The good ol’ USA. Land of the free, home of the brave, and the sole superpower, yet woefully filled to the brim with plenty of uncultured, over-privileged miscreants and dolts. This is the land teeming with the world renown American people, or rather a fractured amalgamation of ideological views that are so adamantly expressed, yet so fundamentally wrong.
Time to hold up the mirror, America, and to do so, we started a little project. After an exhaustive, two-minute search using Google Images, we determined that it was much easier to illustrate American ideology and politics our own way. So without further ado, we present to you, The Ideological Spectrum.
Today’s perspectives are marred by a convoluted understanding of conservative and liberal values as even the slightest lean to the left or the right is melodramatically skewed by irrational dogmatists. Never in the history of our lives have we heard “fascist” and “communist” misused so abundantly and imprudently, notably by ignorant college students with no life experience or objectivity, in spite of their “education.” After all, we live in a country in which thousands, if not millions of people coexist in towns and cities, compacted and built upon comparatively small regions of land next to the overall size of the Earth. Yet, the most single-minded, illogical ventures are prioritized over the prosperity of the majority, else, “my rights are infringed,” or, “my feelings are hurt.”
True democracy prizes both conservative and liberal values in moderation, with the consequence of tipping that balance too far to the left or right exactly the same: anarchy. Societal change is inevitable but is a very slow process that must be implemented on an equitable and practical basis. That is generally why reactionaries are the byproduct of unmitigated progressivism and why social progress in general has been continuously halted by the proverbial doorstop of outrage.
The democracy of the United States is not, and was never, even close to becoming under the complete and permanent control of a single-party government authority, making the incessant and antiquated use of “fascist” and “communist” contrived and redundant, even more so as a derogatory term since fascism in particular can theoretically apply to both right- and left-wing extremism. Besides, it’s not as if the United States hasn’t experienced political strife numerous times before, ultimately emerging relatively unscathed, but if American society is to collapse, we can assure you that it will be by the actions of the people, not the government. Afterall, it’s the people who are responsible for voting the clowns into office, on top of their own self-serving “I don’t give a fuck” agendas.
Here at The Radical Intellect, we encourage members to express their political views by choosing one of eleven color-coded profile themes that most aptly represents their ideological views. For those of you who would like a fresh perspective, let’s take a moment and dive into a brief summary of each ideological group that we feature on this website. Keep in mind that this is our perspective of American political and social ideology and is a broad interpretation that does not necessarily reflect the perceptions of every U.S. citizen or any particular source of empirical research.
We consider far left ideologists, often termed progressivists, as liberals on delusional steroids. As opposed to contemporary liberals who value civil liberties, equality for all, and even capitalism, far left ideologists heavily advocate for minority groups under the absurd perception that the United States is experiencing uncontrolled discrimination and systemic racism. However, these perceptions are derived from their delusional subjective ignorance which largely places the blame for society’s problems on White heterosexual men and police officers, the latter of whom far left ideologists wish to abolish from society. Police are especially detested by followers of the Ponzi scheme colloquially known as Black Lives Matter and extremist movements such as Antifa. Part of the far left delusion is the insistence that parents should have no say on the K-12 curriculum and that debt accrued from college loans should be “forgiven” by taxpayers.
Far left ideologists believe that illegal immigrants should be allowed to freely cross the border and live wherever they want, taking no time to consider resource use, folks who legally obtained citizenship, or whether illegal immigrants pay federal income tax. Progressivists also have a very warped understanding of human biology, psychology, and society, believing that biological sex is on a spectrum, that sex is malleable, confuse gender with gender identity, and believe that all of society should take part in their self-image and ridiculous pronoun vernacular. Unlike liberals, who can more-or-less coexist with conservatives, far left ideologists vehemently loathe conservatives, often mindlessly assuming that right-wing extremists share the same ideological values as moderate conservatives and Republicans. Far left politicians and their constituents also believe that the government should have complete control over the market economy, valuing equality over hard work and granting everyone access to the same lifestyle, regardless of each individual’s contribution, or lack thereof, to society.
