what the hell is the "Far Left"?

[onethatcares]

It's constantly spewed on the msm and they never come out and say, "this far left sympathizer feels they should get a living wage" or "people on the far left are demanding voting rights ".

Your definitions would be appreciated.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

1. Fascist construct.

Perpetuated endlessly by complicit media.

[AntiFascist]

18. Agree, MAGAts don't like being called the "Far Right"...

but at least in the UK people will stand up and massively march against the "Far Right" threat as they see it, and the MPs will call them out as such.

[ThePartyThatListens]

45. This!!!

[Initech]

2. I've asked people to define what the "far left" is.

They usually just spout some bullshit about Rachel Maddow, BLM, and trans rights and that's it. They can't define what it is.

[Bettie]

38. The "far left" in the US is what, in almost any European country,

would be called the center.

Suggesting that maybe health care shouldn't be a for-profit industry, kids should have enough to eat and not get shot in school, people should have places to live, we should have a robust social safety net, and even poor people should even be able to sleep indoors and eat food....those are the "far left" ideas they love to tell us are too much.

[LearnedHand]

56. Here's my fave

[Bettie]

58. That is a very good one

Bookmarking to steal later!

[LearnedHand]

61. Heh

I love this graphic.

[Dorian Gray]

79. That's not the Far Left

Those are liberal policy positions. They're progressive. But that's not what the media means when they refer to the "Far Left."

[Cherrycheeks]

65. And "woke"

Which means black people. Mfkers!😠

[surfered]

3. It's a made up derogatory term. Propaganda is absorbed better if it's distilled down to as few words as possible and/or

acronyms for the gullible: Woke, DEI, CRT, radical, traitor. See the following GOPAC Memo from Newt Gingrich in 1990:


https://www.transcend.org/tms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Newt-Gingrich-Language-A-Key-Mechanism-of-Control-1990.pdf

[The Wandering Harper]

20. "Propaganda is absorbed better if it's distilled down to as few words as possible"

many seem to not get this and it's frustrating.
A while back I was brainstorming ideas for counter-propaganda and I posted about it here.
Most or all of the replies that had ideas were overly complicated and came across
like they were trying too hard to be clever

[Basso8vb]

4. Emmanuel Goldstein

We are all Emmanuel Goldstein now.

[MineralMan]

16. Wasn't He A DUer at One Time?

I think I remember Manny.

[H2O Man]

22. We meet at 3

Inside traffic at the western edge

[WarGamer]

5. A College professor once lectured to me and others...

Political Ideology is like a belt...

Somewhere around the buckle is the political center... where moderation and compromise thrive.

Work your way one direction or the other to the front pocket area and you see the strong ideological positions emerge

Continue to the hip area and you have the most divergent positions you'll see...

For example, no-limits abortion or a complete ban on abortion.

HOWEVER, continue PAST the hip area, towards the back of the belt and ideologies start to become more similar as they become more authoritarian and anti-Liberty.

The classic example is Hitler-era fascism vs Stalin-era Communism... a distinction without a difference.

[MineralMan]

17. Brings to mind an image of the Worm Ouroboros.

[Bettie]

39. Right now, the "buckle" is

stuck on the far right side, heading toward the back.

[-misanthroptimist]

6. The "far left" is...

...anyone who does not worship the Great God Market. It's even worse if they are not prepared to sacrifice their fellow Americans on the altar of that God! Then, they are communists.

[Kaleva]

7. Folks that believe some should go to prison without trial

You'll see a number of comments like that here

Folks that applaud the execution of someone out in a street.

Don't bother with a trial. Just shoot them in the back

Folks that think certain media outlets should be censored or shut down.

[marybourg]

8. Those illustrate authoritarian positions, NOT far left ones.

Far left positions in this society would be: de-fund the police, de-criminalize misdemeanors, give all illegal migrants amnesty, raise minimum wage to $50/hour.

[Kaleva]

34. You are talking about leftists positions

Far leftism is authoritarian in nature. Pol Pot, Mao, Stalin. Weather Underground, the Red Brigade are examples of the extreme far left

[GreenWave]

9. A few centuries back in a certain country virtually everyone was a leftist.

And more leftist was far left.

[Passages]

10. Almost anything anti-corporate advantaged.

Pick an issue, any issue. Corporations do not like the word(s) regulation and higher taxes.

Saying cancel student debt is a big one, but bailing out banks and their executives is normal.

ha ha sad but true.

[Dem4life1234]

11. If

If you don't agree with batshit ridiculous policies from Rethugs, the idiots will consider you to be some granola munching radical leftist (not that that's a bad thing). That's how their small brains think.

