Their argument, in brief, is that the political spectrum of “left” and “right” is a “social construct.” Nothing too controversial about that. “Classically liberal conservative” or “Reaganite conservative” conveys even more. Such qualifiers also convey different information than, say, “post-liberal conservative” or “nationalist conservative.” “American conservative” means something different than “French conservative” or “Bolivian conservative.” You get the point. But such granular labeling was useful because it helped illuminate important distinctions, not just of different principles but of different contests for power. Where the Lewii are correct is that the labels of left and right are insufficient.

Source: New York Times February 17, 2024 00:04 UTC