Beyond Red and Blue
Beyond Red and Blue by Peter S. Wenz. A descriptive, non-judgmental discussion of 12 types of political philosophies as applied to 14 societal issues. Typically, people use a mix or weighing of philosophies to decide their final position.
Do you think the person holding the placard “Change Politics, not Climate” has inherently declared positions on all issues because of the position expressed in the figure?
Wenz’s book strives to make us realize that there are many political dimensions to gauge diverse social issues against.
Although some people hue a party line, most of us hold some positions that would surprise others who try to pigeon-hole us.
Political Dimensions
| Libertarianism | Theocracy | Multiculturalism |
| Utilitarianism | Natural law | Communitarianism |
| Free-market conservatism | Social conservatism | Cosmopolitarianism |
| Contractarianism | Feminism | Environmentalism |
I found the political dimensions starting with C not useful or helpful.
Social Issues
| Land condemnation for economic growth | Affirmative action | Genetic engineering |
| Letting people die by removing nutrition | Pornography | Wages and taxes |
| Physician-assisted suicide | Internet | Health care |
| War on drugs | Abortion | Immigration |
| War on terrorism | Globalization |
The delineation into 14 social issues appears to span the space of social discussion and action.
The main takeaway is that other people do not stick to one political dimension when they are confronted with diverse social issues.
