I read about a third of that and then had a hard time keeping my eyes open to finish it. (It's very late/early here.) You are over-thinking it. And your assumption that it fits a graph is problematic. In my experience, the "political spectrum" is actually a circle. I am pretty far left but have found myself (with considerable surprise and distaste) in bed with the far right on certain subjects. I have never experienced it as a line or XY axis. Hell. Maybe it's actually a Mobius strip! Or on an infinite loop. Or a black hole.

I agree with you: The little boy who didn't know any better than to laugh at the emperor's naked butt was essential. We need to cultivate Beginner's Mind but what our "leaders" are cultivating is the three monkeys--speak no evil, hear no evil, see no evil. Authentic truth-telling is in short, short supply.

Campaign finance reform. If we didn't have Citizens United, we wouldn't be here. Thank you Mitch McConnell. Way to GO.