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In reply to the discussion: Far-left politics [View all]

pampango

(24,692 posts)
42. A desire for the US to withdraw from its commitments to international organizations (the UN and WTO
Tue Jan 15, 2013, 12:02 PM
Jan 2013

are good examples).

There isn't any 'official' designation of far-left and far-right positions but I see a lot of suspicion of international organizations (tied to a fear of a loss of national sovereignty) coming from both ends of the spectrum.

Open Democracy had an interesting article on the comparison between left-wing (Occupy) and right-wing (tea party) populists a few months ago. It's quite long.

http://www.opendemocracy.net/catherine-fieschi/plague-on-both-your-populisms

For right-wing populism, a variant of racism (more or less sophisticated in its language and its footwork) will do the trick... But given the contemporary left’s complicated relationship to diversity (that pesky conundrum resulting from the dual demands of equality and representation), clear cut racism is no longer an option and neither is a classic xenophobia necessarily related to race, ethnicity or even religion.

For left-wing populism in the era of identity politics, the contortions are more and more demanding. ... This means that ‘the other’ can be expanded to mean just about anything: the elite of course, liberals and intellectuals who favour the complexity of diversity, the ‘traitors amongst us’, but also foreign powers (Europe, the US, China).

In this respect, xenophobia is an intrinsic part of populism, because the latter’s political dynamics create ‘others’ as a matter if course in a constant quest to determine who’s who. Even in its most benign version, populism asks people to choose: with us or against us? For the people or against the people?

The Occupy movement is diverse, and some within it are clearly more attracted by simplistic solutions than others. But overall, and especially in the US, the demands, while often couched in a rhetoric and a style that privileged direct politics and transparency, were often targeted, precise, almost technical - limiting campaign funds; the restoring of the Glass-Steagall Act that would once again separate investments banks from commercial banks; or the closing of the loophole on Delaware-based Corporations. The language of anti-corruption and democratic accountability differs substantially, in that it targets specific laws and specific members of the elite. It is not anti-elitist per se. And in all these points it differs markedly from a populist movement.

