What is the difference between left and right?

Question

This is my first honest question on yahoo answers. I cannot see the difference between left and right. I see things as either individualism or collectivism. Left and right are both in the category of collectivism and are variants of socialism that agree on just about everything. Can someone help me figure this out?

Answer 1

There is way to much to put in a post and Yahoo maims any sort of lists or graphs, so here are a bunch of links.

The short of it is that Conservatives think in terms of a Strong (abusive) Father figure who enforces obedience and indulges himself as is his right. Explanations and concern for others is seen as weak, personal power is the demand and expectation.

The Liberals see a pair of Nurturing Parents who are focused on helping their children, sacrificing to help the children be the best they can be, gaining correct action by reason and explanation rather than unexplained force. Working together and bringing everyone along in mutual benefit is the rule.

Each extends this metaphor from the family to the government, and other social situations.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3114412735990235786&q=George+Lakoff+on+Moral+Politics%3A&hl=en
Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think

http://scholarsandrogues.wordpress.com/2007/07/31/reframing-the-republican-lie-about-wealth-in-america/
The Republican lie about America

http://freedemocrat.blogspot.com/2006/03/great-libertarian-fallacy_31.html
The Great Libertarian Fallacy

http://www.archive.org/details/ThePowerOfNightmares
The Power of Nightmares


http://freedemocrat.blogspot.com/2007/04/generation-of-monsters.html#links
The Generation of Monsters

http://patternsthatconnect.blogspot.com/2006/03/rightwing-authoritarianism-and.html
Patterns:: Rightwing Authoritarianism and Conservative Identity Politics

http://patternsthatconnect.blogspot.com/2006/03/social-dominance-orientation-and.html
Patterns That Connect: SDOs

Answer 2

It is a media/political words. Being right or left depends on who you talk to. A talk show host(left or right) may say if you disagree with me you are of the other party. Unfortunately name calling is what politics in America is about today. I am neither left or right but I am a true American where I decide on what I believe by what I feel is best for the country. Example I believe illegals are hurting the US. I do not support Bush's plan on illegals so some feel I am left wing. On the other hand I believe we need to enforce the laws that are on the books and support what ICE is doing in kicking out illegals. So now some people will call me a right winger.
So as you can see being on the left or right is how that person views you according to their beliefs. So there are no true definitions of right or left its just up to how some view your opinions.

Answer 3

Left handers use the main appropriate ingredient of the suggestions and perfect handers use left ingredient of the brains, so it the character isn't affected however the talents are distinctive and that would impression the character

Answer 4

Left means opposing the political status quo, meaning a redistribution of wealth and power in favor of the have-nots. Rightists are either conservatives who wish to conserve the present political status quo because they fear change or fascists who want to increase the power of those who already have too much at the expense of everyone else. Since not many would care to claim the preservation or increase of political power of those who already have too much as a political mission, rightists have to be deceptive about their goals. They therefore have no alternative but to keep this important discussion sabatoged with confusing definitions of basic political terms.

Answer 5

Right = corporatism and religious theocracy
Left = just the opposite of right

either not a bad philosophy, until one holds an authoritarian view of either, which then translates to:
Right = fascism
left = socialism

Answer 6

The left = for a womans right to choose
The right = whine for the zygotes but support the death penalty and quagmires

The left = all people are equal
The right = gays are an abomination

The left also live in civilized areas...whereas the right lives in fly over redneck meth lab areas

Answer 7

Left believes that government is God, and that you're too stupid to succeed by yourself, so government must help. Left also believes that increasing taxes is the answer.

Right believes that YOU CAN DO IT, if only big government will get out of the way, by not overtaxing and overregulating.

Answer 8

Knives and spoons go on the right. Forks go on the left. The left wants to tell you what to eat with the utensils. The Right believes you should make the decision for yourself.

Answer 9

If you are facing north then right is to the east and left is to the west............

Answer 10

About 60,000 dollars a year in income .