Ace Yonder
Well-Known Member
First, I am not trying to say it is not a graph, or shouldn't have two axes. I am saying that ONE of its axes is mislabeled. If it had 2 axes, one with "Socialist-Capitalist" and one with "Libertarian-Authoritarian" that does a better job of allowing for an accurate label on the political spectrum, as there are totally such things as "Libertarian Socialists, Libertarian Capitalists, Authoritarian Socialists, and Authoritarian Capitalists". Those are all real things.It's not mislabeled. It is but one axis and it is correct. It is a grid, not a line. I think you are having trouble understanding this. Switching left v right for cap v soc would be acceptable to me but it must have two axis, however, I don't share your opinion that left v right is incorrect for labeling the horizontal axis of the grid. Left v right are socioeconomic. This opinion of yours, that left and right are purely social and not economic, or that cap v soc describe purely economic but not social measures, is a very flawed way of thinking.
Economics, describe social issues. Economic inequality is a social problem. Equality describes an economic condition.
I never said that they are "purely" social, I said that social policies are a more important factor. The fact is, the concepts of "Left" and "Right" are both social and economic, and you can measure a two axes graph just for that, with one axis being economic and one axis being social. And besides, how is it any more acceptable to view them as purely economic than purely social, when you yourself admit that the two are intertwined? The fact that they are somewhat intertwined is WHY you can't just focus on the economic or the social when determining left and right. And if they are COMPLETELY intertwined, then there could be no deviation and all politics would fit on a diagonal line with no one filling up the other quadrants. My point is, what you CAN'T do, is take JUST economics form "Left" and "Right" and take JUST social policy from "Libertarian" and "Authoritarian", and then try to say where on that scale politicians lie. That's like placing all drinks on a graph with one axis measuring from Coffee to Apple Juice based exclusively on acidity, and the other from Beer to Soda based exclusively on bitterness, and then saying "Grapefruit juice is similar to a mix of Coffee and Beer, because it is acidic and bitter". The fact is, ALL those terms are more dynamic than they are allowing for.
Your views on economics and their relationship to social policy is too biased by your own politics. You cannot say "Equality describes an economic condition" because you can have economic equality without social equality, especially depending on the type of economic system you live under.
Last edited: