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March 06, 2007
I've always been unsure of what lefty means these days for our cultural conservatives over at Quadrant who are part of an authoritarian political movement. I've suspected them of looking back to 1968--living in the past as it were. By this I mean that they see the world through the eyes of 1968, tend to run social liberal and non-liberal left together, and see the contemporary world of nations in terms of their cold war scenario of totalitarianism versus freedom. This is a movement based on unquestioning Manichean certainties, an endless stigmatization of the whole array of Enemies as decadent, depraved and weak, and which views the left as being consumed by envy, resentment and hate.
Here is one explicit account of left extremism. It is an American account given by Joe Klein over at Time. He says that his definition of a left-wing extremist is one who exhibits many, but not necessarily all, of the following attributes:
--believes the United States is a fundamentally negative force in the world.
--believes that American imperialism is the primary cause of Islamic radicalism.
--believes that the decision to go to war in Iraq was not an individual case of monumental stupidity, but a consequence of America’s fundamental imperialistic nature.
--tends to blame America for the failures of others—i.e. the failure of our NATO allies to fulfill their responsibilities in Afghanistan.
--doesn’t believe that capitalism, carefully regulated and progressively taxed, is the best liberal idea in human history.
--believes American society is fundamentally unfair (as opposed to having unfair aspects that need improvement).
--believes that eternal problems like crime and poverty are the primarily the fault of society.
--believes that America isn’t really a democracy.
--believes that corporations are fundamentally evil.
--believes in a corporate conspiracy that controls the world.
--is intolerant of good ideas when they come from conservative sources.
--dismissively mocks people of faith, especially those who are opposed to abortion and gay marriage.
--regularly uses harsh, vulgar, intolerant language to attack moderates or conservatives.
Swearing? Believes in a corporate conspiracy that controls the world? Lefty extremists would need to include Marxists if it is to have meaning, yet Marxists think in terms of the contradictions of a revolutionary capitalism not corporate conspiracies controlling the world ! Secularism does not have anything to do with being anti-religion. In its standard definition, it refers to the "separation of church/mosque and state."
I reckon Klein is actually gunning for social liberals.
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Yeah, The Lefty's are a bit like the Hare Krishna's were. They used to be fun to watch and were good for a free meal but don't listen too hard to what they are saying.
Occasionally they pack together and have a collective rant and jump about swinging their arms and beating their drums and they really do put on a good show but....if you see them the next day you cross the street coz its just the same old Claptrap rolled out again.