Left-wing politics  

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 +{| class="toccolours" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:30em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
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 +"If at age 20 you are not a [[Communism|Communist]] then you have no heart. If at age 30 you are not a [[Capitalism|Capitalist]] then you have no brains." [[Communist at 20, capitalist at 50|[...]]]
 +<hr>
 +"I'm sick and tired of hearing about all of the radicals, and the [[Perversion|perverts]], and the [[Liberalism|liberals]], and the [[Left-wing politics|left]]ists, and the [[Communism|Communists]] [[Coming out |coming out of the closet]]! It's time for [[People of God|God's people]] to come out of the closet, out of the churches, and change America!" --[[James Robison]]
 +<hr>
 +"''[[They Live]]'' is definitely one of the forgotten masterpieces of the [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] [[Left-wing politics|Left]]. ... The sunglasses function like a critique of [[ideology]]. They allow you to see the [[real]] message beneath all the [[propaganda]], [[glitz]], [[poster]]s and so on. ... When you put the sunglasses on you see the dictatorship in democracy, the invisible order which sustains your apparent freedom." --''[[The Pervert's Guide to Ideology]]'' (2012) by Slavoj Žižek
 +
 +|}
 +[[Image:Guerrillero Heroico - Che Guevara by Alberto Diaz Gutierrez.jpg|thumb|200px|The ''[[Guerrillero Heroico]]'' photo of [[Che Guevara]] by Alberto Korda]]
 +[[Image:Eugène Delacroix - La liberté guidant le peuple.jpg|thumb|200px|This page '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is part of the [[politics]] series.<br><small>Illustration:''[[Liberty Leading the People]]'' (1831, detail) by [[Eugène Delacroix]].</small>]]
{{Template}} {{Template}}
-[[Left-wing politics]], the political trend or ideology. +'''Left-wing politics''' supports [[social equality]] and [[egalitarianism]], often in opposition to [[social hierarchy]] and [[social inequality]]. It typically involves a concern for those in society whom its adherents perceive as disadvantaged relative to others ([[prioritarianism]]) as well as a belief that there are unjustified inequalities that need to be reduced or abolished (by advocating for [[social justice]]). The term left-wing can also refer to "the [[Political radicalism|radical]], [[Reformism|reforming]], or [[socialist]] section of a political party or system".
- +
-In [[politics]], '''left-wing''' and '''the left''' on the [[Left-Right politics]] spectrum, is associated, in varying degrees, with social (as opposed to classical) [[Social liberalism|liberalism]], [[progressivism]], [[Liberalism in the United States|American liberalism]], [[populism]], [[social democracy]], [[socialism]], [[communism]], [[syndicalism]], [[communalism]], [[communitarianism]], some forms of [[green politics]] and some forms of [[anarchism]].+
- +
-The left is generally [[secular]]. However, in some [[Roman Catholic]] countries there is a tradition of [[Liberation theology]] which focuses upon "social justice", and in most Protestant countries there is a tradition of [[Christian Socialism]]. Religion and left-wing politics have sometimes been allies, for example in the [[U.S. civil rights movement]], and sometimes opponents, for example regarding legalized [[abortion]].+
-[[Old Left]] refers to the tendency within left politics in the first half of the twentieth century to focus exclusively upon [[social class|class]] conflict, sometimes in an [[economic determinism| economic determinist]] way, in contrast to the [[New Left]] politics that emerged in the [[1950s]] and especially [[1960s]], which instead emphasized [[cultural politics]] and identities other than class. Examples of the new left include [[Students for a Democratic Society]] and the journal ''[[New Left Review]]''.+The political terms "Left" and "[[Right-wing politics|Right]]" were coined during the [[French Revolution]] (1789–1799), referring to the seating arrangement in the [[Estates General (France)|Estates General]]: those who sat on the left generally opposed the [[monarchy]] and supported the revolution, including the creation of a [[republic]] and [[secularization]], while those on the right were supportive of the traditional institutions of the [[Ancien Régime|Old Regime]]. Use of the term "Left" became more prominent after the restoration of the French monarchy in 1815 when it was applied to the "Independents". The word "wing" was appended to Left and Right in the late 19th century usually with disparaging intent and "left-wing" was applied to those who were unorthodox in their religious or political views.
-[[Center-left]], left of center, and [[left liberal]] refer to the left side of [[mainstream]] politics in liberal democracies. These support [[liberal democracy]], [[representative democracy]], [[private property]] rights and some degree of [[free market]], as well as high social spending, universal provision of [[social welfare]], some state [[regulation]] of the economy and often [[public ownership]]. Examples are the British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]], the American [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] and the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany]]. +The term was later applied to a number of movements, especially [[republicanism]] during the French Revolution in the 18th century, followed by [[socialism]], [[communism]], [[anarchism]] and [[social democracy]] in the 19th and 20th centuries. Since then, the term left-wing has been applied to a broad range of movements including [[civil rights movements]], [[feminist movement]]s, [[anti-war movement]]s and [[environmental movement]]s, as well as a wide range of parties. According to author Barry Clark, "[leftists] claim that human development flourishes when individuals engage in cooperative, mutually respectful relations that can thrive only when excessive differences in status, power, and wealth are eliminated".
-Whereas [[Soft left]] refers to [[reformist]], [[democratic]] or [[parliamentary]] forms of socialism (for example, [[Irving Howe]] or the [[Tribune (magazine)|Tribune]] group), [[Hard left]] refers to socialists who advocate more radical change in society, such as the British politician [[Tony Benn]] or the [[Militant tendency]]. Some organisations might be described as [[Far left]], for instance groups affiliated to the [[Fourth International]] or splinters from it. [[Ultra-left]] refers to those deemed to be on the extreme left of the political spectrum, e.g. Italian [[autonomism]]. 
==See also== ==See also==
* [[Anti-Stalinist left]] * [[Anti-Stalinist left]]
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* [[List of left-wing internationals]] * [[List of left-wing internationals]]
* [[Post-left anarchy]] * [[Post-left anarchy]]
 +* [[Red scare]]
* [[Redistribution (economics)]] * [[Redistribution (economics)]]
* [[Social criticism]] * [[Social criticism]]
-* [[Anarcho-communism]]+* [[Regressive left]]
 +* [[Socialist feminism]]
 +* [[Syndicalism]]
{{GFDL}} {{GFDL}}

