Anyone who dares express views that even vaguely differ from the hard-right neoliberal orthodoxy these days gets pilloried as some kind of dangerously radical left-wing extremist.
Coo, I’m a radical left extremist!! How ridiculous. I started life as a Liberal, became a socialist card carrying Labour member in my early twenties and in my old(ish) age I’m a radical extremist...when most folk my age are categorised as Conservative right wingers. It makes me proud!
There are lots of derogatory smears for the left (a loony, red tape, commie etc.). Labelling people who love capital might imply some problem with the system. Right is right, might is right, greed is good and since there are so many people who believe in this type of thing there won't be many derogatory labels for them.
For over 40 years,a Socialist,now a radical left wing extremist. I left the Labour party because of Starmer and previously Blair forced me to resign my membership.
I will always fight for the poor,sick and disabled to have a proper,decent standard of living.
This is down to two related things. Firstly the surrender of the Overton Window by the Labour Party, and the rise of what I call the "extremist moderates".
In the mid 80s I went through the Labour Party election agent training run by Philip Gould and Peter Mandelson. They posited a static Overton Window. An immutable set of ideas that were and would always be unacceptable to the bulk of the electorate. I was ridiculed for suggesting that it was even possible to move the window. The Labour Party as a whole bought into that view whilst the political right continued to push at it as hard as they could. That has meant that political ideas that were totally acceptable in the 1970s are now seen as absurdly extreme.
The other factor, which is associated in a chicken and egg fashion, is an increasing number of people in politics who self define as "moderate" because they try to align themselves in the middle of the now rightwards moving Overton Window. Because they are "moderate" they then define everybody who disagrees with them as "extremist".
Overall that means that all of us who have held on to principles and ideals that were normal in the 60s and 70s, and which over most of the world are seen as moderate centrism, are seen by the extremist moderates who dominate the media and political establishment as being dangerously radical leftists. It is basically a combination of defeatism, inability to reason logically, and an almost insane degree of conformism.
I also think benefits should be increased. If they were mental and physical health would improve. Positivity replace negativity, less stress related illness = ability to work
According to GBeebies, TV's Carol Vorderman is a hard left activist, thereby neatly demonstrating that the Overton Window is both waaaaay over there ===> and the size of a cat flap.
Coo, I’m a radical left extremist!! How ridiculous. I started life as a Liberal, became a socialist card carrying Labour member in my early twenties and in my old(ish) age I’m a radical extremist...when most folk my age are categorised as Conservative right wingers. It makes me proud!
Luckily there's still a wing of Labour that classify themselves as "Red Labour", if they haven't been forced out yet...
That's really cool. Keep it up, comrade!
Splitter! I'm a left radical extremist.
All of them lol! But then I’m told by others I’m a raging lefty.
Yes - and proudly so.
Never mind all the latest labels & epithets, I regard myself as a HUMAN BEING who agrees with all of the above.
Apparantly I’m a radical left extremist, because I agree with all your ideas. Proud to be one!!
Why is it we have lefties but no righties🤔
I dunno. Maybe because Righties just sounds silly whereas Lefty is a compliment!
There are lots of derogatory smears for the left (a loony, red tape, commie etc.). Labelling people who love capital might imply some problem with the system. Right is right, might is right, greed is good and since there are so many people who believe in this type of thing there won't be many derogatory labels for them.
Exactly!
For over 40 years,a Socialist,now a radical left wing extremist. I left the Labour party because of Starmer and previously Blair forced me to resign my membership.
I will always fight for the poor,sick and disabled to have a proper,decent standard of living.
I joined the Labour party under Corbyn, then left as soon as they ousted him.
I wish you all the best John, and keep up the fight!
Blimey, that's news to me, I thought I was just another angry ex-labour bloke and now I`m an extremist and radical too.
This is down to two related things. Firstly the surrender of the Overton Window by the Labour Party, and the rise of what I call the "extremist moderates".
In the mid 80s I went through the Labour Party election agent training run by Philip Gould and Peter Mandelson. They posited a static Overton Window. An immutable set of ideas that were and would always be unacceptable to the bulk of the electorate. I was ridiculed for suggesting that it was even possible to move the window. The Labour Party as a whole bought into that view whilst the political right continued to push at it as hard as they could. That has meant that political ideas that were totally acceptable in the 1970s are now seen as absurdly extreme.
The other factor, which is associated in a chicken and egg fashion, is an increasing number of people in politics who self define as "moderate" because they try to align themselves in the middle of the now rightwards moving Overton Window. Because they are "moderate" they then define everybody who disagrees with them as "extremist".
Overall that means that all of us who have held on to principles and ideals that were normal in the 60s and 70s, and which over most of the world are seen as moderate centrism, are seen by the extremist moderates who dominate the media and political establishment as being dangerously radical leftists. It is basically a combination of defeatism, inability to reason logically, and an almost insane degree of conformism.
I also think benefits should be increased. If they were mental and physical health would improve. Positivity replace negativity, less stress related illness = ability to work
According to GBeebies, TV's Carol Vorderman is a hard left activist, thereby neatly demonstrating that the Overton Window is both waaaaay over there ===> and the size of a cat flap.
And I thought I knew myself! Great piece!
I didn't realise. Apparently I am a radical left extremist when I'm supposed to be blue rinse brigade conservative. I like it better where I am.
Me too! I get more left wing the older I get😁
Same.
Undoubtedly. I'm an anarchist.
I was once informed that I was a Trotskyite Entryist, (I liked Jeremy Corbyn at the time...) but I'm glad to hear I'm just a radical left extremist! 🤣