In politics, "left-wing", "the political left", or "the Left" are terms that refer to politics that seek to reform or abolish existing social hierarchies and promote a more equal distribution of wealth and privilege. A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Left-right politics or the Left-right political spectrum is a common way of classifying political positions political ideologies, or political parties In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities Syncretic politics involves taking political positions that attempt to reconcile seemingly opposed ideological systems usually by combining some elements associated with the A party platform, also known as a Manifesto, is a list of the principles which a Political party supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose A party system is a concept in comparative Political science concerning the system of government by political parties. A dominant-party system, or one party dominant system, is a Party system where only one Political party can realistically become the Government A multi-party system is a system in which three or more political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition Non-partisan democracy (also no-party democracy) is a system of representative government or organization such that universal and periodic Elections A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of Party system Government in which a single Political party A two-party system is a form of Party system where two major Political parties dominate voting in nearly all Elections at every A political spectrum (plural Spectra) is a way of modeling different political positions by placing them upon one or more geometric axes See also List of political parties by United Nations geoscheme This is an overview of political parties by country, in the form of a table with a link See also List of political parties by country This is a lists of political parties by United Nations geoscheme around the world in the form This is a list of political parties around the world by ideology. Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions In general, the left advocates for a society where all people have an equal opportunity, which they often describe as a "level playing field". Toward this end, most people who consider themselves left-wing support labor unions. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming ^[1] The term "the Left" can encompass a number of ideologies, including Progressivism, Social liberalism, Social democracy, Left-libertarianism, Socialism, Syndicalism, Marxism, Communism, and mainstream Anarchism. Progressivism is a term that refers to a broad school of international social and political philosophies. Social liberalism, also called new liberalism (as it was originally termed high liberalism radical liberalism, modern liberalism, or Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left Left-libertarianism (or left-wing libertarianism) is a term that has been adopted by several different libertarian political movements and theorists Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Syndicalism is a type of movement which aims to degrade capitalist societies through action by the Working class on the industrial front Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i

Contents 1 Definition 2 Origins and history of the term 3 Left-wing issues 4 War and revolution 4.1 First and Second World Wars 4.2 Spanish Civil War 4.3 Vietnam and Iraq anti-war movements 5 The Left and global justice / anti-corporate globalization 6 The left and feminism 7 The left and the developing world 8 The left and post-modernism 9 See also 10 References and notes 11 Bibliography 12 External links

Definition

From the 18th to 20th Centuries the "Old Left" argued that differences in social class determined the nature of a society. The Old Left is a term used to describe classic 1930s-era Western Leninists Trotskyists and Stalinists to differentiate them from the Marxists of Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions (or stratification) between individuals or groups in Societies or Cultures. During the 1960s this perspective was broadened by the "New Left" to include an egalitarian approach to cultural politics, including "New Social Movements" based on anti-racism, feminism, environmentalism and LGBT rights. The New Left were the Left-wing movements in different countries in the 1960s and 1970s that unlike the earlier leftist focus on union activism instead adopted a Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic The term new social movements (NSMs is a theory of Social movements that attempts to explain the plethora of new movements that have come up in various western societies Anti-racism includes beliefs actions movements and policies adopted or developed to oppose Racism. Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and Social movement centered on a concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment. LGBT (also GLBT) is an initialism referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, and Transgender / transsexual This turn to so-called "identity politics" has been decried by organizations of the Old Left^[2] as being partially responsible, together with other failures to focus on the class structure of society as the essential issue, for the co-optation of leftist elements into establishment ones as in the neo-conservative and neo-liberals, greens, etc. Identity politics is Political action to advance the interests of members of a group whose members are oppressed by virtue of a shared and marginalized Identity (such A co-option or more often co-optation is an election where members of a Committee (or similar group vote in order to fill a vacancy on that committee Neoconservatism (or Neocon is a Right-wing political philosophy that emerged in the United States from the rejection of the Social liberalism, Moral relativism Originally coined by its critics and opponents " neoliberalism " is a label referring to the recent reemergence of Economic liberalism or Classical liberalism Green politics is a Political ideology which places a high importance on ecological and environmental goals and on achieving these goals through broad-based