While left-wing extremists have committed less documented homicides than right-wing extremists, progressive ideologists have facilitated the use of protesting/counter-protesting, vandalism, doxxing, arson, rioting, and crowd intimidation tactics against their “enemies,” occasionally forging falsehoods to accompany their narrative of perceived oppression. Unlike far right extremists, the far left has less tendency of supporting absolute social dominance and absolute intolerance, thus supposedly decreasing the overall likelihood of engaging in violence. Nonetheless, during a verbal confrontation, progressivists generally lack concrete, empirical information to support their claims and instead exhibit belligerent behavior, opting to continuously shout the same obnoxious word or phrase, resort to character attacks or nonsensical rebuttals, deny accountability, use deflection tactics and verbal insults, or walk away entirely (the primary go-to if not backed by a crowd of like-minded idiots). Additionally, far left ideologists are the progenitors of the social phenomenon known as “cancel culture.”
A hypothetical far left society would be comprised of an authoritarian leadership that is only tolerant of radical socialist ideology, penalizing critics of government policy and severely limiting constitutional rights.
Liberalism, as we know it today, carved its niche into society during the Civil and Women’s Rights movements of the 1960s, which saw activists striving for civil liberties and an end to racial and gender discrimination, later advocating the same for the LGB community in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. In general, liberalism is pro-federalism and is defined by equality, individual liberty, pluralism, and tolerance, with ideologists favoring a larger government and increased government spending, specifically on social welfare, healthcare, and education. While liberals generally support capitalism, they prefer a more regulated market in which the government has some aspect of control and direct oversight. Liberals, like conservatives, desire a lawful and secure society, though liberals place a greater emphasis on social justice and mending inequity, with much less interest in the literal interpretation of the Constitution, instead preferring directives that provide equality and individual liberties. This also extends to individual lifestyle choices, with liberals less likely to exhibit patriarchal ideals, such as getting married and starting a family, and instead being driven by personal goals and casual relationships.
Liberals believe that folks in the upper income bracket should be taxed significantly more (a perception made without even knowing how much one percenters already contribute in taxes), positing that the government should raise taxes when necessary, particularly in the interest of maintaining a balanced society. Liberals ethically support abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and gay marriage, additionally preferring significantly greater regulation on firearms which includes banning civilian ownership of assault rifles. Liberalism is more dependant on the federal government, postulating that society’s woes are the result of flawed, unregulated state governments rather than the irresponsible and unethical actions of individuals or corruption in the federal government. Many liberals believe the age old adage of college after high school, thinking that higher education is necessary for individuals who wish to enter into any field in the professional workforce and that college tuition should be free or severely reduced in cost. Additionally, liberals are more keen on an open immigration policy, putting less focus on border security and regulated immigration.
The moderate left, also known as left of center, conservative liberals, or moderate liberalism, is a social and political ideology that is far less progressive than mainstream liberalism, especially the radical progressivism of the far left. Unlike many liberals within the Democratic party, moderate liberals are more cautious of social change, often refusing to jump on the liberal bandwagon, particularly when it comes to extreme beliefs. Moderate leftists are more likely to care about marriage, having children, and practicing religion. Moreover, moderates on the left may oppose abortion.
Moderate and mainstream liberals hold the same viewpoints on civil rights, personal liberties, and gender equality, but moderate liberals are conversely more in favor of a free market economy and are skeptical of impractical government welfare programs and government spending that do little to remedy societal and economic problems. In stark contrast to liberals, some moderate leftists question the transgender movement, having skepticism about the psychological state-of-mind and rationale of the movement’s advocates. Moreover, some moderate liberals are in favor of the Second Amendment, advocating against strict firearm regulations and the banning of assault rifles. They may also be less keen on an open border policy and unregulated immigration.
Moderates (center) may have mainstream conservative and liberal views but hold them with less tenacity than more devoted ideologists. Moderates comprise a large fraction of Americans referred to as swing voters, or independents, that may vote Republican or Democrat depending on the candidates and their policies. The most notable aspect of moderates, whether left-leaning or right-leaning, is their penchant for rejecting the radical views held by conservatives and liberals, especially extremists on the far right and the far left. Moderates are also less likely to make reckless decisions or form clueless opinions based on political and social ideology, instead taking time to consider the prospective repercussions, favoring practical solutions with a willingness to compromise.
Quite often, “moderate,” or “moderate center,” is interchanged with “centrist,” the latter of which is an unrealistic ideological viewpoint since centrism embodies an unbiased, balanced political outlook of the left and the right together. Because of this, centrist ideologists wouldn’t want the balance tipped too far right or left, nor would they tolerate drastic change to preexisting policies they deem to be effective as is. Unfortunately, this is reality which means that everyone is biased, so therefore, we reject centrism as a practical ideological stance on the grounds that it’s highly unlikely that a majority of Americans are capable of holding strong opinions, both conservative and liberal, that are morally and objectively balanced, especially in the current political climate.
