Is there such a thing as "extreme left"?

[krtek a houby]

And what is meant by the term, so fond of Trump and chums, liberals and various guardian readers?

See it crop up more and more - used by people (always on social media) when it comes to immigration/welfare/education/healthcare/equality/representation etc...

How has it come to this, the Idea of fairness is seen as extreme? The suggestion that centerist politicians like Harris are described as such (or Marxist)?

Is it baiting or something else?

Peruvian, Japanese, German and other 70s groups aside - how can the term be applied as it currently is?

 

[krink]

Ask a million people who use it what it means and you'll get a million different answers. It's the same as woke.

 

[Serge Forward]

Basically anything the right don't like. This always includes those who wouldn't in a million years be seen as anything remotely "left", never mind "extreme".

 

[planetgeli]

How has it come to this, the Idea of fairness is seen as extreme? The suggestion that centerist politicians like Harris are described as such (or Marxist)?

Is it baiting or something else?

"This a radical-left Marxist, communist, fascist."
-- Trump on Harris, last week

"Kamala Harris is the first major party nominee in American history who fundamentally rejects freedom and embraces Marxism, communism, and fascism."
-- Trump, 11 days ago

I mean, that's Trump. A man with an increasingly limited vocabulary who loves to bait. But the system in the USA is set up for this. Their 'Overton Window' has always been radically to the right of how we in the UK might think. They've never had any significant 'extreme left' (please don't mention the Sparts anyone - all six of them).

However, eventually, those descriptors have moved over here. It's just our idiots are (so far) powerless compared to the likes of Trump. Nobody is taking our latest right-wing nutters seriously when they describe Starmer as extreme left. But, direction of travel etc.

Nobody saw James Callaghan and his 83% tax rates as extreme left. Look what happened to Corbyn for proposing 45%.

 

[two sheds]

Nobody is taking our latest right-wing nutters seriously when they describe Starmer as extreme left. But, direction of travel etc.

I think a lot of tories are taking it seriously

Nobody saw James Callaghan and his 83% tax rates as extreme left. Look what happened to Corbyn for proposing 45%.

98% for unearned income I mean why shouldn't people be heavily taxed on income they've not earned?

 

[two sheds]

I also think that the definition right/left has the finger somewhat weighed on the scales in favour of the right wing. For me left wing means a fairer distribution of resources and opportunities in society. That seems a fairly middle of the road view to me.

Extreme left would then suggest a much greater redistribution of resources and opportunities.

 

[krtek a houby]

I also think that the definition right/left has the finger somewhat weighed on the scales in favour of the right wing. For me left wing means a fairer distribution of resources and opportunities in society. That seems a fairly middle of the road view to me.

Extreme left would then suggest a much greater redistribution of resources and opportunities.

Or some of the groups back in the 70s.

(Not knocking them, as don't know enough about them)

 

[Sasaferrato]

I'll turn this round... what is extreme right?

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I think it would be fair to describe any sort of revolutionary left as extreme tbh. That's not to say they're necessarily wrong or to deny that the right will seek to portray people who it doesn't get close to fitting in that light but they do exist don't they.

There's even some on here.

 

[two sheds]

I'll turn this round... what is extreme right?

Fair question. It's on view in the US (amongst elsewhere): that government and power and resources should be concentrated in the hands of the rich. Which I'd say is pretty extreme.

 

[krtek a houby]

I'll turn this round... what is extreme right?

Just dip into some of them social media platforms, you'll get the idea

 

[Sasaferrato]

Just dip into some of them social media platforms, you'll get the idea

Thank you for your kind offer, but no. There is enough bullshit in MSM without going looking for more.

 

[Ax^]

I'll turn this round... what is extreme right?

loud cunts who wander wound claiming to be the silent majority normally

 

[krtek a houby]

Thank you for your kind offer, but no. There is enough bullshit in MSM without going looking for more.

It's extremely ugly and you're probably better off not going there, in that case.

 

[hitmouse]

Did hear about this Trump quote recently:

Trump warns US will land in a '1929-style depression' if Harris wins election

Former President Donald Trump said the U.S. would enter a "1929-styled depression" if Vice President Kamala Harris is elected to the Oval Office in November.

www.yahoo.com

"She wants to do that. This is where you have something, you don't even know what the value is. I tell you what, if that's going to happen, go out and open an appraisal company because you're going to make a fortune. That's about the only group that's going to make it. And accountants, it is the craziest idea," Trump responded.

