Using the word leftist as a smear...

[Violet_Crumble]

I've seen conservatives do it online, but what I don't understand is when I sometimes I see DUers use it here. Isn't the definition of leftist someone who's part of the political left? And doesn't that include us members of DU, who apart from the stray freeper-without-a-life, are all part of the political left? So why would anyone who according to the definition is a leftist fling the word around as though to be a leftist is something dirty? I'm not American, so I better check, but is there a different definition of leftist in the US than elsewhere in the world?

[samuraiguppy]

1. I consider it a compliment. would definitely

characterize myself as being on the left--and I am not ashamed of that.

[Two Americas]

2. there is a battle

You are perceiving this accurately. Most often it is preceded by the word "far."

Because of the culture war insanity that dominates our politics, there are many people who are very conservative on economic issues who are in the Democratic party, and many Republican voters who are more to the Left on economic issues. It makes for a tremendous amount of confusion.

Much of modern liberalism in this country is concerned with opposing the Left as much it is with opposing the right wingers. I sometimes wonder what is more important to people - the intra-party warfare and ongoing attempts at running off the "far Left" - which is as often as not defined as anyone even mildly to the Left on economic issues - or beating the right wingers.

The Democratic party has been moving steadily to the right for decades, to the point that it is now to the right of the Republican party of 40 years ago. Anyone pointing that out is vulnerable to being attacked as a "fringe" or "far" Leftist, and of being a "purist" or "unrealistic" or of advocating "violent revolution."

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. When used thusly it carries a vaguely negative connotation.

>>>So why would anyone who according to the definition is a leftist fling the word around as though to be a leftist is something dirty? I'm not American, so I better check, but is there a different definition of leftist in the US than elsewhere in the world?>>>

Here... in USA, anyway. Most "leftists" ( not *all*) call themselves 'progressives' and/or "liberals" even though they are well aware that they fall to the "left" of the political center on most issues and in general politicial philosophy.

People here ( on DU) who "throw it around as an insult" are likely referencing other DUers who they see as overly, rigidly ideological.


>>>>I'm not American, so I better check, but is there a different definition of leftist in the US than elsewhere in the world?>>>

Only in the sense that "leftists" here usually further to the "right" than "leftists" elsewhere. That has to do with US hisory and 100+ years of political condidtioning and the general rightward tilt of American culture and politics.

[riverdeep]

4. When they say 'leftists', they are referencing communists.

That's the image they want people to have in their heads. This nation spent many, many paranoid years rallying against communism and that memory is still there for a lot of people, that's what they're tapping into.

The other aspect of this is that people like this tend to be very sloppy with terms that they dislike. To them, there is no difference between communism, socialism, fascism, or even anarchy. There is just this big bad 'left' and those terms are often used interchangeably. It's this sloppiness that allowed as idiotic a term to be coined as 'Islamofascism'- a wholly meaningless term that nonetheless the 'rightists' have taken a real shine to.

[Greyhound]

5. Noam Chomsky's written a couple of excellent books on this very thing.

There are also quite a few videos on http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chomsky+interview&search_type=&aq=7&oq=chomsk">youTube if you prefer.

The Reich-wing have been very successful at redefining our political language, so successful that, as TwoAmericas says, there is no significant left, left.

[canetoad]

6. It's a term thrown around

by di-neuronal, mono-synaptic fundies. It encompasses all jesus hatin', foetus murderin', migrant lovin', devil worshippin', Marx followin', homo enablin' commie pinko bastards. The ones you and I naturally gravitate towards :rofl:

Anyone who works for a wage and uses this term with a straight face is a fucking lying scumbag hypocrite.

Ed: I forgot drug abusin'!