by Richard Martin
The far (alt) right and the far (radical) left are pretty much identical in worldview, strategy, and tactics. The main distinction is ideological. The far left is internationalist and anti nationalist, while the far right is nationalistic and anti internationalist. Other than that, they are mostly twins.
They are both authoritarian.
They both reject or manipulate electoral politics.
They both use propaganda as a weapon and view truth as relative.
They are both cynical and nihilistic.
They both believe vehemently that the world as it is is profoundly disturbed or off kilter.
They are both anticapitalist.
They are both anti élitist.
They demonize their opponents and enemies, especially each other.
They accuse their opponents and critics of being insane, irrational, and/or inhuman(e).
They are against traditional religion.
They are against traditional hierarchies.
They are personalist ideologies that elevate their leaders to heroic or divine status.
They both elevate favoured groups/classes in society while attacking and victimizing those they hate.
They both rely heavily on mob action and direct, violent action.
They are both totalitarian and authoritarian.
I could go on, but I hope you get the picture.
© Richard Martin
[…] The Far Left and Far Right Are Twins […]
Dear Richard Martin
being from an opinion you would call extreme radical far left, I can not agree with your comparison.
Probably you have never been to meetings of a communist party and have not read several pamphlets and books of what we would call comrades..
It seems you only look at people who did communism more bad than good. Like in all systems you might find people who love so much their power that they become dictators. Stalin, Lenin, Hitler, Mussolini, Trump a.o.are some examples which should worry us. But it is wrong to think that they represent the whole system of left and right.
I do not know where you get it from that communists would reject or manipulate electoral politics, they are just the opposite wanting to give everybody the same rights to bring in their opinion and their vote.
That we would see or view truth as relative is also something what you would not find of many real leftwing writers and blogs. Please go and have a look at many on the net. Most of us are just trying to bring to the surface things which are hidden by others. I also give several writers the opportunity to have their say and as you would be able to find out on many of my websites, want to show the world what really happens in it.
I do admit that I also dare to challenge and dare to report things where I think things are going in the wrong direction. Whether I am cynical in doing so, I leave to the reader to decide, but I rather think if I ‘joke’ or ‘jest’ about something it serves to expose it more clearly.
Perhaps you are convinced that everything is alright in the world. Though I am afraid not. I would agree with your saying that people on the left front think that the world as it is, is profoundly disturbed. We notice how mankind is ruining mother earth. Perhaps you do not believe in gloal warming, but for us it is a serious treat. Nature is in danger! But also politically the world sometimes turns square and we notice that there is too much inequality and too much warfare, though you do not seem to think so.
I would not say right wing people are like left wing people anticapitalist. There are too many far right and centrum right people who cling to money and love the industrialised countries. In many countries we just see those far-right people coming up when they feel their industry and money making machine is in danger by having to share the wealth with ‘strangers’.
Logically that left wingers from what is so often called the far left, and even by some the radical left, keep to Marxist-Leninist ideology which despises big money profits at the expense of ordinary citizens. It is true that we strive to achieve a balance where every living being (human, animal and plant) is fully respected and valued.
The citizens who are supposed to contribute to the world they live in should be fairly compensated, and it is not right that corporations and big companies should run around making money while those who do the dirty work are not adequately compensated.
I do not know where you get it from that we would “demonize” our “opponents and enemies, especially each other.”?!
I wonder where you would find comrades who would accuse their opponents and critics of being insane, irrational, and/or inhuman(e). For that last one we, I would agree, more than once would show the world the inequality that exist in this world and which is not acceptable. There are many injustices in this world and the human rights are violated several times in this world, which we definitely need to do something about.
The biggest misconception among many people, especially Catholics, is that they think religion has no place with us. You write “They are against traditional religion.” If you mean that we are against traditional churches receiving money from the state, yes. Every religious group or movement should have the same rights to exist and to express oneself. Religious choice is something that every person for himself has to make. But I do agree we dare to pinpoint to doctrines in main churches wich are not according to the Bible. The same would we point to certain Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim or other religious group in case in such group there would be sectarianism or bringing others in danger, like Alquada, Bokoharam, ISIS just to name only those Muslim extremists. But there are also fanatic evangelists who bring people in danger, cfr. American right wing and conservative evangelists.
Are you aware that there are also communist members who belong to for example the Roman Catholic Church or to the Charismatic Catholic Church, as well to different protestant denominations? I myself am also an preacher and am responsible of a church. You also would be able to find several of my sites where I preach the Word of God, though I do admit that would not be in line with the main Trinitarian churches,but according Biblical teaching, which prefers my attention. I go for That Biblical Truth the same as a go for the other truth which should be there in our world.
You are again wrong in writing “They are personalist ideologies that elevate their leaders to heroic or divine status.” We might like certain figures, but would never idealise them. Though I do agree that like in any movement you can find people who idealise others. That happens in social Democrat, conservative, Republican, Green, Liberal and other parties.
In our circles, we will always point people out if they start idealising too much and do not stay sober to realise that everyone can make mistakes and no one is saintly.
By the way, do you know that there is Only One True God, Who is One and not two or three. That Creator of heaven and earth is a Spirit Being and no human being.
Never will any human being be able to match that Deity. So that is totally utopian. Also, one should never worship a human being as a deity. Besides, that is against the commandment of That One Deity above all gods.
It is totally wrong to say “They both elevate favoured groups/classes in society while attacking and victimizing those they hate.” Such saying goes totally against our principles of equality. (Please read the basics of communism.)
Furthermore you seem to generalise, which is always wrong. You write: “They both rely heavily on mob action and direct, violent action.” In several groups you might find some more fanatic groups. Also in certain circumstances one can need some extra effort to make certain things clear. I do agree to bring forth some changes there had to be some revolutions, where (I do agree) violence was used. I myself am a pacifist and would resist any form of violence. Do you know also there that a Christian (what I am and several of my comrades too) may not take up a weapon or fight physically with another human being?
You end with what you stated wrongly in the beginning that we both would be totalitarian and authoritarian. Please have a closer look at what totalitarianism and authoritarianism are and compare it then with our internal structures and rules and regulations or agreements.
You hope your readers would get your picture, but I do hope your readers would come to see the true or real picture and not the false representation of an ideology where you do not agree with.
We may not like certain ideologies either, but we understand that like any thought, it has the right to exist and must be respected. That is precisely one of the important things in democracy (we believe), which a true communist will always stand for. He is open to hearing multiple voices and seeking a solution to create a viable society with those different opinions.
Hopefully, I have already been able to give a somewhat clearer picture of our thinking. I would like to recommend you to further search my profile and read several of my texts there.
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There is the Google sites profile of Marcus Ampe, where you can find an exposition of my ‘leftist’ ideas.
next to my Marcus Ampe’s Space on WordPress
and the site which tries to expose the fake news by providing truthful reporting.at “Some View on the World”.
Hope to meet you there.