[Oneironaut]

12. People who think this country should keep improving itself.

[BannonsLiver]

13. Is your premise that it doesn't exist?

[John Farmer]

14. Do they think that WE are the far left?

[rampartd]

24. they think that we are commie socialists.

[Renew Deal]

15. There is a difference between reality and how the term is used.

The term typically is used refer to extremism. In reality, it’s more common to see adherence to strict ideology despite the facts.

[Uncle Joe]

19. Politically it's the people that support policies which have overwhelming public support on a multitude of issues which

in turn challenge the oligarchic power structure; of which the corporate media is owned by, to dominate the American People with policies that favor the mega-wealthy and powerful over the average person.

That's what scares the fecal material out of them, because it's the corporate media's gravy train so they use that term a lot to counter-balance propaganda fear from the very real rising threat of fascism to our nation.

In short those most opposed to oligarchy and corporate supremacy are the "far left."

Thanks for the threads onethatcares

[Bettie]

41. Well said

Thanks for the quick definition.

[Brenda]

50. Well said. But also...

There really are a handful of people who probably do consider themselves Far Left in America and advocate for things like defunding all law enforcement, confiscating land for communal property, etc. Sometimes those few people are erroneously used by media/politicians as if they represent massive numbers of left-leaning people and as if they matter or have any power whatsoever.

The nutty Christo-fascists will tell you that Bernie and his followers are far left. Same with Occupy Wall Street, climate activists, BLM, and a whole lot of other people.

But of course they are just regular liberals and Democrats.

[Ping Tung]

21. Like most labels defining the "Left" is like going to a green grocer and finding the Vegetables.

Lettuce, yes, Turnips, no, Maoists, nope, carrots, OK, Trots too egotistical, Stalinist too dogmatic, Anarchists and Red Hot Chili Peppers too unpredictable.

Take your pick and spread the word without hurting anybody.

As for me, back in the 60s I tasted a lost of them and saw some great ideals promoted but it was too often tainted by dogmatism and the lure of violence. Now as an old man I see myself as a sort of Fabian Socialist or Democratic Socialist.

"I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever, in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else, where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent. If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all." --Thomas Jefferson to Francis Hopkinson, 1789.




,

[thebigidea]

23. unreliable tankies who hate Dems and echo Putin?

I generally think those posturing weirdos are the "far left."

[C_U_L8R]

25. It seems if you go far right or far left enough...

you end up in the same libertarian hellhole.

[H2O Man]

26. There is no one definition.

There is the "far left" of the Democratic Party, which would be like AOC. There is the "far left" of the US population, that can include a tiny number of Democrats as well as former Democrats, among never members of our party. In its early days, DU had a number of "far left" members.

The media -- and especially maga cultists -- incorrectly refer to the actual "far left" as Democrats. Few things could be further from the truth. Those among the "far left" that are registere voters are 99.99% independents.

[DBoon]

27. A make believe enemy designed to scare people to stop thinking

They used to call it "antifa" that that lost its shine

[Gore1FL]

28. From my understanding far left centrist. nt

[eppur_se_muova]

29. The ultimate Straw Man. nt

[lame54]

31. His name is Goldstein

[lame54]

30. "I think Trump may have done something bad once."

[KT2000]

32. Ask Bill Maher

he seems to be the authority of perusing insane internet postings for crazy ideas he pins on the far left.

[Voltaire2]

33. I'm actually a socialist. I suppose I qualify in this country as ultra far left. nt.

[EX500rider]

40. So you think the govt owning the means of production is a goal?

Because it never works out.

Socialism is an economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse economic and social systems characterized by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership.

[Voltaire2]

48. No I think workers ought to own 'the means of production', not the government, not oligarchs.

[EX500rider]

51. That only works in vary small scale

Multi-billion dollar companies can't have group meetings with all million employees (2 million in Walmarts case) every time they need to make a decision.

Also to remain completive and not go out of business they can't afford to pay everyone what they would like and no ones going to vote themselves a low pay scale.

Nothing stopping anyone from starting Co-Op companies right now but they do not well in large scale or we would see more of them, wouldn't we?

[Voltaire2]

54. Mondragon Cooperative employs 75,000 people.

There is zero evidence that cooperative organizations cannot scale and cannot survive amidst competition from capitalist enterprises.

