There is always to much confusion over what left-wing or right-wing actually mean. Because they're so rarely defined these days the two sides have come to include things which, in reality, do not necessarily have anything to do with the respective ideologies. Often, right-wing has just become a synonym for Conservatism (or Republicanism in the US) and left-wing has come to mean anything which is in opposition to this. For many people, right-wing has become an insult to be levelled at certain groups; equally at one time in America, being seen as left-wing could get you arrested.

In reality neither right-wing or left-wing ideologies are 'bad' or 'good'. Broadly speaking, they can be defined simply; right-wing focuses on the individual, and left-wing focuses on society. All other aspects follow on from this. Contrary to popular belief, the right-wing is not be nature tough on crime, drugs and 'alternative lifestyles', while the left is more permissive. If anything, it's the reverse. A right-wing ideology is by its very nature more permissive, while a true left-winger would focus less on the rights of the individual and more on their impact on society.

Take the example of drugs policy. It is generally assumed that the right-wing is against drug use, while the left is more permissive. This is crap. A true right-winger would argue that because an individual does not impact society, they can use drugs, even hard drugs, as they please and do what they want to themselves. In contrast a left-wing ideology would be very anti-drugs, because of the impact drug use has on those around the user, and on society in general. A true right-winger like Dr David Starkey argues for the legalization of all drugs, not their restriction.

Religion is often considered to be right-wing. Again, this is often crap. All Judaeo-Christian religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) are profoundly, totally left-wing. There is very little practical difference between Communism and Christianity. The focus of the Bible, for example, is on caring a loving for others, not on the individual. Buddhism is an example of an extreme right-wing religion, because it essentially says that there is no point on helping others, and that obtaining enlightenment for the self is the only worthwhile thing to do.

Communism and Capitalism are both examples of left-wing and right-wing ideologies. Communism removes the rights of individuals in order to give greater power and equality to society as a whole. In contrast, true Capitalism gives total freedom to the individual, but support from society is lost in the process.

The confusion arises because political parties which claim to be left or right wing very rarely actually are, in a complete sense. Though the US Republican Party and the British Conservative Party to put the individual over society and focus on individual freedom, they also harbour many contrary policies. Both parties are very left-wing in their attitude to drugs, because they both condemn them and wish to be seen as 'tough' on them. Equally, both parties are very homophobic and favour restricting the rights of gay people on the grounds, apparently, that they will cause harm to society. An irrational approach, true, but also a left-wing approach.

Similarly the British Labour Party, and to an extent the US Democrats, claim to be left-wing. While both parties favour more emphasis on society, they both claim to put individual freedom very high on the agenda. For a true left-wing government, freedom is low on the agenda. And of course the more liberal policy on drugs which contrasts with that of the Conservative/Republican party's is based on a right-wing ideology.

This is a simple table which illustrates the two points of view; these are how the sides should be, when as I have said this in not at all the case. For a true extreme of left or right, simply change more and higher to 'total' and less and lower to 'no'.
 

LEFT-WING RIGHT-WING More government Less government Higher taxes Lower taxes Less freedom for the individual More freedom to the individual More social responsibility Less social responsibility More state funding or nationalization Less state funding or nationalization Judaeo-Christianity Buddhism Less freedom to use drugs More freedom to use drugs More education for all More responsibility to educate yourself All men are equal and all share responsibility for each other All men are born equal and all have the same chance to rise above others through work

After all this, the question has to arise 'Which is better?'. Well, I would argue that a mixture of the two is most effective. Instead many governments, such as the current US Bush administration, are primarily right-wing but harbour various prejudices (homophobia, racism) which prevent them from truly following one ideology. Equally many left-wing governments, such as the current Labour government in Britain, pick and choose from right-wing policies.

Broadly speaking, however, when a left-wing party integrates right-wing features, the outcome is positive. British Socialism is essentially a hybrid of Communism and Capitalism, where a balance is obtained between the rights of the individual and the responsibility to society. In contrast, when right-wing governments take from left-wing modes of thought the outcome is generally negative; usually the less permissive and more socially controlling aspects of the left are taken, as has happened in America over the years, resulting in a state which is repressive and controlling in much the same way as a Communist government.

The basic problem with left-wing ideologies is that they are often used to enforce a social hierarchy. A hierarchy is one of the most basic forms of government, and in in a hierarchy no one is equal except with those on the same level as themselves. A left-wing ideology rejects hierarchical structures on principle, favouring social equality, while right-wing ideologies favour a hierarchical structure where all individuals can rise to the highest level based on their own hard work (thus 'any American can be President').

In reality left-wing governments tend to be even more hierarchical than those of the right, because a bigger government means more administration, and some hierarchy is always instituted. However because the left-wing favours social control, it is possible to be enforce a greater social order. In the United States, the racist agenda of the white-run government uses repression to keep its racial minorities down. Here left-wing methods are used for a very non-left-wing (and  arguably non-right-wing) purposes.

It's a common myth that all totalitarian states are right-wing. In reality, totalitarianism and the right are mutually exclusive; you can't have total freedom in a totalitarian state. Fascism is primarily left-wing ideology, but its attempts to gain power over others and enforce a social order with a certain group at the top of the hierarchy is not left-wing in any way. The United States is in many ways a Fascist state, but its foundations are in the right-wing, with equality and freedom at its heart.

I can't consider myself truly left of centre in the true sense, because that requires a loss of individual freedom. But in today's political climate, left of centre is not truly left or centre, and is instead more central. Confusing? This little graph should make thing less clearer.

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