According to Barry Clark,^[3]

“

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. According to leftists, a society without substantial equality will distort the development of not only deprived persons, but also those whose priveleges undermine their motivation and sense of social responsibility. This suppression of human development, together with the resentment and conflict engendered by sharp class distinctions, will ultimately reduce the efficiency of the economy

”

Center left refers to the left side of mainstream politics in liberal democracies. The centre-left (or center-left) is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals political parties or organizations (such as Think Mainstream is generally the common current of Thought of the Majority. The term "liberal" in "liberal democracy" does not imply that the government of such a democracy must follow the political ideology of These support liberal democracy, representative democracy, and private property rights in combination with tax funded spending on social welfare, active regulation of the economy, and some public ownership. Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives Property is any physical or virtual entity that is owned by an individual "Social welfare" redirects here For other uses see Welfare A social welfare provision refers to any program which seeks to provide This article is for the legal term For regulation of genes see Regulation of gene expression. Public ownership (also called government ownership, state ownership or state property) refers to Government Ownership of any "Center" is generally defined relative to a particular national or regional norm rather to some spectrum defined in terms of the global state of affairs.

Prominent examples of center-left parties include the UK Labour Party, the US Democratic Party^[4], and the Social Democratic Party of Germany. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. There are also many nationalist parties who describe themselves as being on the left. The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation For example in the United Kingdom in Scotland there is the Scottish National Party (SNP), in Wales there is Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales). The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Scottish National Party (SNP (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba Scottis Naitional Pairtie is a Centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish Plaid Cymru (plaɪd ˈkəmri The Party of Wales often referred to simply as Plaid) is a Political party in Wales.

In some countries (especially the UK), "soft left" refers to reformist, democratic and/or parliamentary forms of socialism, whereas "hard left" refers to socialists who advocate more radical change in society. The soft left was the name given to the more moderate left wing forces in the British Labour Party in the 1980s Socialist Reformism is the belief that gradual democratic changes in a Society can ultimately change a society's fundamental economic relations and political structures Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which ' Hard left' is a name often given to an internal tendency within the British Labour Party. Organizations described as far left are rooted in the politics of the "Old Left. Ultra-left|Radical left|Radicalism (historical|Hard left Far left and extreme left are terms used to discuss the position a group or person occupies within a Political spectrum " Ultra-left organizations are those on the extreme left of the political spectrum, such as autonomism and anarchism. Ultra-leftism has two overlapping uses It is used as a generally Pejorative term for certain types of positions on the left that are seen as extreme or intransigent Autonomism refers to a set of Left-wing political and social movements and theories close to the socialist movement.

As with "center" the term 'left-wing' is relative to the politics of individual countries and regions. In an article on the 2001 general election in the United Kingdom, the American Washington Post newspaper observed that the British Conservative party's policies on healthcare and welfare would be on "the far left-wing fringe of American politics", and that the British election had been conducted way to the left of America's political dialogue. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. ^[5]

Although the left is generally thought of as being secular, in some Roman Catholic countries there is a tradition of liberation theology which focuses upon "social justice", and in some Protestant countries there is a tradition of Christian Socialism. Secularity ( adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from Religion. Liberation theology is a school of Theology within Christianity, particularly in the Roman Catholic Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Christian socialism generally refers to those on the Christian left whose politics are both Christian and Socialist and who see these two philosophies as Some philosophers and historians, such as Eric Voegelin^[6] and Jacob Talmon^[7], argue that the left is a utopian secular political religion. Eric Voegelin, born Erich Hermann Wilhelm Vögelin ( January 3, 1901 &ndash January 19, 1985) was a Political philosopher. Jacob Leib Talmon (1916-1980 was an Orthodox Jewish Professor of Modern History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Utopia is a name for an ideal community taken from the title of a book written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More describing a fictional Island in the State religion and Civil religion are separate topics In the terminology of some scholars working in Sociology, a political

Leftists themselves are divided among those who emphasize individual well-being (modern liberals) and communitarians (radicals and socialists). ^[3]

