Spectrum 2: DENIM to ORANGE

Spectrum 1 is about the trade-off between central control and personal freedom.

Spectrum 2 is more about intentions, motives and values. Should we do the cool DENIM-clad revolutionary thing? Is it better to seek a more reactionary ORANGEment? How far away from GRAY is it safe to go?

Left and right are meaningless, unless the center is first defined. The center is simply the political status quo. The cumulative effect of all previous political decisions in a society creates the status quo, so every society has a unique political center. A GRAY decision is a decision to stay the course.

A GRAY-ORANGE decision builds on the status quo in a way that brings it more in alignment with the traditional values of the society. A pure ORANGE decision rejects major elements of the current status quo and attempts to create a new status quo based on the traditional values of the society (or of their faction of society).

A DENIM-GRAY decision builds on the status quo in a way that brings it more in alignment with the transcendental ideals of the society. A true DENIM decision rejects major elements of the current status quo and attempts to create a new status quo based on the transcendental ideals of the society (or of their faction of society).

But what are traditional values and transcendental ideals? Isn't there some overlap between the two. Is justice not both a value and an ideal? And likewise for equality, opportunity, liberty?

Of course there's overlap. The differences come down to style and emphasis. Pessimism versus optimism. Historical experience versus ideological justice. Original sin versus a blank slate.

ORANGE people generally see some period in the history of the society as a better/golden age and would like to make political decisions that will return the society to that stage. There is usually disagreement within and between the different shades of ORANGE about which era is the correct target and what decisions would actually take the society in that direction. The animating ideologies of the ORANGE are about restoring lost moral/political/societal virtues.

DENIM people generally see the history of society as progressing towards a better/golden age and would like to make political decisions that will speed up the process. There is usually disagreement within and between the different shades of DENIM about how close the status quo is to the ideal system and what decisions would actually take the society in that direction. The animating ideologies of the DENIM are about fostering new moral/political/societal virtues.