OnTableTop – Home of Beasts of War

Reply To: Warzan's Grand Prognostication to Frustration

February 26, 2019 at 12:24 pm #1354195

18060xp

I think he’s wrong with the Trichotomy. Politics does not exist on a linear scale (left to right) nor does it exist on a two dimensional scale (Left/Right and Up/Down) nor does it exist on a triangular scale. I think politics is three (possibly even four*) dimensional, which is quite hard to represent on a graphic. As I see it, the three political dichotomies can be loosely described as:

Economics: Socialism vs Capitalism (on most political compasses, this is the left and right)

Goverment: Authoritarian vs Libertarian (on most political compasses, this is the top and bottom)

Culture: Progressive vs Conservative (on most political compasses, this is mingled in with left and right but is, in my opinion, completely separate and disctinct from economics)

I would descibe the Imperium of man as economically Socialist (the state owns nearly all means of production), Governmentally Authoritarian (citizens have virtually no freedom or liberty and are, for the most part, slaves) and culturally conservative (they exhibit high degrees of segregation, there is little to no social mobility and you are born into a role which you pretty much keep your entire life).

*this can be made more complicated by adding a fourth component – Nationalism vs Globalism. The Imperium is most definitely nationalist