Origins and history of the term

See also: Left-Right politics

The term originates from the French Revolution, when liberal deputies from the Third Estate generally sat to the left of the president's chair, a habit which began in the Estates General of 1789. Left-right politics or the Left-right political spectrum is a common way of classifying political positions political ideologies, or political parties The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society usually distinguishing Nobility, Clergy, and Commoners recognized in the Middle Ages In France under the Ancien Regime, the States-General or Estates-General (French états généraux) was a Legislative assembly The nobility, members of the Second Estate, generally sat to the right. The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society usually distinguishing Nobility, Clergy, and Commoners recognized in the Middle Ages It is still the tradition in the French Assemblée Nationale for the representatives to be seated left-to-right (relative to the Assemblée president) according to their political alignment. The French National Assembly. The other is the Senate ( “Sénat”)

In contemporary Western political discourse, the term is most often used to describe forms of socialism, social democracy, or, in the sense in which the term is understood in the United States and Canada, liberalism. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left Liberalism in the United States is a broad political and philosophical mindset favoring individual Liberty, and opposing restrictions on liberty whether they come from Liberalism has been a strong force in Canadian politics since the late 18th Century Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal

Some, such as Roger Scruton, deny that green politics is inherently "on the left" arguing (with reference to damage to the environment which occurred in communist regimes such as the USSR, that conservatism is the natural home of conservation. Roger Vernon Scruton (born 27 February 1944) is an English Conservative Philosopher. Green politics is a Political ideology which places a high importance on ecological and environmental goals and on achieving these goals through broad-based Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined Libertarians argue that people with property rights are more likely to take care of property they own than they are of property held in common. Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the Property is any physical or virtual entity that is owned by an individual Many Greens however associate the right with free market exploitation of natural resources. A right is a legal or moral Entitlement or Permission. Rights are of vital importance in theories of Justice and deontological ethics A free market is a Market in which property rights are voluntarily exchanged at a price arranged completely by the mutual consent of sellers and buyers When Green politicians have formed political coalitions (most notably in Germany, but also in local governments elsewhere), it has almost always been with groups that classify themselves as on the left. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Notable exceptions include Green Parties participating in center-right governments in Mexico, with the National Action Party (PAN); in the 4-party "green-blue" coalition in Finland; and, on March 9, 2004 Indulis Emsis of Latvia's Union of Greens and Farmers became the first Green Prime Minister in the world, at the head of a minority center-right coalition. See also the Alliance for Change (Guyana and Alliance for Change (UK. Matti Vanhanen's second cabinet (April 2007-) is the 70th cabinet of Finland. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Indulis Emsis (born Salaca Village Limbazi District January 2, 1952) is a Latvian biologist and politician Zaļo un Zemnieku Savienība (abbreviated ZZS, English Union of Greens and Farmers or Union of Greens and Rustics) is a green / agrarian

Left-wing issues

The Left has traditionally identified with the lower classes and with combating oppression. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions (or stratification) between individuals or groups in Societies or Cultures. Oppression is the act of using power to empower and/or privilege a group at the expense of disempowering marginalizing silencing and subordinating another group Thus the industrial revolution saw left-wing politics become associated with the conditions and worker's rights in the new industries. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Occupational safety and health is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the Safety, Health and welfare of people engaged in Labor rights or workers' rights are a group of Legal rights and claimed Human rights having to do with Labor relations between Workers This led to movements advocating social democracy, socialism and trade unionism. Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming More recently, the left has criticized what it perceives as the exploitative nature by current forms of globalization, e. Globalization (or globalisation) in its literal sense is the process of transformation of local or regional phenomena into global ones g. the rise of sweatshops and the "race to the bottom", and either has sought to promote more just forms of globalization, such as fair trade, or has sought to allow nation-states to "delink" or break free of the global economy. A sweatshop is a working environment with very difficult or dangerous conditions usually where the workers have few rights or ways to address their situation In Government regulation, a race to the bottom is a phenomenon that is said to occur when competition between nations or states (over Investment capital for example Fair trade is an organized Social movement and market-based approach to empowering developing country producers and promoting sustainability For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy

