Posts Tagged ‘Left-Right’

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

By Richard Martin

Leftism is the idea that you can remake society whole according to some centralized, collective understanding. The only real difference between the far left and the so-called far right or alt-right lies in which groups are favoured and which are demonized.

Like the Nazis and SPD in Weimar Germany, it’s the “narcissism of small differences.” The idea that fascism/nazism is far right is an invention of Stalinist Russia and Marxists. They are both on the far left, meaning aiming at a revolutionary overthrow of traditional morality and social structures.