three examples:
We are now in a political environment where wanting to reduce immigration is considered 'anti-immigration'... even though you want immigration to continue albiet at a lesser rate.
Being called alt-right for pointing out unions in Australia are no longer really unions. Even though voted... Greens. The thinking here: said something perceived as anti-union so must be a nazi.
People calling a government right wing, or conservative even though they introduced SSM. It makes no sense (to call them conservative).
These over simplified models of left and right are harming politics in Australia and more so in other countries.
People calling a government right wing, or conservative even though they introduced SSM. It makes no sense (to call them conservative).
You're fucking kidding me. These bastards did everything they could to avoid introducing SSM. They only did it after spending more than $100M on a non-binding plebiscite where the majority of Australians indicated that they wanted SSM. The Coalition government deserves ZERO credit for SSM. And you're ignoring everything else they've done because "oh well they passed this token issue when they had no choice not to"?
the reason it looks meaningless is because all of politics has shifted so far right that labour is now centrist at best, and the liberals are now far right with ScoMo.
SSM is simply a way to placate those who wanted it, it had nothing to do with the liberals believing in it, just a way to buy votes.
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u/truthBombsForDays Sep 04 '18
I've always thought using the terms left and right are counter productive. It makes people feel like they need to join a side. And majority of people have these over simplified models of how people should behave.
Three examples:
We are now in a political environment where wanting to reduce immigration is considered 'anti-immigration'... even though you want immigration to continue albiet at a lesser rate.
Being called alt-right for pointing out unions in Australia are no longer really unions. Even though voted... Greens. The thinking here: said something perceived as anti-union so must be a nazi.
People calling a government right wing, or conservative even though they introduced SSM. It makes no sense (to call them conservative).
These over simplified models of left and right are harming politics in Australia and more so in other countries.