Basic Concepts of Right Wing and Left Wing
Today, I'll explain "right-wing" and "left-wing" political orientations. These terms describe a person's ideological position. People often say things like, "That's a rather right-wing perspective" or "That's a left-wing opinion." In the United States, the terms "conservative" and "progressive" are used more frequently, but they essentially carry the same meaning. Sometimes, people simplify it even further by saying something "leans to the right" or "leans to the left."
Defining Right Wing (Conservative) and Left Wing (Progressive)
The right wing, or right, is also known as conservatism. It represents the position that favors maintaining the current state of affairs on certain issues or continuing with existing approaches. Conversely, the left wing, or left, is also called progressivism and represents the position that seeks to change society from its current state toward different ideals. Simply put, conservative thinking aims to preserve the status quo, while progressive thinking seeks innovation and different approaches.
Flexibility of Right and Left Wing Based on Context
It's important to note that right and left wing are positions divided according to specific topics. Depending on the subject or situation, the same ideology can be considered right-wing or left-wing. For example, in the United States after the Constitution was established in 1787, the opinion that "the federal government's power should remain strong" would be a right-wing idea seeking to maintain the status quo. However, around 1776 during the early independence period when the federal government was weak, advocating to "strengthen the federal government" would be considered an innovative idea and therefore a left-wing opinion. The same view about "needing a strong federal government" can be interpreted differently depending on the context.
Origin of the Terms "Right Wing" and "Left Wing"
While it's easy to understand these concepts as conservative and progressive, you might wonder why we use the terms "right wing" and "left wing." Their origin dates back to the French Revolution of 1789, but similar concepts are used to explain political divisions in the United States. In early American history, consider the British colonial period of 1776. The British monarchy held absolute power and imposed heavy taxes on colonial residents, with the king and nobility living luxuriously from these taxes. This led to growing discontent among colonists. "This system must change. The king's power must be limited." With this determination, residents declared independence in 1776 and moved to create a new political system.
Congressional Division and Political Polarization in America
During this process, political positions diverged at events like the Constitutional Convention of 1787. On one side were conservative forces (which would later form the roots of the Republican Party) who supported maintaining traditional relationships with Britain or opposed strong central government in favor of state-centered autonomy. On the other side were progressive forces (which would later form the roots of the Democratic Party) who wanted to strengthen the central government's power and have the people's will more reflected in politics. This division evolved into the concept that "right wing is conservative, left wing is progressive."
Right Wing and Left Wing in American Examples
American examples can make these concepts clearer. The most straightforward example is the topic of "supporting or opposing gun ownership rights." The opinion that "gun ownership rights should be maintained as they are" based on the Second Amendment established in 1791 is a right-wing perspective, while the opinion that "gun regulation is necessary" is a left-wing view. A more complex example is the debate over constitutional interpretation. The position that "the Constitution should be interpreted and maintained exactly as written in 1787" is conservative right-wing, commonly seen in the Republican Party. Meanwhile, the position that "the Constitution should be reinterpreted or amended to fit the times" is progressive left-wing, frequently advocated by the Democratic Party.
Twisted Structure of Constitutional and Political Ideologies
Interestingly, innovative movements to change the Constitution sometimes come from the right wing (e.g., the 2022 decision strengthening abortion bans), while conservative attitudes to maintain the status quo can come from the left wing (e.g., maintaining Obamacare in 2010). This is due to America's unique history. After winning World War II in 1945, America entered the Cold War period from 1947 and strengthened its military. At that time, the thinking that "strong military power must be maintained to block communism" was a right-wing position rooted in the Republican Party and conservative forces. However, after the Vietnam War (which ended in 1975) and the anti-war movement of the late 1960s, the left-wing progressive ideology of "reducing military power and pursuing peace" began to gain strength, centered around the Democratic Party.
New Conservatism and Progressivism After the War
After victory in 1945, America led social change by emphasizing new constitutional values such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This gave rise to two conservative positions. One is traditional conservatism (right wing) advocating "maintaining the freedom and traditions America has preserved since 1776," and the other is a new conservatism (left wing) supporting "preserving the values of equality and welfare established after 1945." This new conservatism became the left wing trying to protect the Constitution and welfare systems, while the right wing sought to change existing values.
Opposition Between Right and Left Wing
Although the structure may seem twisted, the basic premise that the left wing is the opposite of the right wing remains unchanged. Thus, right and left wings often fiercely oppose each other. As an extension of this, people criticize others based on ideological differences, saying, "That person is right-wing" or "That person is left-wing." The right wing denounces the left as "liberals" or "socialists," while the left attacks the right as "far-right" or "Trump supporters." The term "Trump supporter" originally referred to people making right-wing statements online after the 2016 presidential election but is now sometimes used by the left to mock the right. Conversely, the right criticizes the left as "leftists" or "woke."
Claims of Right and Left Wing
Now, let's examine the claims and issues of both sides. Since supporting long-established American traditions is right-wing, statements like "true patriotism belongs to the right wing," "the left wing only criticizes America," "the left wing is anti-American," and "if you don't like America, leave America" are frequently heard from the right. However, the left wing isn't trying to disparage America out of dislike. The left-wing perspective is that "America has many areas for improvement" and "we want to make it a more ideal country than it is now." The basic principle of the left wing is to act toward ideals different from the current state.
The Left's Will for Improvement
For example, they advocate positions like, "Let's actively pursue technological innovation and climate change response. By introducing electric vehicles and renewable energy by 2035, we'll become a more sustainable country." To improve America, one must first identify outdated policies or areas where America lags behind. The left-wing approach is to find current problems and work to improve them, saying things like, "America's healthcare system is too inefficient" or "Educational inequality is serious." Because they continue to point out these issues, the right criticizes them with statements like, "The left only talks about America's bad points" or "If you think it's so bad, leave America."
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