[soandso]

68. Which is Marxist theory

In the simplest form, far left is communist and far right is fascist. Both are totalitarian and collectivist, with the individual being inferior to the group and the collective represented by the state. Both seek to eliminate hierarchy and class distinction and both are Utopian. There are differences, of course, but the similarities are more important because both end in terrible oppression and violence. Both ultimately rely on force, neither are about liberty. Either might work if we humans were an ant colony or beehive but we're not. In reality, humans are complex creatures who can't be neatly corralled and put into these boxes and they end up fighting. I see them both as toxic European ideologies. No system is perfect, as acknowledged by the founders of the United States but what they created maximizes freedom without anarchy. There is no homeostasis, though, and things are always in flux so it's pretty tenuous, which those founders also warned about. So, once again, people fight. Sigh.

[AntiFascist]

75. There is a balance that needs to be maintained...

between the "mob" and those who have the foresight of leadership.

Unfortunately, as we are about to see under the Trump Admin, those who have immense wealth are NOT the most qualified to lead.

Trump is trying to rectify this problem by utilizing Musk and other high-IQ technocrat wannabes, but this will only lead to Libertarianism on a grand scale.

[canuckledragger]

35. That's the far right fascists projecting, of course.

As the far right MAGAts get more extreme, the more they try to scapegoat groups they don't like.

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

36. Point out to the MSM the US Constitution protects the far left.

Being far left is not unconstitutional. Kinda like the Constitution protects the MSM as well.

[Voltaire2]

55. historically the constitution has not protected the left in this country. nt.

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

73. It's looking like the Founders were a bit shortsighted

on lots of things.

[Sympthsical]

37. The ostensibly oppressed who seek to become oppressors

I say ostensibly, because many on the far Left are really just over-privileged people cosplaying oppression (see: various campus movements).

They're authoritarian, revenge-minded, oftentimes extremely racist, and seek to create systems that would punish their enemies and leave themselves wholly in charge.

If the question is - where is the boundary between Left and Far Left?" it's there in the authoritarianism. A liberal seeks equality in status and justice for all within society. A far Leftist simply wants to rearrange the decks on the ship (with them being on the top deck, of course). Ignore the rhetoric. They say an awful lot. Watch what they do, how they behave, who they target, and how they treat heretical thoughts and people. Authoritarians. They'd just end up another Soviet-like state if they ever actually managed to gain power (which there is about zero danger of in this country, because no one serious takes them seriously).

At least, that's how I divide it in my own mind. I know Europe's Left and America's Left is different, blah blah blah. But I live in America, so I define these things within American context and its own relative terms.

[Wolver]

42. Don't shoot the messenger. YMMV

Depends really, but in the economic sphere, it would most likely be some form of anti-capitalist ideology, despite the nonsense of the right wing which labels everything to the left of unadulterated capitalism "far left." Liberals, Progressives, Social Democrats, Left Wing Populists, and the Democratic Party have ZERO to do with the "far left" in the economic sphere.


https://dissidentvoice.org/2010/04/misrepresenting-the-left-we-are-not-liberals/

Misrepresenting the Left: We Are Not Liberals


https://www.marxists.org/archive/pannekoe/1947/public-ownership.htm

Public Ownership and Common Ownership

[SunImp]

44. I think the Bill Maher "worm" is infecting peoples brains

[Wolver]

47. I find it all kind of sad and pathetic, and I'm not "well educated or intelligent"

There exists mountains and volumes of writing on historical realities, but nobody bothers anymore. It's much easier to throw around soundbites and slogans that fit their subjective feelings of what they want to believe. Historical reality matters, but that's boring I guess. Maher, and multiple millions of people like him consider themselves educated and intelligent. They're anything but that. If your education and intelligence rests on a foundation of garbage in and garbage out, that education and intelligence isn't worth a damn.

[Jeebo]

43. The extremists are on the right, not the left.

When Bernie Sanders first announced his candidacy for president in 2015, Thom Hartman on his show ran a segment in which he listed all the issues on which Bernie's position agreed with upwards of 60 percent of the American electorate. It was a long list and it took Hartmann a while to get through it. While I was listening, I kept wondering, how much longer would that list be if it were only 50 percent instead of 60? Bernie Sanders is not some far-left liberal as the right-wingers are always trying to portray him. He's actually solidly in the mainstream of American politics. There's no such thing as the "far left" but there is a "far right" and it has now seized control of our federal government. I don't look forward to the next four years.

— Ron

[Kaleva]

49. Would you agree that the far left favors censorship?

Like shutting down Fox?

And that progressives favor supporting the 1st Amendment?

