tiredPOLITICAL RED & BLUE #2
One curiosity of associating red with the political right and blue with the left is that it bucks historical precedent. Red has long been the color of revolution, Socialism, and Communism (red Russia, red China, red under the bed), yet red is also regal and was the uniform of British soldiers in the Revolutionary War (the Continental army sported blue). In heraldry, red signifies magnanimity and fortitude; in folklore, red is linked to magic. Blue is associated with the aristocracy (blue blood), the sea, the sky, and constancy (true blue). Yet it is also the color of depression, and was worn by the lower classes: servants, paupers, charity-school boys, and licensed beggars. In military planning, allied troops are blue and enemy troops are red--thus "friendly fire" is known as "blue on blue."
Samuel Johnson (1709-84)
