Politics in the Third Dimension (P3D)
There's a song by the band Shriekback called "Everything that Rises Must Converge." That's why how ole' John McCain could get so makey-outey with Russ Feingold, intellectually speaking, of course. Lemme splain.
Traditionally, we're taught to envision the political arena as a spectrum that offers Left, Right, Center, and the various spots inbetween. That's politics in one dimension, and most people are pretty much stuck there.
Some people, YT included, argue that the spectrum is, in fact, a circle that connects at totalitarianism. In plain English, Communisism IS Fascism IS Monarchy IS Colonialism. It's all Tyranny. This is politics in two dimensions. Not really that great a leap.
(If you went to public school in the 70's, you may now flash on that math movie, "Flat Land" about the square that encounters a sphere. Oh, yeah, and did you see "Why Man Creates?" Pretty trippy.)
Politics in three dimensions adds a vertical axis to the equation, and our visualization takes a remarkable turn. While Left and Right remain unchanged, that point where Tyranny joined the ends of the political spectrum descends to become the south pole of a sphere.
Totalitarianism's opposite -- Democracy -- ascends to become the north pole. (Santa, chillin' with the 76ers.)
Policies, laws and, most importantly, outcomes, can be judged as taking us up a notch to greater democracy, or taking us down a notch to greater tyranny.
At the tactical level, the question of left or right is immaterial. If the Christers actually get low recidivism in their drug rehab programs, God bless 'em. I'd far prefer closing the door on a prosteletizer to getting robbed by a crackhead. No question.
Traditionally, we're taught to envision the political arena as a spectrum that offers Left, Right, Center, and the various spots inbetween. That's politics in one dimension, and most people are pretty much stuck there.
Some people, YT included, argue that the spectrum is, in fact, a circle that connects at totalitarianism. In plain English, Communisism IS Fascism IS Monarchy IS Colonialism. It's all Tyranny. This is politics in two dimensions. Not really that great a leap.
(If you went to public school in the 70's, you may now flash on that math movie, "Flat Land" about the square that encounters a sphere. Oh, yeah, and did you see "Why Man Creates?" Pretty trippy.)
Politics in three dimensions adds a vertical axis to the equation, and our visualization takes a remarkable turn. While Left and Right remain unchanged, that point where Tyranny joined the ends of the political spectrum descends to become the south pole of a sphere.
Totalitarianism's opposite -- Democracy -- ascends to become the north pole. (Santa, chillin' with the 76ers.)
Policies, laws and, most importantly, outcomes, can be judged as taking us up a notch to greater democracy, or taking us down a notch to greater tyranny.
At the tactical level, the question of left or right is immaterial. If the Christers actually get low recidivism in their drug rehab programs, God bless 'em. I'd far prefer closing the door on a prosteletizer to getting robbed by a crackhead. No question.
posted by Frymaster Speck at 4:48 AM
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