Thus, we prefer “moderate” since it’s most apt for describing those who reject extremism and simultaneously hold conservative and liberal views, though with much less vigor and pertinacity than mainstream conservatives and liberals. More importantly, whether moderates are more left leaning or right leaning, they are capable of understanding and accepting an opposing viewpoint regardless of whether they agree with it or not.
The moderate right, also known as right of center, liberal conservatives, or moderate conservatism, is a political and social stance held by individuals who hold conservative values, only with less conviction. As opposed to traditional conservatism, moderate conservatives may not necessarily share a traditionalistic view of conservative ideology, examples being a lack of the religious component, reluctance to observing patriarchal values, less opinionated about gay marriage, may be pro-choice, or may hold opposition to capital punishment.
Perhaps the most noteworthy difference that sets moderate conservatives apart from traditionalists is their greater flexibility for social change, putting less of an emphasis on preserving pure conservative values. Although this doesn’t necessarily mean that moderate conservatives will outright agree with much of the liberal ideology, they are more accepting of opposing viewpoints, so long as they’re not extreme.
We have observed that many misinformed (far left) Americans often interchange far right ideology with traditional conservatism, something that couldn’t be further from the truth. U.S. conservatism favors anti-federalism, or rather a smaller federal government, thus allowing individual states to govern themselves more freely while decreasing corruption within the federal government. Additionally, conservatives prefer lower taxes and less government spending, incentivizing folks in the upper income bracket to invest in the economy and to donate to charity. Conservatives value capitalism, an ordered and secure society governed by law, and only prefer issuing government assistance to those who are in absolute dire need, preferring that the private sector provides a majority of the nation’s services, notably healthcare.
Conservatism is defined by traditionalism, with American conservatives valuing the nuclear family, the right to bear arms, property rights, the military, law enforcement, and capital punishment for heinous crimes, with the general consensus that individuals should take personal responsibility for their livelihood and actions; the government’s job is to hold people accountable for inappropriate or criminal conduct. Religion is often an important aspect of conservatism as many religious connotations are intertwined with conservative values, notably the institution of marriage, having children only after marriage, and the role men and women play in the familial structure and society.
Conservatives are largely opposed to labor unions, citing that they hinder companies from functioning effectively and make it more difficult for employers to terminate unproductive employees. While there is some truth to this point, it is also contradicted by crony capitalism and corporate greed, which in the past and present, have negatively impacted blue-collar jobs that pay living wages, and has largely been responsible for the decimation of the middle-class income bracket. Conservatives ethically oppose embryonic stem cell research, abortion, and gay marriage. Notably, conservatives question the institution of education, with many disputing the recent direction of the K-12 curriculum and whether higher education is truly necessary for entry into a majority of the fields in the professional workforce. Furthermore, conservatives oppose illegal immigration, preferring strong border security and responsible immigration policy.
The far right, aptly termed regressivism, is essentially reactionary and radical social conservatism that is often referenced to nationalism, traditionalism, fascism, nativism, authoritarianism, and right-wing extremism. Racism, anti-alphabet people, government opposition, and violence have often been attributed to far right ideology, though a more apt depiction is akin to paranoid politics, with the perception that liberalism is an attack on American freedom. Many far right ideologists also believe that it is their “God-given right” to live in America. Far right ideology is defined by a fear of too much liberal change to society, conspiracy theories, the existence of aliens, and objection to a large democratic federal government. With complete opposition to immigration, far right militias have been known to detain illegal immigrants caught crossing the border and have even committed violence against migrants.
Radicalized far right ideologists often join well known right-wing extremist groups that are racist, anti-liberal, and/or anti-government. Neo-Nazism and Nazi Germany symbolism is associated with some right-wing extremist groups but does not principally define far right ideology in its entirety. However, much of the violence perpetrated by far right extremists is racially motivated and more acts of domestic terrorism have been committed by far right ideologists than any other political ideological movement in the United States. Far right extremists are generally very aggressive individuals when confronted with opposing views, often resorting to threats or violence as an immediate response.
