Too lefty for my Liberalism

The political spectrum 'circle'

As history has taught us, the extremities of the left and right wing are not actually too far apart. The pendulum had swung quite nicely to the left in Atlantic politics until a few years ago. New Labour governing for over a decade in the UK, and Obama becoming Europe's favourite US president for absolutely ages.

But in these austere times, the liberals are questioning what went wrong. The web is littered with articles trying to put some perspective into the success of the Tea Party movement, and questioning the legitimacy and integrity of the left wing in the developed world. And furthermore, you have China and Brazil championing national champions in their meteoric economic rise - just to rub salt into Western wounds.

My last words today are 'borrowed' from the Maverick Philosopher's excellent blog entry. It is uncomfortable to stand unflinchingly for convictions that I accept as only relatively valid; one must utilise conviction and flexibility reflexively to aim towards moral and political maturity.

Here is a selection for you to enjoy, if you don't know much about it already:
The increasingly complex politics of Climate Change
Happy Meals being banned in San Francisco
YouTube: How Liberals Argue
Maverick Philosopher blog - Conservative Activism, The Left's Incomprehension, and the Genetic Fallacy (2010 Version)
Stumbling and Mumbling blog - Dobbs Paradox