Current revision

"If at age 20 you are not a Communist then you have no heart. If at age 30 you are not a Capitalist then you have no brains." [...]


"I'm sick and tired of hearing about all of the radicals, and the perverts, and the liberals, and the leftists, and the Communists coming out of the closet! It's time for God's people to come out of the closet, out of the churches, and change America!" --James Robison


"They Live is definitely one of the forgotten masterpieces of the Hollywood Left. ... The sunglasses function like a critique of ideology. They allow you to see the real message beneath all the propaganda, glitz, posters and so on. ... When you put the sunglasses on you see the dictatorship in democracy, the invisible order which sustains your apparent freedom." --The Pervert's Guide to Ideology (2012) by Slavoj Žižek

The Guerrillero Heroico photo of Che Guevara by Alberto Korda
Enlarge
The Guerrillero Heroico photo of Che Guevara by Alberto Korda
This page Left-wing politics is part of the politics series.Illustration:Liberty Leading the People (1831, detail) by Eugène Delacroix.
Enlarge
This page Left-wing politics is part of the politics series.
Illustration:Liberty Leading the People (1831, detail) by Eugène Delacroix.

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Left-wing politics supports social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy and social inequality. It typically involves a concern for those in society whom its adherents perceive as disadvantaged relative to others (prioritarianism) as well as a belief that there are unjustified inequalities that need to be reduced or abolished (by advocating for social justice). The term left-wing can also refer to "the radical, reforming, or socialist section of a political party or system".

The political terms "Left" and "Right" were coined during the French Revolution (1789–1799), referring to the seating arrangement in the Estates General: those who sat on the left generally opposed the monarchy and supported the revolution, including the creation of a republic and secularization, while those on the right were supportive of the traditional institutions of the Old Regime. Use of the term "Left" became more prominent after the restoration of the French monarchy in 1815 when it was applied to the "Independents". The word "wing" was appended to Left and Right in the late 19th century usually with disparaging intent and "left-wing" was applied to those who were unorthodox in their religious or political views.

The term was later applied to a number of movements, especially republicanism during the French Revolution in the 18th century, followed by socialism, communism, anarchism and social democracy in the 19th and 20th centuries. Since then, the term left-wing has been applied to a broad range of movements including civil rights movements, feminist movements, anti-war movements and environmental movements, as well as a wide range of parties. According to author Barry Clark, "[leftists] claim that human development flourishes when individuals engage in cooperative, mutually respectful relations that can thrive only when excessive differences in status, power, and wealth are eliminated".

See also




Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Left-wing politics" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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