A New Political Axis

[Truth2Tell]

Politics by its nature is multi-dimensional. Human viewpoints on government and public policy have never plotted out very usefully on line graphs. Even popular two-dimensional systems of left/libertarian, right/authoritarian, etc, are crude representations at best of the myriad schools of thought that impact any political system - including ours. Alliances and coalitions of all types between these myriad interests form the power structures that compete for dominance of the system. The reality of the system is very multi-dimensional. But its very difficult to know this living in America.

Why?

Because the American political infrastructure and main steam media push a definition of politics that is only one-dimensional. Left vs Right. Party One vs Party Two. The institutional structures support only one dimension and the messaging always remains one dimensional. To the extent that the vast majority of the electorate has gone along with this shallow program, it has remained the standard.

But it now seems a few more people are waking up to the realities of our multi-dimensional world. In particular, an array of Americans from both "left" and "right" are discovering a new axis of thought: Top vs Bottom. Elite vs Abused. Populist vs Corporatist. This axis of ideology has always existed in our politics, and has sometimes surfaced quite openly. But it's been rather dormant of late - hidden from the minds eye quite deliberately by those on the "Top" side of the divide.

As American voters gradually become aware of this new dimension poking its head up in our political discourse, the effects may be extremely unpredictable. But good unpredictable.

[Goldstein1984]

1. "But good unpredictable" -- Absolutely

The Democrat/Republican (Left/Right) axis is an intentional distraction from the real axis of conflict--class.

Thank you for a thoughtful OP that expresses my view of the issue better than I have been able to.

G1984

[rhett o rick]

4. .

[Odin2005]

2. K&R

[G_j]

3. true

the biggest danger IMO, are religious divides. bigotry etc. that pit people against each other.

[Truth2Tell]

5. Quite true,

although it's useful for activists of a populist bent to remember that corporatists of both major Parties have been forming temporary alliances of convenience with a variety of bigots and losers for many many years. It's only when you or I consider doing it that the howling starts.

[leftstreet]

6. Solidarity!

K&R

[MisterP]

7. jettisoning "l-vs-r" is rather iffy: how many of those betraying the people

are really leftists? since Kucinich, Nader, and the Marxists are coherently left and Bottom, and the Dem corporatists and Tops are uniformly right and center, the l/r axis is not being blurred or warped by those examples

top-vs-bottom makes a great framing, if it can attract anti-bank Teabaggers while educating them out of their Bircher and George Lincoln Rockwell ideas (just ask them to say why they prefer Ron Paul over Kucinich, since Paul's libertarianism would just restart the capitalist cycle of boom-and-bust and consolidation without big gub'mint--and, if we're okay with the state breaking up monopolism, why can't it give us some nice things like wealth redistribution and social programs that let more infants and elderly live, even if they are outside the bourgeois mentality?)

[Truth2Tell]

8. I specialize in converting Paul followers to Kucinich.

They are a natural, as are almost all Americans if the issues are framed properly.

I wouldn't suggest abandoning L/R, just expanding on it - becoming multi-dimensional. :)

[MisterP]

10. ooh, got any tips? I know some... nt

[Truth2Tell]

9. am kick nt