Far right extremists detest government authority and law enforcement, often exhibiting belligerent behavior in the presence of authority figures such as police officers. Right-wing extremism additionally has a correlation to a closed-minded, dogmatic view of structure and order and ideologists have an elevated need for eliminating ambiguity, preferring definite conclusions. These factors ultimately contribute to the far right biases that lead to violence. Because of this, far right ideologists are widely held responsible for the attack on the Capitol that took place on January 6, 2021, in which extremists stormed several government buildings in Washington D.C. after former President Donald Trump allegedly instructed them to via Twitter. The professional consensus was that the attack was carried out by Trump supporters who believed that the 2021 election was rigged.
A hypothetical far right society would be comprised of an authoritarian leadership that would only tolerate far right ideology, allotting virtually nothing to anyone they oppose and subjugating opponents to violence and oppression.
Side Note: The far right and the far left have more in common than people may think, particularly in the sense that both are intolerant of opposing views and generally throw morality, common sense, intelligence, ethics, and integrity out the window. While their ideological views are vastly different, research has noted that right- and left-wing extremists share a simplistic outlook of society, often exhibiting anger and the use of negative language to defend their beliefs against any perceived worldview-violating threats.
Extremists on both sides, however, make up a significantly small percentage of the U.S. population and the magnitude of their movements is often overestimated. Statistics on violence aside, it has been suggested that both left- and right-wing extremists are equally just as likely to commit acts of violence in pursuit or defense of their ideological values (Source ).
And of course, our favorite, mostly due to the absurdity of it. Libertarianism is what we like to call the, “go buy an island and start your own fucking country,” movement. Libertarianism is quite often mistaken as a form of radical conservatism, likely due to libertarians favoring little to no government and their interest in fiscal conservatism (free market capitalism). A fraction of the participants who took part in the 2021 Capitol attack identified as libertarians, as evidenced by the whiny “don’t tread on me” flags seen during the skirmish, but as we illustrated above, libertarianism is quite detached from the main spectrum.
Many libertarians question the continual existence of American law enforcement, often erroneously exaggerating the level of corruption within the criminal justice system and stating that law enforcement does more harm than good for society. This perception is rather naive and expresses little understanding of human behavior and social cohesion, not to mention, it fails to properly address how an American libertarian society would handle grievous misconduct. More extreme libertarians outright hate law enforcement, labeling police as tyrants and perform “audits” on police and other government employees by filming them in public places, particularly hoping that provoking them with their obnoxious behavior will result in a violation of their constitutional rights. First Amendment “auditors” often have Youtube channels where they post their videos, patting themselves on the back as patriots who are educating the public, though in actuality aren’t doing anything remotely constructive that promotes positive change.
Unlike conservatives, libertarians want absolute autonomy, the rationale being that as long as their actions aren’t directly impacting others, then anything should be permissible, a view not unlike the far right. That would greatly conflict with the conservative view that favors civilized society and security, with societal degradation as the likely outcome of pure libertarianism. As for the left, liberals and libertarians both covet personal freedoms and civil rights, though libertarians would be intolerant of a large government that regulates the economy and implements tax-funded social welfare, instead preferably relying on the integrity of individuals to act accordingly. What a vivid imagination…
Note: This is a description of pure libertarianism. People all over the spectrum may hold libertarian views on specific issues but overall fall under a different political ideology.
There are always those of you who the aforementioned ideological values don’t necessarily apply to, mostly because it’d be impractical to feature every single political or ideological movement. Fortunately, we have a solution for that.
Being unsure about anything is completely natural, especially when it comes to all the dipshits and nonsense in U.S. politics. It also explains why a fraction of voters don’t identify as Republican or Democrat. While some independent voters may fall into this category, undecided folks generally account for those who have constantly changing liberal and conservative views, individuals who have become disillusioned with politics and/or America’s stupid culture war, or people who are apathetic towards politics (apolitical) and social ideology, instead preferring to live their lives in peace.
The United States is actually comprised of far more than two political parties. While the Republican and Democratic parties are nationally recognized, other parties or ideological movements are only recognized by single states, a handful of states, or are associated with U.S. territories, an example being Puerto Rico. Other is also applicable to members located outside of the U.S., who live in countries which have much different political, governmental, and/or ideological structures. Alternatively, other may apply to social ideologies that are unorthodox or vastly different from the mainstream.
There is no obligation for registered users to showcase their political or ideological inclinations in their profile, so during registration, choose “None” under Political Ideology for the plain Jane theme. At the end of the day, we appreciate anyone and everyone who becomes a member of The Radical Intellect.
