Quote from Brass:
Thanks for the kind words, AK. Some people just can't get past the labels. I explained how the conclusion was arrived at step by step. I explained that the very essence of Right Wing, by historical precedent, and the very nature of the origin of the term itself, means that it is all about hierarchy. And that totalitiarian regimes, whatever they may call themselves and whatever their rhetoric may be, are by their very nature, all about hierarchy. The people who take issue with this observation and conclusion are judging books solely by their covers and none of their actual content. But then, this is P&R...
Seems to me that you are referring to "Right Wing" in the context of Republican, and "Left Wing" in the context of Democrat. This is a bit confusing because there are also ideologies associated with each. That is where the disagreement comes in for me.
If "Right Wing" = conservative, then I can't completely buy your argument. True conservatives are against authoritarian intrusion on all but the most basic levels.
If "Right Wing" = Republican, then I can mostly buy into your argument as it contrasts with Democrat. By their very names, a Republic is one in which representative officials are chosen and decision making authority is handed over to them. You might call this authoritarian, and in extreme cases totalitarian. A democracy contrasts in that the people make all decisions by majority rule.
The irony in the entire situation is in the main difference between authoritarian and totalitarian. Totalitarianism is simply an extreme case of authoritarianism in which all social and economic institutions have come under government control. So this is the irony of our political situation. Repubs are pushing for the authoritarianism resulting from a republic. Dems fight this at the basic levels by pushing for democracy instead, but then use the republic's elected officials to institute ever increasing government programs, inching us ever closer to a totalitarian regime.
IOW,
Republicans believe that we can have an authoritarian republic, without the resulting totalitarianism as long as we refuse to elect officials that would expand government programs.
Democrats believe that we can have all the government-controlled programs without the resulting totalitarianism as long as the decision making power remains with the people in the form of democracy.
LOL... The two ideologies can fight all they want, but you put the two together and it is a slow march toward socialism first, then communism, then totalitarianism.