The divergent fallacies of liberals and conservatives

[Rhyfelwyr]

Interesting points. I think it may have to do with self-perception, as liberals tend to emphasise the importance of the individual in their policies, whereas conservatives tend to think of society or the family.

Of course, the above is not always reflected in the realities of consensus within the groups. Certainly, I always get the feeling that the Republicans are more ideologically divided than the Democrats, because of the awkward marriage of social and fiscal conservatism. Although I think this is just the way things happen to be at the minute, rather than being something inherent in either the left/right.

Ironically, I think that you tend to get more mavericks on the right of the spectrum. I think this is because the left has become more of the 'establishment', especially when it comes to social views - resulting in the same stagnation in terms of ideas you saw on the right when its more traditional social views were dominant. Also, being a maverick isn't necessarily something positive (Palin, etc).

[Pannonian]

Interesting points. I think it may have to do with self-perception, as liberals tend to emphasise the importance of the individual in their policies, whereas conservatives tend to think of society or the family.

Of course, the above is not always reflected in the realities of consensus within the groups. Certainly, I always get the feeling that the Republicans are more ideologically divided than the Democrats, because of the awkward marriage of social and fiscal conservatism. Although I think this is just the way things happen to be at the minute, rather than being something inherent in either the left/right.

Ironically, I think that you tend to get more mavericks on the right of the spectrum. I think this is because the left has become more of the 'establishment', especially when it comes to social views - resulting in the same stagnation in terms of ideas you saw on the right when its more traditional social views were dominant. Also, being a maverick isn't necessarily something positive (Palin, etc).

There is probably more consensus on the left of the US political spectrum because there is a working model on the other side of the Atlantic, whereas there is no equivalent of the American social conservatives in western Europe, and the political dialogue has traditionally been between the US and western Europe. The nearest equivalents to American social conservatives are probably the social closed shops of east Asia.