[LearnedHand]

59. Where does this notion come from?

[Kaleva]

66. From posts here at DU

Fox is a threat to Democracy and should be shut down is the basic sentiment

[LearnedHand]

67. Gotcha thx. But I don't think that applies to the far left in general.

It applies to authoritarian personalities for sure, and I sort of understand people feeling that way. But it’s definitely not a characteristic of far-left “philosophy.”

[Johonny]

46. Strawman liberal

The MSM created them in the 1980s and has been attacking them ever since. The type of liberal that demands litter boxes in schools. They don't exist, but we hear all about them.

[Kaleva]

52. What would you label those who favor censorship?

Like some here who want Fox News to be shut down? A position the ACLU wouldn't support.

[Ilikepurple]

70. What would you label those who favor unrelenting admonishment of fellow DU members?

Is the call for censorship of Fox the issue of the week? I’ve seen this issue referenced more than I’ve read calls for censorship. Not just by you, but it seems to be one of the pet finger wags of the week. I know the election results has emboldened some to go after those further left than them, but there’s no need to create some artificially monolithic far left. You might find yourself and your beliefs bundled under that term at times. Do people really think there’s some Platonic Ideal that is “the far left” rather than a term defined by its use? All of a sudden we have more to fear from those left of us than those to the right? Mission accomplished I guess.

[TBF]

74. I would label them fascists -

and stay tuned, you may get to see that in this country very soon.

[Bonx]

53. DuckDuckGo AI Chat says...

'The far left' is a political term that refers to people or groups who hold extreme left-wing political views. These views often include a strong commitment to social equality, redistribution of wealth, and opposition to capitalism and other forms of economic inequality. The term 'far left' is often used in contrast to more moderate or centrist political positions, and can encompass a range of ideologies including communism, socialism, and anarchism. However, it's important to note that the specific beliefs and values associated with 'the far left' can vary widely depending on the context and the perspectives of those using the term.

[LearnedHand]

60. Count me the hell in to the "far left," then

[markpkessinger]

57. As I have often said . . .

. . . There is barely even a left in this country, let alone a "far left!"

[no_hypocrisy]

62. Nowadays, it's FDR and the New Deal.

It's communism, y'know?

[LearnedHand]

63. According to the Political Compass, I'm FAR LEFT in the Libertarian quadrant

This is libertarian as opposed to authoritarian, not the Libertarian political philosophy.

https://www.politicalcompass.org/

[LymphocyteLover]

64. IMO the far left is Dem Socialist types who don't consistently support Dems and who often promote Russian propaganda

[Turbineguy]

69. Barry Goldwater.

He'd be a lefty now.

[Jit423]

71. Tolerant, thoughtful, compassionate people, sometimes overbearing, who seem to want to help others.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[Emile]

72. Anyone who is left of a centrist,

someone who wants Single-Payer Healthcare, someone who wants to legalize weed at the federal level, etc. etc.

[Think. Again.]

76. The far left are those who are VERY serious about...

...the need for Democratic party ideologies to our guiding principles.

[onecaliberal]

77. Wanting healthcare and a living wage. Clean air and water.

Equality for all.

[Dorian Gray]

78. Far left are the people

who exploded into protesting colonialism the day after Israel was attacked. They demanded revolution and expressed joy at the death of Israelis.

The far left believes that the United Health Care CEO deserved to die in the way he did.

The far left is the mirror image of MAGA, both distorting democracy and embracing chaos to get their ends.

Some may say the far left are socialists, but I believe it's something different. it's people willing to destroy society to get to an ideal that will never exist. They'll run over every single cause, BLM to climate to trans rights to zionism and bleed it dry, leaving the people they purport to defend in a worse state than when they activated their support. And when it garners them little attention, they'll move on to the next thing.

The Far Left attack democratic politicians, senators, presidents, representatives way more than they attack the right.

[Skittles]

80. with the far left we might get healthcare for all

with the far right we get FASCISM

[DBoon]

81. THIS if the "far left"

Have any of you attended events like this? Are you a member of groups that sponsor these events? Do you have a membership card in the some kind of communist party? Do you know the secret communist handshake?

I suspect not.

Then you are NOT "far left".

You are a thinking person who wants to make America better. To some that makes you a scary extremist.

There has not been a "far left" in this country for many many decades. Even when there was, the far left spent most of its energy making things better for the worst off Americans.

[LogDog75]

82. The Far Left

Is the equivalent of telling a child to be afraid of the Bogey-man. Conservative use "Far Left" to implant an idea in stupid adults that Democrats are Bogey-men and you should be afraid of them. Nothing more, nothing less.