> Why is climate change a left or right issue?

Because businesses don't want to pay/lose money on climate change action, and the "party of small businesses" endorses this view.

> Why is wearing masks a left or right issue?

Because the virus was seen as a political/messaging problem (rather than a public health issue) by one of the sides, therefore wearing masks was viewed as capitulation.

Because some sizable proportion of humans will believe any crap they're told, provided the message is couched in terms of something they're afraid of, and the right has decided to cater to those people leaving the left with the people who like to think about things for themselves.

I don't believe this is a good argument. The same argument has been done endlessly for the other side.

There are definitely people who believe the party line on everything. If that's the case, that could be an indication you're not thinking for yourself.

> leaving the left with the people who like to think about things for themselves.

You really broadcast your ignorance and your failure to understand others positions with comments like that.

For what it is worth, this isn't only a problem in the US. It is just that the US only knows what's up in the US and the US news is seen by most other western countries. There's also an argument to be made that US news highlights the worst people and not the average person.

> Why is climate change a left or right issue?

Because as with all politics it determines the distribution of resources. Those who stand to gain v/s those who stand to lose have both heavily manipulated the science, or at least the reporting.

> Why is wearing masks a left or right issue?

Voluntary masking wouldn't be. Compulsory masking runs afoul of those who have a fundamental belief in self-ownership, negative rights and reject most positive rights [1]. This has deep political roots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_and_positive_rights