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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JohnM who wrote (21300)	6/17/2006 3:20:46 AM
From: thames_sider	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 541402

The thing is, in the rest of the world left-wing has a fairly specific placing (other than used as a qualifier, e.g., saying that someone's on the left or right wing of a particular party). It means social democrat at least, probably more socialist, mybe even shading to communist for (say) Italian-style parties. Essentially it's someone with little (maybe no) belief in the role and scope of the free market, and a far greater trust and belief in the role of the state; coupled with a preference for state or collective ownership against capitalist ownership of enterprise. And to be far-left implies fundamentalist socialist at best, if not communist-inspired socialism. It's not a political stance I agree with, on the UK scale I'm probably centre-right in most things, but I dislike it being used as simple abuse to stifle debate, especially so inaccurately. <edit> Forgot this bit - And it may be small but I understand there is a genuine socialist movement in the US. I don't know if it's as closely aligned with the unions as old (socialist) Labour was, in the UK, but it's there for comparison.

To: JohnM who wrote (21300)	6/19/2006 1:05:25 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541402

Certainly Bill Clinton isn't to the extreme left in American politics. I'm not sure I would say that Carville is either but he is at least to the left. The point with Carville is not as much the ideology, but the fact that he is extremely partisan and can be very nasty. Dean is also on the left of American politics, but perhaps not extreme left. The definitional question is not just what types of policies and ideas, and statements you associate with left, right, and center, but how far away from the center you have to be to be considered extreme. Do you have to be like Pol Pot or Kim Jong Il to be extreme left, or will Micheal Moore, or Bernie Sanders be far enough? Of course the same question with different figures could be asked about the right. Or are you only considering major figures within each of the main two parties, perhaps only elected national politicians within each of the two parties? If so you don't have to go as far to be "extreme".