The good ol’ USA. Land of the free, home of the brave, and the sole superpower, yet woefully filled to the brim with plenty of uncultured, over-privileged miscreants and dolts. This is the land teeming with the world renown American people, or rather a fractured amalgamation of ideological views that are so adamantly expressed, yet so fundamentally wrong.
Time to hold up the mirror, America, and to do so, we started a little project. After an exhaustive, two-minute search using Google Images, we determined that it was much easier to illustrate American ideology and politics our own way. So without further ado, we present to you, The Ideological Spectrum.
Turn your stupid phone horizontal to properly view.
Today’s perspectives are marred by a convoluted understanding of conservative and liberal values as even the slightest lean to the left or the right is melodramatically skewed by irrational dogmatists.
Never in the history of our lives have we heard “fascist” and “communist” misused so abundantly and imprudently, notably by ignorant college students with no life experience or objectivity, in spite of their “education.”
After all, we live in a country in which thousands, if not millions of people coexist in towns and cities, compacted and built upon comparatively small regions of land next to the overall size of the Earth. Yet, the most single-minded, illogical ventures are prioritized over the prosperity of the majority, else, “my rights are infringed,” or, “my feelings are hurt.”
Turn your stupid phone horizontal to properly view.
True democracy prizes both conservative and liberal values in moderation, with the consequence of tipping that balance too far to the left or right exactly the same: anarchy.
Societal change is inevitable but is a very slow process that must be implemented on an equitable and practical basis. That is generally why reactionaries are the byproduct of unmitigated progressivism and why social progress in general has been continuously halted by the proverbial doorstop of outrage.
Turn your stupid phone horizontal to properly view.
The democracy of the United States is not, and was never, even close to becoming under the complete and permanent control of a single-party government authority, making the incessant and antiquated use of “fascist” and “communist” contrived and redundant, even more so as a derogatory term since fascism in particular can theoretically apply to both right- and left-wing extremism.
Besides, it’s not as if the United States hasn’t experienced political strife numerous times before, ultimately emerging relatively unscathed, but if American society is to collapse, we can assure you that it will be by the actions of the people, not the government. Afterall, it’s the people who are responsible for voting the clowns into office, on top of their own self-serving “I don’t give a fuck” agendas.
Here at The Radical Intellect, we encourage members to express their political views by choosing one of eleven color-coded profile themes that most aptly represents their ideological views. For those of you who would like a fresh perspective, let’s take a moment and dive into a brief summary of each ideological group that we feature on this website. Keep in mind that this is our perspective of American political and social ideology and is a broad interpretation that does not necessarily reflect the perceptions of every U.S. citizen or any particular source of empirical research.
We consider far left ideologists, often termed progressivists, as liberals on delusional steroids. As opposed to contemporary liberals who value civil liberties, equality for all, and even capitalism, far left ideologists heavily advocate for minority groups under the absurd perception that the United States is experiencing uncontrolled discrimination and systemic racism. However, these perceptions are derived from their delusional subjective ignorance which largely places the blame for society’s problems on White heterosexual men and police officers, the latter of whom far left ideologists wish to abolish from society. Police are especially detested by followers of the Ponzi scheme colloquially known as Black Lives Matter and extremist movements such as Antifa. Part of the far left delusion is the insistence that parents should have no say on the K-12 curriculum and that debt accrued from college loans should be “forgiven” by taxpayers.
Far left ideologists believe that illegal immigrants should be allowed to freely cross the border and live wherever they want, taking no time to consider resource use, folks who legally obtained citizenship, or whether illegal immigrants pay federal income tax. Progressivists also have a very warped understanding of human biology, psychology, and society, believing that biological sex is on a spectrum, that sex is malleable, confuse gender with gender identity, and believe that all of society should take part in their self-image and ridiculous pronoun vernacular. Unlike liberals, who can more-or-less coexist with conservatives, far left ideologists vehemently loathe conservatives, often mindlessly assuming that right-wing extremists share the same ideological values as moderate conservatives and Republicans. Far left politicians and their constituents also believe that the government should have complete control over the market economy, valuing equality over hard work and granting everyone access to the same lifestyle, regardless of each individual’s contribution, or lack thereof, to society.
