Maps the death of politics based on the traditional opposition between Left and Right, and offers a provocative argument for the emergence of a new values-based politics in Australia.
Why is Malcolm Fraser now a folk hero of the Left, and John Howard the best mate of Tasmanian union leaders?
In 'Beyond Right And Left', David McKnight maps the decline of the distinction between Right and Left in politics. He explains the powerful ideas behind the rise of the 'New Right', and the collapse of the socialist ideals of the Left. He shows how this historic shift in ideas has left us in a political and social impasse, in which the conservatives are the new radicals, and the Left are the new conservatives.
McKnight explains how this new political dynamic plays out in touchstone issues: the family, the environment and the culture wars. He argues that those who seek a fairer world are looking to a new configuration of political ideas based on values, and that this could become a 'new humanism'.
Confronting complacency on both Right and Left, this is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the forces driving Australian politics today.