Although specific means of achieving these ends are not agreed upon by different left-wing groups, almost all those on the left agree that some form of government or social intervention in economics is necessary, ranging from Keynesian economics and the welfare state through industrial democracy or the social market to nationalization of the economy and central planning. In Economics Keynesian economics (ˈkeɪnziən also Keynesianism and Keynesian Theory) is based on the ideas of twentieth-century British economist This article refers specifically to the Welfare state of the United Kingdom. Industrial democracy is an arrangement which involves workers making decisions sharing responsibility and Authority in the workplace The social market economy was the main economic model used in Western and Northern Europe during the Cold War era Nationalization, also spelled nationalisation, is the act of taking an industry or assets into the Public ownership of a national government A planned economy or directed economy is an Economic system in which the Government or Workers' councils manages the Economy. ^[8]

As civil and human rights gained more attention during the twentieth century, the Left has allied itself with advocates of racial and gender equality and cultural tolerance. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled The term race or racial group usually refers to the concept of categorizing Humans into Populations or groups on the basis of various sets Gender comprises a range of differences between men and women extending from the biological to the social ^[9]

War and revolution

Historically, the left have been opponents of imperialist and colonial wars, and have championed anti-colonial rebellions. Imperialism has two meanings one describing an action and the other describing an attitude See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism

While some segments of the left are inspired by a strict adherence to pacifism, much left-wing opposition to war arises primarily from anti-capitalist sentiment. Anti-capitalism describes a wide variety of movements ideas and attitudes which oppose Capitalism. Left-wing opposition to war is also often characterized by the internationalist belief that world's workers share common interests with one another, rather than with the powers governing their respective countries. For the Marxist concept of internationalism see Proletarian internationalism. The Political slogan "Workers of the world unite!", one of the most famous rallying cries of Communism, comes from Karl Marx

First and Second World Wars

The First World War triggered fierce debate among socialist groups as to the right response to take, with the leaderships of most socialist parties of the Second International supporting their governments, and a minority of socialists, such as Rosa Luxemburg and Lenin opposing the war as imperialist. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Second International (1889-1916 was an organization of socialist and labour parties formed in Paris on July 14, 1889. Rosa Luxemburg (Róża Luksemburg 5 March 1870 or 1871 15 January 1919 was a Polish-born Jewish German Marxist theorist, socialist Left-wing opponents to the war came together at the Zimmerwald Conference. The Zimmerwald Conference was held in Zimmerwald, Switzerland, from September 5 through September 8, 1915. The Bolsheviks responded to a revolt by soldiers against the First World War with promises of "bread, land and peace. " These promises proved to be misleading however, because once the Bolsheviks seized power there was famine due to enforced collectivization. This took place under economic blockade, and at a time when the Soviets put all their resources into efforts to defend their country from invasion, a period known as "War Communism. "

As a result of the Nazi-Soviet pact supporters of the Soviet Union were instructed by Stalin to describe those who advocated military attacks upon Nazi Germany as capitalist warmongers, but when Hitler turned on Stalin by invading the Soviet Union the majority of those on the left who had opposed the war became supporters of military action against Germany. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War, in which a democratically elected government was opposed by a military coup, was seen by many on the left as an important fight against fascism. The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology In response to the outbreak of war, many joined the International Brigades or other left-wing militias organized by trade unions or political parties, such as the Anarchist CNT-FAI or the left-wing Marxist POUM. The International Brigades were Republican Military units in the Spanish Civil War, formed of many non-state sponsored volunteers of different countries The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary Citizens to provide defense emergency law enforcement or Paramilitary service Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo ( CNT; English POUM Campesinosjpg|thumb|A POUM poster appeals to peasants "Peasants the land is yours"]]The Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM Spanish: Partido Obrero Others campaigned for arms embargoes and advocated intervention by the League of Nations. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920

Vietnam and Iraq anti-war movements

The biggest anti-war movement that involved the western left was that against military involvement by the USA and Australia in South Vietnam when it was faced with an insurgency by the Vietcong, who were supported militarily by North Vietnam. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. "RVN" redirects here RVN is also the former callsign of a TV station in Wagga Wagga New South Wales Australia The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN or less commonly Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa was a Country on the northern half of Vietnam The protests were directed primarily against the American military intervention and eventually received considerable mainstream support.

