W. on torture: help me understand (Page 3)

Um, with all respect, Renee, I think that's a little too simplistic.  If, for instance, the individual wanted to dump toxic waste in a watershed, or own a gun, your definition of left and right would have to be reversed. (note - I am not equating gun ownership with pollution. Please.) If the individual wanted to marry someone of their own gender, you're spot on.

Here's a quote on Left/Right from wikipedia:

"Equal outcomes (left) versus consistent processes (right).

• Redistribution of wealth and income (left), or acceptance of inequalities as a result of the free market (right).

• Whether the government's policy on the economy should be interventionist (left) or laissez-faire (right).

• Support for widened lifestyle choices (left), or support for traditional values (right).

"

The Nolan Chart maps political sentiment along two axes - one for personal liberty, another for economic liberty. http://libertarianwiki.org/Nolan_Survey.  There are many variations of this quiz on the internet. They're kind of fun.

This site http://www.friesian.com/quiz.htm goes as far as to add a third axis. (No, they're not swim/bike/run) 

Edited by tim_edwards 2005-11-07 6:59 PM

Because, legitimate or not, it is an over-used rhetorical device, guaranteed to shed more heat than light. In fact, it even has its own law:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

So according to Guy's Corollary it is a virtual certainty that someone is about to dispute it.

bts

I'm wondering if terms are mistakenly being used interchangeably. Left/right is not the same as liberal/conservative.

In this regard, we are in disagreement. Goehring's quote/observation is true of any nation. He said it in a glib matter, as if only intellectually incompetent people could not see the truth in it. What's true for the Third Reich can be true for any nation/peoples.

People seem to assume that the German people must have been collectively evil and monstrous.  What they were, in fact, was scared, bankrupt, demoralized and in a defensive posture. Hitler and his cabal capitalized on this fear and demoralization. It isn't the first time, won't be the last time.

To reject a legitimate comparison in tactics for emotional reasons does not validate the rejection.

Renee, I was unaware that there was a distinction between left/liberal and right/conservative, having heard them used as synonyms for so long in the US. I'd be delighted if you would PM me the definitions.

I've always felt that a 1 dimensional political spectrum was too simplistic, which is why I find the Nolan chart and its variants so interesting.

I'm not saying the rejection is valid, simply that it is inevitable.

YES!!! Guy's Corollary survives another test.

bts

Yes, but Goodwins Rule itself uses Nazi's to prohibit using Nazi's to prove a point, thus invalidating itself. But I guess proving the Corollary. I'm confused...

The corollary is not proven, at least I didn't see the proof. It simply held true in these circumstances. We won't even go into the proof for Goodwin's rule... I slept throught that class.

bts

Right you are. Can't prove true, only false.