Perhaps the stupidest idea that everyone takes for granted is that higher education in the United States is left-wing.
If “left” and “right” have any meaning at all, “right” describes a worldview under which civilized society depends upon legitimate hierarchy, and a key object of politics is properly defining and protecting that hierarchy.
Therefore markets – and free markets more especially – are not a right wing idea. For the entire point about the free in free markets is that absolutely anyone gets to try overturning that hierarchy. And, often enough, succeeds. Apple fucked over AT&T rather nicely, Whitney’s cotton gin entirely shafted the linen and wool weavers, Aldi and Lidl cost Sainsbury’s shareholders billion upon billion.
Which means that the left embraces markets as those hierarchy overturning engines that they are. Right?
Ah, there we go then, we shouldn’t be taking Interfluidity seriously then, should we?
How nice. A woke left wing institution is right wing. And of course, if their left wing nonsense doesn’t work, it’s because of a right wing conspiracy.
The bloke sounds like a mirror image of me!!! Talking about climate change. Or whatever they call it nowadays.
The left “is anti-hierarchy “. Good try.
No, they just want a different hierarchy. Theirs.
There’s a lot of this interfluidity about. First we were polite, then we were politically correct, now we are woke.
And liberal has made a 180 degree turn too, but it took longer.
Recusant: Bingo. I’m quite prepared to accept – in fact, I’ve said for years – that the Left isn’t anything like as rebellious and iconoclastic as it likes to tell itself, but what you see on that page is someone tying himself into knots trying not to face up to the fact that Lefties are the baddies in this picture.
Left usually means socially liberal but economically autocratic. It says things like gay marriage and abortion should be permitted, leaving choice up to the individual, but the economy should be centreally managed, taking choice away from the individual.
Right is usually used to mean the opposite – socially authoritarian, but economically liberal. So you cannot choose who you marry, but you can choose how you earn and spend your money.
“you cannot choose who you marry, ”
Since when did anyone on the right object to who you married? Certainly not since politics was assigned a left & a right.
Or are you talking about the same sex absurdity?
People don’t take it for granted though you silly moo. They come to that rather obvious conclusion by observing what you are allowed to say and keep your job and what costs you your job to utter.
‘To be an academic and be left-wing is like being a fish opposed to water. It is not persuasive. Or it ought not to be.
Let’s hope Richard Murphy doesn’t find this out or it might push him over the edge
@bloke in spain – “Since when did anyone on the right object to who you married?”
Since pretty much always. And yes, gay marriage is the big, obvious example.
Here’s a response! Good to hear from you! https://drafts.interfluidity.com/2023/03/08/libertarians-and-hierarchy/index.html