this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2024
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"Left-wing," is a very broad term. In the Weimar Republic, yes, the left-wing alternative to right-wing populism was communism. In America today, Democratic Socialists like Bernie Sanders are the left-wing alternative. If that doesn't fall in line with your definition of, "left-wing,' that's fine, but it most people wouldn't define it as exclusively anti-capitalist ideologies.
The Overton Window is relative, sure, but that's only useful in defined constraints, and only for one point in time. Leftism is socialist, rightism is Capitalist.
Bernie is a Social Democrat as well.
...and Sanders himself defines Democratic Socialism as the completion of the New Deal reforms, not a gradual transition to a socialist economic system. There's a difference between the Overton Window shifting and a gradual change in definition over generations, but if you want definitions to remain entirely static, then we're both using left-wing incorrectly, as it's, "real," definition is opposing monarchy's veto power over parliament.
Yes, he calls himself a Democratic Socialist while being a Social Democrat, I'm aware.
Left wing in the modern context refers to anti-Capitalism.
Left-wing has always had a loose, relative meaning, and arguing otherwise isn't attempting to stop the Overton Window from shifting. It's just an attempt to gatekeep who gets to be a, "real," leftist.
No, it's getting people aligned on terms so proper organizing can happen. Liberals will never align with anticapitalists, for instance.
Right. So, you want to take the term, "left-wing," which has held different meanings in different contexts over more than two centuries and redefine as exclusively anti-capitalist, so you can tell liberals that they're not actually left-wing. Now that's an attempt to shift the Overton Window.
Leftism is revolutionary, rightism is reactionary. Right now, Capitalism is the dominant system being struggled against by Leftists around the globe. During the French Revolution, the proletariat and bourgeoisie both collaborated to overthrow the monarchy, which is why it was left.
I've run out of ways to say this, so I'll just reiterate it one more time and be done with it; the meaning of left-wing is not that rigid and will vary based on context. It does not specifically mean revolutionary or anti-capitalist. It generally means a set of social or economic principles aimed at creating a more egalitarian society, but what that means in terms of policy will depend greatly based on the culture and system of government in place. Do I think it sucks ass that the American liberals are considered left-wing in the U.S.? Yeah. Do they meet my definition of left-wing? Fuck no. But I don't get to define that broad term based on my personal standards.
I understand what you mean, and have since the beginning. I disagree with you on it.
In a geopolitical context, leftism is socialism and rightism is Capitalism.
You are welcome to disagree with it, but your definition is not shared by Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, or Wikipedia. The Encyclopedia Britannica comes closest to agreeing with you by saying that, "Socialism is the standard leftist ideology in most countries of the world," but it does not limit its definition of the political left to socialist and communist ideologies, and it certainly doesn't say, "Left wing means ending Capitalism, not just 'reigning it in." So maybe next time, before you jump into someone's comments to tell them they're using a word wrong, check if they're actually using it wrong or simply using it in a way that doesn't align with your personal beliefs.
Wikipedia agrees with me, the others are liberal rags.
You:
Wikipedia:
Anyway, we're done here.