Fergus Finlay:  Extremists on the left and right bear an uncanny resemblance to each other

Every now and again tortured expressions of ideology need to take second place to simple concepts, like right and wrong. Otherwise, totalitarianism wins

Russian President Vladimir Putin seen on the big screen as he delivers his speech at the concert marking the eighth anniversary of the referendum on the state status of Crimea and Sevastopol and its reunification with Russia. The banner reads "For Russia" projected in the backgroud. (Vladimir Astapkovich/Sputnik Pool Photo via AP)

THERE was a time when we all saw politics as a straight line, stretching from left to right. A spectrum, that’s what we called it. We understood what ‘left’ meant and what ‘right’ meant.

Sometimes it could get a bit confusing. New parties came and went —  in Ireland, the Progressive Democrats, for instance. They were firmly on the right of the spectrum when it came to economics — and went even further right on one occasion on the issue of citizenship. But in broad terms, after an uncertain start, they could even be a bit left of centre on some of the social issues.