That's interesting. Maybe my definitions are wrong. I tend to think of left as consolidated /centralized power and right as the opposite of that. CW for length
I tend to want the minimal necessary centralization of power, meaning maximum freedom from government intrusion.
When Republicans want more centralized power I see that as a move to the left. It's a problem to see Republican and Democrat as the far limits of the spectrum, as it seems most are to the left side of the spectrum, seeking more centralized power as you said, at least nationally. I'm not affiliated with any party anymore, but as I tend to reject the redistribution of power away from individuals to give it to politicians and bureaucrats, which I think puts me on the right, where I'd see principled libertarians any anyone who likewise rejects federal power grabs.
But I think I use the terms left/right differently than others in some way.
Even more problematically, left/right means different things internationally. Any dictator is (by my understanding) on the left, because you can't be a dictator unless you've centralized power. Is Hitler, the national socialist, seen to be on the right because he was in some ways not as in favor of centralized power as others? I'm not sure.
How do you define right and left?
