[ClearCase_guy]

Indeed. Leftwing and rightwing are terms that are of limited value. Similarly, "libertarian" means anarchist in Europe, and "Libertarian" is a US party that wants to get somebody elected to the White House. Conservative is another term that can be interpeted in some fairly contradictory way.

I see the world divided into two groups: Individualists and Collectivists. American Conservatives are certainly Individualists. The Nazis were certainly Collectivists. Any group which is centered around racist ideas or Identity Politics is certainly Collectivist.

[Sherman Logan]

US conservatives are descended from the Whigs of England who overthrew James II in the Glorious Revolution.

Euro conservatives are descended from the supporters of the Crown who sat on the Right in the French National Assembly, most of Europe’s pols from those who sat on the Left.

There were very few equivalents of the Whigs in the Assembly, and they were eliminated pretty quickly, so were not a factor.

IOW, American conservatives just don’t fit on the usual Right vs. Left spectrum, at least not as it is applied in Europe.

OTOH, American liberals are pretty much wishy-washy Europeal democratic socialists and fit quite nicely on the Left side.