While left-wing extremists have committed less documented homicides than right-wing extremists, progressive ideologists have facilitated the use of protesting/counter-protesting, vandalism, doxxing, arson, rioting, and crowd intimidation tactics against their “enemies,” occasionally forging falsehoods to accompany their narrative of perceived oppression. Unlike far right extremists, the far left has less tendency of supporting absolute social dominance and absolute intolerance, thus supposedly decreasing the overall likelihood of engaging in violence. Nonetheless, during a verbal confrontation, progressivists generally lack concrete, empirical information to support their claims and instead exhibit belligerent behavior, opting to continuously shout the same obnoxious word or phrase, resort to character attacks or nonsensical rebuttals, deny accountability, use deflection tactics and verbal insults, or walk away entirely (the primary go-to if not backed by a crowd of like-minded idiots). Additionally, far left ideologists are the progenitors of the social phenomenon known as “cancel culture.”
A hypothetical far left society would be comprised of an authoritarian leadership that is only tolerant of radical socialist ideology, penalizing critics of government policy and severely limiting constitutional rights.
Liberalism, as we know it today, carved its niche into society during the Civil and Women’s Rights movements of the 1960s, which saw activists striving for civil liberties and an end to racial and gender discrimination, later advocating the same for the LGB community in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. In general, liberalism is pro-federalism and is defined by equality, individual liberty, pluralism, and tolerance, with ideologists favoring a larger government and increased government spending, specifically on social welfare, healthcare, and education. While liberals generally support capitalism, they prefer a more regulated market in which the government has some aspect of control and direct oversight. Liberals, like conservatives, desire a lawful and secure society, though liberals place a greater emphasis on social justice and mending inequity, with much less interest in the literal interpretation of the Constitution, instead preferring directives that provide equality and individual liberties. This also extends to individual lifestyle choices, with liberals less likely to exhibit patriarchal ideals, such as getting married and starting a family, and instead being driven by personal goals and casual relationships.
Liberals believe that folks in the upper income bracket should be taxed significantly more (a perception made without even knowing how much one percenters already contribute in taxes), positing that the government should raise taxes when necessary, particularly in the interest of maintaining a balanced society. Liberals ethically support abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and gay marriage, additionally preferring significantly greater regulation on firearms which includes banning civilian ownership of assault rifles. Liberalism is more dependant on the federal government, postulating that society’s woes are the result of flawed, unregulated state governments rather than the irresponsible and unethical actions of individuals or corruption in the federal government. Many liberals believe the age old adage of college after high school, thinking that higher education is necessary for individuals who wish to enter into any field in the professional workforce and that college tuition should be free or severely reduced in cost. Additionally, liberals are more keen on an open immigration policy, putting less focus on border security and regulated immigration.
The moderate left, also known as left of center, conservative liberals, or moderate liberalism, is a social and political ideology that is far less progressive than mainstream liberalism, especially the radical progressivism of the far left. Unlike many liberals within the Democratic party, moderate liberals are more cautious of social change, often refusing to jump on the liberal bandwagon, particularly when it comes to extreme beliefs. Moderate leftists are more likely to care about marriage, having children, and practicing religion. Moreover, moderates on the left may oppose abortion.
Moderate and mainstream liberals hold the same viewpoints on civil rights, personal liberties, and gender equality, but moderate liberals are conversely more in favor of a free market economy and are skeptical of impractical government welfare programs and government spending that do little to remedy societal and economic problems. In stark contrast to liberals, some moderate leftists question the transgender movement, having skepticism about the psychological state-of-mind and rationale of the movement’s advocates. Moreover, some moderate liberals are in favor of the Second Amendment, advocating against strict firearm regulations and the banning of assault rifles. They may also be less keen on an open border policy and unregulated immigration.
Moderates (center) may have mainstream conservative and liberal views but hold them with less tenacity than more devoted ideologists. Moderates comprise a large fraction of Americans referred to as swing voters, or independents, that may vote Republican or Democrat depending on the candidates and their policies. The most notable aspect of moderates, whether left-leaning or right-leaning, is their penchant for rejecting the radical views held by conservatives and liberals, especially extremists on the far right and the far left. Moderates are also less likely to make reckless decisions or form clueless opinions based on political and social ideology, instead taking time to consider the prospective repercussions, favoring practical solutions with a willingness to compromise.
Quite often, “moderate,” or “moderate center,” is interchanged with “centrist,” the latter of which is an unrealistic ideological viewpoint since centrism embodies an unbiased, balanced political outlook of the left and the right together. Because of this, centrist ideologists wouldn’t want the balance tipped too far right or left, nor would they tolerate drastic change to preexisting policies they deem to be effective as is. Unfortunately, this is reality which means that everyone is biased, so therefore, we reject centrism as a practical ideological stance on the grounds that it’s highly unlikely that a majority of Americans are capable of holding strong opinions, both conservative and liberal, that are morally and objectively balanced, especially in the current political climate.
