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03/30/2008: "Leftism and Rightism defined"

"Left" and "right" are harder to locate than they were..."left" implies a big-state, secular, socially liberal, internationalist and green outlook; "right," the reverse.

[ This good basic summary shows the fallacy of this kind of thinking. Social liberalism requires a big secular state, and internationalism arises from the cosmopolitan values of the social liberal. The modern "right" is basically the same thing with some token nods to convention and a belief in hands off of the capitalist system while hoping its invisible hand still functions. The LNSG believes in powerful but small and socially uninvolved government, a strong national culture to replace the liberalism/secularism debate over social policy, and a green outlook because anyone sane on right or left should be concerned about green issues. ]

http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10927596