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Far-left politics [View all] snooper2 Jan 2013 OP
I've seen example of people Confusious Jan 2013 #1
Is your OP in support of this graphic you used a little while ago? Fumesucker Jan 2013 #2
That's a pretty fucked up graphic right there. RomneyLies Jan 2013 #6
in the same theme yep...I don't agree with Objectivists or Libertarians at the top under "Freedom" snooper2 Jan 2013 #10
I've heard the term "politically correct" a great deal, usually from the right Fumesucker Jan 2013 #12
This one is better (Nadir point) snooper2 Jan 2013 #15
Too late for that Fumesucker Jan 2013 #19
ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL snooper2 Jan 2013 #20
OMC? Is that you? Fumesucker Jan 2013 #22
mmm... G_j Jan 2013 #31
If you are going to call me anybody at least make it someone good snooper2 Jan 2013 #33
Whatever his faults may have been Random Thoughts wasn't a Libertarian Objectivist Fumesucker Jan 2013 #36
Random Thoughts was sweet and funny Hatchling Jan 2013 #65
I'm sweet and funny! snooper2 Jan 2013 #66
Not quite OMC's level of fuckery, I think. Close, "but no cigar." nt patrice Jan 2013 #53
And in record time whatchamacallit Jan 2013 #23
I can't escape I'm a trappy! LOL snooper2 Jan 2013 #30
I think it's idiotic whatchamacallit Jan 2013 #39
Is it idiotic because nobody who claims to be "super far left" snooper2 Jan 2013 #41
If the "super far left" and "super far right" are the same whatchamacallit Jan 2013 #44
Because they are not 100% the same, so that even a small "amount" of difference evokes patrice Jan 2013 #48
Right... whatchamacallit Jan 2013 #50
Agendas are abstractions. I prefer to talk about how people act, how they treat others as more or patrice Jan 2013 #58
It's not just the left and the right that use that sort of language Fumesucker Jan 2013 #59
It's stupid, wherever it comes from. Some of it is talking-point robots, some of it is just newbies patrice Jan 2013 #61
The effect is all very cliquey & clique driven & I don't care what labels you hang on those cliques patrice Jan 2013 #62
You were hanging labels yourself just a couple of posts back Fumesucker Jan 2013 #63
The brew needs a bottle, so bottles are useful as long as you don't drink them. I'm just advocating patrice Jan 2013 #64
And I was beginning to think whatchamacallit Jan 2013 #13
out myself as what? snooper2 Jan 2013 #16
Socialism is serfdom? Starry Messenger Jan 2013 #11
The only way this graphic makes sense is if Freedom has one & ONLY one essential trait, patrice Jan 2013 #35
A point of clarification Fumesucker Jan 2013 #40
I suspect that the concept of Freedom used in this graphic is too reactionary for me, which would patrice Jan 2013 #45
That same theory would suggest "centrist" Democrats have more in common with "centrist" Romulox Jan 2013 #3
They only resemble one another in their fervor and in much of the idiocy both extremes exhibit RomneyLies Jan 2013 #4
+1 patrice Jan 2013 #21
That sounds about right n/t union_maid Jan 2013 #52
Would this apply to people who swear the world is flat, G_j Jan 2013 #5
How can one not be reminded of: "'No Labels': We’re not centrist anymore, promise!" Romulox Jan 2013 #7
More of the Ralph Nader bullspit. Nader threw the election to the repubs & reaped millions in pocket graham4anything Jan 2013 #8
Please provide a policy example of "far-left politics" whatchamacallit Jan 2013 #9
A desire for the US to withdraw from its commitments to international organizations (the UN and WTO pampango Jan 2013 #42
Sounds like nonsense to me whatchamacallit Jan 2013 #47
The comparison between so-called "leftwing" Corporatists and their rightwing analogues Romulox Jan 2013 #57
Comforting theory for those who would maintain status quo. nt hay rick Jan 2013 #14
If means and ends are equally important, Left & Right are more alike than different, because they patrice Jan 2013 #17
American politics is really a pretzel. leveymg Jan 2013 #18
I guess everybody ought to be moderate politically so they could be different underneath. nt bemildred Jan 2013 #24
That's too often an abused and, hence, mischaracterized and under-rated position, I think that patrice Jan 2013 #56
In the 60s the saying was "do your own thing". bemildred Jan 2013 #72
I think Its True on Some Single Issues NeedleCast Jan 2013 #25
Fanaticism as in whatchamacallit Jan 2013 #29
Fanaticism as the word is defined NeedleCast Jan 2013 #49
So centrists don't seek control? whatchamacallit Jan 2013 #51
I Edit my above post to add an example NeedleCast Jan 2013 #55
I agree that the actual far left probably has a lot in common with the far right el_bryanto Jan 2013 #26
Only according to stupid, primitive black-and-wite thinking. 2ndAmForComputers Jan 2013 #27
uh, yeah, Jean-Pierre Faye snooper2 Jan 2013 #32
Sigh. 2ndAmForComputers Jan 2013 #34
So where do you put truthers and birthers on the political spectrum? snooper2 Jan 2013 #38
Where would you now put those who believe there were no WMDs in Iraq? Fumesucker Jan 2013 #43
I don't think you can define somebody by their thoughts on one specific issue snooper2 Jan 2013 #46
You mean, like you just did with post 38? 2ndAmForComputers Jan 2013 #67
well that's a little different, I'll try to explain to you... snooper2 Jan 2013 #68
Was that supposed to MEAN something? 2ndAmForComputers Jan 2013 #69
you ever post more than six words at a time? snooper2 Jan 2013 #71
No, it's bullshit. bowens43 Jan 2013 #28
Yes, you see do some overlap on some issues. SpartanDem Jan 2013 #37
I think it's an oversimplification viewing politics on a straight line Bradical79 Jan 2013 #54
I agree. It needs to be someting more like a sphere, though it may not be regular in shape. nt patrice Jan 2013 #60
To get that picture in the OP to display... Make7 Jan 2013 #70
It's better than a straight line because it weights for extremeness, which, though it may be patrice Jan 2013 #73
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