The Three Languages of Politics

by Arnold Kling

This characterization of progressives and conservatives would not pass an ideological Turing test. If you say that you advocate an American police state, conservatives will not embrace you. If you say that you advocate an American nanny state, then progressives will not embrace you. Libertarians are certainly welcome to argue that conservative policies, if fully implemented, would amount to a police state, or that progressive policies, if fully implemented would amount to a nanny state. However, to say that those dystopias are what conservatives and progressives advocate is to put up straw men. These straw men are equivalent to a straw man that says “Libertarians want to see people starve.” You are welcome to argue that libertarian policies would cause people to starve. However, if you say that you advocate having people starve, libertarians will not embrace you as one of their own. You will not pass an ideological Turing test.