[Vision2020] US Politics Have No Left Wing

[Chasuk]

Please read this.  Even if you usually skip posts by Chas, I request
that you pay attention just this once.

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US Politics Have No Left Wing

http://scienceblogs.com/aardvarchaeology/2008/02/us_politics_have_no_left_wing.php

This is the first time that I'm aware of the US primary elections.
I've never been very interested in the news, having at best a hazy
idea even of Swedish politics. Blogging is entirely responsible for my
heightened awareness of US political matters over the past two to
three years. I've taken to reading US blogs and hanging out in web
forums dominated by Americans. And what I've learned scares me.

US politics often look absurd from a European perspective, since the
entire bipartisan system maps onto the conservative half of European
politics. A case in point is that the US "Left" is called "the
liberals", while the Liberal Party in Sweden is part of the Right
wing. How could it be otherwise? Liberalism is about free-market
capitalism, small government, low taxes, all Right-wing ideals. Yes,
both US parties advocate low taxes. Normal taxes are 30% to a Swede.
And that's rock bottom, before adding the effect of progressive
taxation. That's how we can afford universal health care. Hint, hint.

So, believe me, US politics don't have a Left. Looking at the
presidential candidates, I am frankly appalled. None of them would be
a viable politician in Sweden. They all support the death penalty,
none advocates strict gun control and all make frequent mention of
their religious beliefs in public. These are extremist stances. Not
even the tiny Christian Democrat party mentions God publicly in
Sweden, for fear of alienating the pragmatic rationalist majority.

>From a European perspective, US politics are an ongoing battle between
the extreme Right and the middle Right. The Republican presidential
candidates are really, really scary people in my view. So all of us in
the world at large who live under the shadow of US political hegemony
are holding our breaths, hoping that Clinton or Obama will make it
into office. They're pretty bad, but the alternative would be
unspeakably dreadful.

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Why do I consider the previous so important, you ask?  Because it
expresses more casually and more succinctly how most of Western Europe
see us, and largely informs my own politics.  Now you know where crazy
Chas is coming from, when Chas is being crazy.