The Left vs. Right Illusion

I've written about this many times, most recently in my last blog post:
http://rabbit-hole-journey.blogspot.com/2007/09/reps-and-dems-are-pushing-authoritarian.html

Here is an article I enjoyed very much:
http://www.freedomforceinternational.org/freedomcontent.cfm?fuseaction=left_right&refpage=issues
A more detailed article on the same topic is here:
http://www.freedomforceinternational.org/pdf/futurecalling1.pdf
The above, a PDF file, is a very interesting read, highly recommended.
It's by G. Edward Griffin, an author I've mentioned earlier.

Excerpt from the first link:

"Would you rather be a Neoconservative or a Progressive? That is a trick question. The trick is in the fact that, although there may be differences between the rhetoric and short-term agendas of these groups, their long-term goals actually are the same."

The illusion of opposites has been a dominant part of the world's political landscape for over a century and it has been the primary reason for the advance of collectivism during that time.

In today's debate, the illusion of opposites has become a myth of gigantic proportions.

.. if there is any doubt of the similarity between the collectivism of Marx and the collectivism of Hitler, all one has to do is read Das Kapital, The Communist Manifesto, and Mein Kampf. The point is that, when the labels are peeled off and the underlying ideologies are examined, we come inexorably to the conclusion that every one of them is built upon the foundation of collectivism.

What are the elements of collectivism that are common to all of these seemingly opposite forces? Collectivists on the so-called Left and Right agree that:

1. Rights are derived from the state; (comment: i.e. not inherent in individuals and simply protected by the state)
2. The group is more important than the individual;
3. Coercion is the preferred method to bring about reform;
4. Laws should be applied differently to different classes;
5. Providing benefits (redistributing wealth) is the proper role of government.
It is sad that intelligent people with knowledge of this history still cling to the myth that they are opposites when it is so clear they are merely different manifestations of the same ideology.

Both “Left and Right” are ready to sacrifice freedom for the furtherance of their agendas. Both camps are willing to grant freedom to those who accept their political and social mores but do not hesitate to withhold it from those who oppose them.