Thus, we prefer “moderate” since it’s most apt for describing those who reject extremism and simultaneously hold conservative and liberal views, though with much less vigor and pertinacity than mainstream conservatives and liberals. More importantly, whether moderates are more left leaning or right leaning, they are capable of understanding and accepting an opposing viewpoint regardless of whether they agree with it or not.
The moderate right, also known as right of center, liberal conservatives, or moderate conservatism, is a political and social stance held by individuals who hold conservative values, only with less conviction. As opposed to traditional conservatism, moderate conservatives may not necessarily share a traditionalistic view of conservative ideology, examples being a lack of the religious component, reluctance to observing patriarchal values, less opinionated about gay marriage, may be pro-choice, or may hold opposition to capital punishment.
Perhaps the most noteworthy difference that sets moderate conservatives apart from traditionalists is their greater flexibility for social change, putting less of an emphasis on preserving pure conservative values. Although this doesn’t necessarily mean that moderate conservatives will outright agree with much of the liberal ideology, they are more accepting of opposing viewpoints, so long as they’re not extreme.
We have observed that many misinformed (far left) Americans often interchange far right ideology with traditional conservatism, something that couldn’t be further from the truth. U.S. conservatism favors anti-federalism, or rather a smaller federal government, thus allowing individual states to govern themselves more freely while decreasing corruption within the federal government. Additionally, conservatives prefer lower taxes and less government spending, incentivizing folks in the upper income bracket to invest in the economy and to donate to charity. Conservatives value capitalism, an ordered and secure society governed by law, and only prefer issuing government assistance to those who are in absolute dire need, preferring that the private sector provides a majority of the nation’s services, notably healthcare.
Conservatism is defined by traditionalism, with American conservatives valuing the nuclear family, the right to bear arms, property rights, the military, law enforcement, and capital punishment for heinous crimes, with the general consensus that individuals should take personal responsibility for their livelihood and actions; the government’s job is to hold people accountable for inappropriate or criminal conduct. Religion is often an important aspect of conservatism as many religious connotations are intertwined with conservative values, notably the institution of marriage, having children only after marriage, and the role men and women play in the familial structure and society.
Conservatives are largely opposed to labor unions, citing that they hinder companies from functioning effectively and make it more difficult for employers to terminate unproductive employees. While there is some truth to this point, it is also contradicted by crony capitalism and corporate greed, which in the past and present, have negatively impacted blue-collar jobs that pay living wages, and has largely been responsible for the decimation of the middle-class income bracket. Conservatives ethically oppose embryonic stem cell research, abortion, and gay marriage. Notably, conservatives question the institution of education, with many disputing the recent direction of the K-12 curriculum and whether higher education is truly necessary for entry into a majority of the fields in the professional workforce. Furthermore, conservatives oppose illegal immigration, preferring strong border security and responsible immigration policy.
The far right, aptly termed regressivism, is essentially reactionary and radical social conservatism that is often referenced to nationalism, traditionalism, fascism, nativism, authoritarianism, and right-wing extremism. Racism, anti-alphabet people, government opposition, and violence have often been attributed to far right ideology, though a more apt depiction is akin to paranoid politics, with the perception that liberalism is an attack on American freedom. Many far right ideologists also believe that it is their “God-given right” to live in America. Far right ideology is defined by a fear of too much liberal change to society, conspiracy theories, the existence of aliens, and objection to a large democratic federal government. With complete opposition to immigration, far right militias have been known to detain illegal immigrants caught crossing the border and have even committed violence against migrants.
Radicalized far right ideologists often join well known right-wing extremist groups that are racist, anti-liberal, and/or anti-government. Neo-Nazism and Nazi Germany symbolism is associated with some right-wing extremist groups but does not principally define far right ideology in its entirety. However, much of the violence perpetrated by far right extremists is racially motivated and more acts of domestic terrorism have been committed by far right ideologists than any other political ideological movement in the United States. Far right extremists are generally very aggressive individuals when confronted with opposing views, often resorting to threats or violence as an immediate response.
