What are Hawk and Dove in US politics ?

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In summary, left-wing and right-wing refer to the political orientations of liberals and conservatives, respectively. The center of the political spectrum tends to drift rightward, as neo conservatism occupies the space between federalism and fascism.
  • #1
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What do they mean in US politic?
And, what are left-wing and right-wing ?
 
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  • #2
A basically, hawk is someone who wants war, a dove is someone who doesn't.
Left and Right are the ends of the political spectrum. Left is "liberal" and right is "conservative" - that applies to the politics of just about any nation.
 
  • #3
So, Bush is Hawk, and Clinton is Dove?
 
  • #4
Communism-------socialism----------X----------federalism-------Fascism

Here is a simple political spectrum. Ideally, democracy encompasses the egalitarian center between socialism and federalism.(X) Totalitarian states lie along the line outward from socialism to communism and from federalism to fascism.
Liberal and conservative should be within the democratic center of the spectrum. However, in american politics this is more and more distorted by neo conservatism which occupies the line somewhere between federalism and fascism. Neoconservatives equate liberalism with socialism and communism. The center then, tends to drift rightward.
 
  • #5
You can forget all of that, except for HAVOC451's post...maybe. At this point every U.S. politician is professionally hawkish. The only difference is in degree.

As far as "liberal" and "conservative"? Your guess is as good as mine; the labels have been so corrupted over the years, especially "conservative", that there is no simple answer.
 
  • #6
"The Hawk and Dove" is a nice tavern on capital hill in DC.

Hawks favor war, doves favor peace. One can be generally hawkish, or dovish, or, one can be a hawk on Iraq, and a Dove on Bosnia for instance. It is not a great system for labelling. One irony is that almost all generals oppose almost all wars. Should we really label them doves?

Left-wing and right-wing are generlly the extremes of liberal and conservative, respectively. It is a bit clumsy, as there are multiple facets to what makes one liberal or conservative. There are also big issues, like trade, which defy labelling.

Njorl
 
  • #7
Actually the Hawks and Doves were special to the Vietnam war. Although there are a lot of opponents of the Iraq war, and a lot of enthusiasts for it, I haven't seen the terms hawk and dove used recently.
 

1. What do Hawk and Dove represent in US politics?

Hawk and Dove are terms used to describe different approaches to foreign policy in the United States. A hawk is someone who advocates for a more aggressive and interventionist foreign policy, while a dove is someone who promotes a more peaceful and diplomatic approach.

2. How did the terms Hawk and Dove originate in US politics?

The terms Hawk and Dove were first used in the 1960s during the Vietnam War. Hawks were those who supported the US military's involvement in the war, while doves were those who opposed it and called for peace.

3. Are Hawk and Dove political parties in the US?

No, Hawk and Dove are not political parties. They are labels used to describe different ideologies and beliefs within a political party or government.

4. Do individuals always identify as either a Hawk or a Dove in US politics?

No, individuals may hold a combination of hawkish and dovish beliefs depending on the issue at hand. It is not uncommon for politicians to have a mix of both approaches in their foreign policy decisions.

5. How do Hawk and Dove perspectives impact US foreign policy decisions?

The presence of hawks and doves in US politics can lead to debates and disagreements over foreign policy decisions. The balance between these two perspectives can greatly influence the direction of US foreign policy. For example, during the Cold War, the US had both hawkish and dovish leaders, resulting in a mix of interventionist and diplomatic actions.

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