The Differences Between Left and Right: Part I

Dennis Prager - Most Americans hold either liberal or conservative positions on most matters. In many instances, however, they would be hard pressed to explain their position or the position they oppose. --But if you can’t explain both sides, how do you know you’re right? At the very least, you need to understand both the liberal and conservative positions in order to effectively understand your own. --I grew up in a liberal world — New York, Jewish and Ivy League graduate school. I was an 8-year-old when President Dwight Eisenhower ran for re-election against the Democratic nominee, Adlai Stevenson. I knew nothing about politics and had little interest in the subject. But I well recall knowing — knowing, not merely believing — that Democrats were “for the little guy” and Republicans were “for the rich guys.”

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Differences Between Left and Right: Part II

Dennis Prager - The difference between Right and Left addressed in this column concerns a fundamentally different method that each utilizes in order to improve society. --Conservatives believe that the way to a better world is almost always through moral improvement of the individual — by each person doing battle with his own moral defects. It is true that in particularly violent and evil societies such as fascist, communist and Islamist tyrannies the individual must be preoccupied with battling outside forces. Almost everywhere else, however, and certainly in a free and decent country such as America, the greatest battle of the individual must be with inner forces — that is, with his or her flawed character and moral defects. (See Left-Right Difference Part 1 concerning their differing perceptions of human nature.)

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'Does It Do Good?' vs. 'Does It Feel Good?' Left-Right Differences: Part III

Dennis Prager - A fundamental difference between the left and right concerns how each assesses public policies. The right asks, "Does it do good?" The left asks a different question. --One example is the minimum wage. In 1987, The New York Times editorialized against any minimum wage. The title of the editorial said it all -- "The Right Minimum Wage: $0.00."

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The Left Rejects Painful Truths: Left-Right Differences, Part IV

Dennis Prager - Here's a difference between Left and Right that is rarely noted despite the fact that it is at least as important as any other and even explains many of the other differences. --At the core of left-wing thought is a rejection of painful realities, the rejection of what the French call les faits de la vie: the facts of life. Conservatives, on the other hand, are all too aware of these painful realities of life and base many of their positions on them.

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