"And remember this, very rich people and big international corporations, they don't have to stay in the United States, and they will be forced to leave for other countries. They can't afford to do a thing like that. They may have great wealth and no cash, and they're going to have to pay cash. Where are they going to get the cash? If they do that, the unrealized capital gain, it's, you know, it's been talked about for a few years by ultra-left Marxists," he continued.

I never really thought of capital gains tax as being that big of an issue for the ultra-left, he didn't really specify if he was thinking of the Bordigists or the Dutch-German tradition though.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

A Marxist doing free climbing is extreme left.

They are best freinds with a anarchist bmx biker who is on the radical left.

 

[Jennaonthebeach]

They do it with all the things they hate. Trans people get called extreme trans activists just for existing as a trans person now. It's hyperbole. I expect it makes them feel better about things. Also it allows them to insert mild conservatism into the slot for moderate left.

 

[_Russ_]

I dunno, but i sometimes wonder are there actually any communists, anarchists, anrcho syndicalists etc on these boards?
Plenty who can regurgitate learned factoids and analysys of the various left-isms but I've not read much indication from those types that they are walking the walk.

 

[Rompipalle]

It’s mere hyperbole - intended to send the hard of thinking into a complete tailspin.

 

[newme]

Not in the UK or US in any quantities worth mentioning, hell even just left doesn't even really qualify. Both main parties in each are right

 

[krtek a houby]

I dunno

That's for sure

 

[AHunter3]

I'm reminded of the timeframe when Boris Yeltsin was at risk of being deposed by leftover Soviet hardliners.

Let's review, okay? >> the commies are the far left, yes? The Soviet hardliners are the entrenched commies, yes? Boris is sort of Mikhail Gorbachev-lite, a bit more western-looking and inclined towards citizen freedom than the old Soviet Union was? With me so far? So wouldn't that make Boris the "right" compared to the "hard left" represented by the hardliners?

Not how they described it in the US media. (dunno about how it was depicted elsewhere and admittedly we've got our own media weirdnesses). The ex-Soviet hardliners were always described as the "right wing" or the "conservative faction" in Russian politics.

Essentially we're stuck with "left means challenge to the establishment, right is the establishment" regardless of political perspective. Except when it's not what they mean.

I'm also reminded of an essay by (god help me) a John Birch Society dude, who said "This left and right continuum is bullshit. The real continuum is between authoritarianism and complete lack of governmental authority, which would be anarchy." I don't spend much time agreeing with the John Birch Society but this is fundamentally correct. This is the yardstick we should be using. (Although we should include organizations that don't style themselves as "government", such as corporations, when we consider authoritarianism).

 

[krtek a houby]

"the commies are the far left, yes?"

Are they? what does all that mean?

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

A Marxist doing free climbing is extreme left.

They are best freinds with a anarchist bmx biker who is on the radical left.

I forgot the climate change activist who does ultramarathons. The hard left.

 

[SpookyFrank]

'Centrism' is pretty fucking extreme when you break down what it actually entails.

 

[BigMoaner]

'Centrism' is pretty fucking extreme when you break down what it actually entails.

Absolutely. They are fascists of the status quo. And the status quo is often prettty fucking grim.

 

[klang]

The real continuum is between authoritarianism and complete lack of governmental authority, which would be anarchy." I don't spend much time agreeing with the John Birch Society but this is fundamentally correct.

It isn't.

 

[DotCommunist]

I dunno, but i sometimes wonder are there actually any communists, anarchists, anrcho syndicalists etc on these boards?
Plenty who can regurgitate learned factoids and analysys of the various left-isms but I've not read much indication from those types that they are walking the walk.

I'm personally taking the winter palace as soon as my gammy leg stops aching

 

[SpookyFrank]

It isn't.

No, it isn't. It assumes that 'governmental authority' is the only possible system of organisation.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

I'm personally taking the winter palace as soon as my gammy leg stops aching

I seized the means of production the other day but didn't have anywhere to put it so I left it where I found it.