Far right extremists detest government authority and law enforcement, often exhibiting belligerent behavior in the presence of authority figures such as police officers. Right-wing extremism additionally has a correlation to a closed-minded, dogmatic view of structure and order and ideologists have an elevated need for eliminating ambiguity, preferring definite conclusions. These factors ultimately contribute to the far right biases that lead to violence. Because of this, far right ideologists are widely held responsible for the attack on the Capitol that took place on January 6, 2021, in which extremists stormed several government buildings in Washington D.C. after former President Donald Trump allegedly instructed them to via Twitter. The professional consensus was that the attack was carried out by Trump supporters who believed that the 2021 election was rigged.
A hypothetical far right society would be comprised of an authoritarian leadership that would only tolerate far right ideology, allotting virtually nothing to anyone they oppose and subjugating opponents to violence and oppression.
Side Note: The far right and the far left have more in common than people may think, particularly in the sense that both are intolerant of opposing views and generally throw morality, common sense, intelligence, ethics, and integrity out the window. While their ideological views are vastly different, research has noted that right- and left-wing extremists share a simplistic outlook of society, often exhibiting anger and the use of negative language to defend their beliefs against any perceived worldview-violating threats.
Extremists on both sides, however, make up a significantly small percentage of the U.S. population and the magnitude of their movements is often overestimated. Statistics on violence aside, it has been suggested that both left- and right-wing extremists are equally just as likely to commit acts of violence in pursuit or defense of their ideological values (Source ).
And of course, our favorite, mostly due to the absurdity of it. Libertarianism is what we like to call the, “go buy an island and start your own fucking country,” movement. Libertarianism is quite often mistaken as a form of radical conservatism, likely due to libertarians favoring little to no government and their interest in fiscal conservatism (free market capitalism). A fraction of the participants who took part in the 2021 Capitol attack identified as libertarians, as evidenced by the whiny “don’t tread on me” flags seen during the skirmish, but as we illustrated above, libertarianism is quite detached from the main spectrum.
Many libertarians question the continual existence of American law enforcement, often erroneously exaggerating the level of corruption within the criminal justice system and stating that law enforcement does more harm than good for society. This perception is rather naive and expresses little understanding of human behavior and social cohesion, not to mention, it fails to properly address how an American libertarian society would handle grievous misconduct. More extreme libertarians outright hate law enforcement, labeling police as tyrants and perform “audits” on police and other government employees by filming them in public places, particularly hoping that provoking them with their obnoxious behavior will result in a violation of their constitutional rights. First Amendment “auditors” often have Youtube channels where they post their videos, patting themselves on the back as patriots who are educating the public, though in actuality aren’t doing anything remotely constructive that promotes positive change.
Unlike conservatives, libertarians want absolute autonomy, the rationale being that as long as their actions aren’t directly impacting others, then anything should be permissible, a view not unlike the far right. That would greatly conflict with the conservative view that favors civilized society and security, with societal degradation as the likely outcome of pure libertarianism. As for the left, liberals and libertarians both covet personal freedoms and civil rights, though libertarians would be intolerant of a large government that regulates the economy and implements tax-funded social welfare, instead preferably relying on the integrity of individuals to act accordingly. What a vivid imagination…
Note: This is a description of pure libertarianism. People all over the spectrum may hold libertarian views on specific issues but overall fall under a different political ideology.
There are always those of you who the aforementioned ideological values don’t necessarily apply to, mostly because it’d be impractical to feature every single political or ideological movement. Fortunately, we have a solution for that.
Being unsure about anything is completely natural, especially when it comes to all the dipshits and nonsense in U.S. politics. It also explains why a fraction of voters don’t identify as Republican or Democrat.
While some independent voters may fall into this category, undecided folks generally account for those who have constantly changing liberal and conservative views, individuals who have become disillusioned with politics and/or America’s stupid culture war, or people who are apathetic towards politics (apolitical) and social ideology, instead preferring to live their lives in peace.
The United States is actually comprised of far more than two political parties. While the Republican and Democratic parties are nationally recognized, other parties or ideological movements are only recognized by single states, a handful of states, or are associated with U.S. territories, an example being Puerto Rico.
Other is also applicable to members located outside of the U.S., who live in countries which have much different political, governmental, and/or ideological structures. Alternatively, other may apply to social ideologies that are unorthodox or vastly different from the mainstream.
There is no obligation for registered users to showcase their political or ideological inclinations in their profile, so during registration, choose “None” under Political Ideology for the plain Jane theme.
At the end of the day, we appreciate anyone and everyone who becomes a member of The Radical Intellect.