The American-led war in Iraq led to revived support for anti-war movements. The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1 2003 was spearheaded by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia The governments of some social democratic political parties (such as Tony Blair's Labour Party) sent their countries' troops to participate in this war. Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the A Left justification for this policy is supplied by, for example, Oliver Kamm Anti-Totalitarianism: The Left-wing Case for a so-called "Neo-Conservative" foreign policy. Oliver Kamm (born 1963 is a British writer and newspaper columnist ^[10] However, most of the left has opposed the war in Iraq. Some on the left claim that the war in Iraq is imperialist, that control of the Middle East with its strategic oilfields, and not the removal of regime of Saddam Hussein, was the actual goal. Others argue the legal justification^[11] for the war was inaccurate, specifically the claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. A weapon of mass destruction ( WMD) is a weapon which can kill large numbers of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures (e ^{[12] [13]}

Some criticism has been leveled at some left-wing groups for forming anti-war coalitions with libertarian organizations (such as the paleolibertarian Antiwar.com) or with groups led by fundamentalist Islamists. Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the Paleolibertarianism is a school of thought within American Libertarianism founded by Lew Rockwell and Murray Rothbard, and closely associated Antiwarcom is an English-language Website containing News and Opinion pieces related to Wars throughout the world from a Libertarian Fundamentalism refers to a "deep and totalistic commitment" to a belief in and strict adherence to a set of basic principles (often Religious in nature a reaction Islamism ( Islam + ism; Arabic: al-'islāmiyya) a set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only Some on the French left (especially within ATTAC) argue that antiwar protests distract from the economic arguments advocated by the anti-globalisation movement. Attac1jpg|thumb|200px|An ATTAC Banner in front of the Kölner Dom, Germany, 2004]]%attac aus stand " Anti-globalization " is a term that encompasses a number of related ideas In the U. S. , much left-wing activism was channeled into Anybody but Bush campaigns, which effectively meant supporting the centre-left Democratic Party. The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Tuesday November 2, 2004, to elect the President of the United States. The centre-left (or center-left) is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals political parties or organizations (such as Think The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. In the U. K, anti-war feeling may have been a factor in a drop in support for the pro-war Labour Party government, and the cause of gains for the Liberal Democrats. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the

The Left and global justice / anti-corporate globalization

The Global Justice Movement movement, also known as the anti-globalisation or alter-globalization movement, are protesters against global trade agreements and the negative consequences they perceive them to have for the poor and the environment. The global justice movement is the broad globalized Social movement opposing what is often known as “corporate globalization” and promoting equal distribution " Anti-globalization " is a term that encompasses a number of related ideas Alter-globalisation (or Alter-mondialization from the French altermondialisme) is the name of a Social movement whose political line is close to Anti-globalization This movement is generally characterised as left-wing, though some activists within it reject association with the traditional left. There are also those on the right, Pat Buchanan for example, who oppose globalization on nationalistic grounds. Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan (born November 2 1938 is an American Political commentator, Author, syndicated Columnist The Global Justice Movement does not oppose globalisation per se, on the contrary, it supports some forms of internationalism). The main themes of the movement are the reforms of international institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and the creation of an international social justice movement. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic It rejects the leadership of any political party, defining itself as a "movement of movements. A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral "

The left and feminism

Main article: The left and feminism

Early feminism in the nineteenth century was often, although not always, connected to radical politics. Early Feminists and advocates of Women’s rights were closely connected to positions that were politically radical and of the left in their time Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate Today, socialist feminists, Marxist feminists, liberal feminists and some radical feminists position themselves as on the left of the political spectrum. Socialist feminism is a branch of Feminism that focuses upon both the public and private spheres of a woman's life and argues that Liberation can only be achieved Marxist feminism is a sub-type of Feminist theory which focuses on the dismantling of Capitalism as a way to liberate women Liberal feminism, also known as "mainstream Feminism," asserts the equality of men and women through political and legal reform Radical feminism is a "current" within Feminism that focuses on the theory of Patriarchy as a system of power that organizes society into a complex

The left and the developing world

Left-wing political ideas and groups were involved in many of the anti-colonial movements in Africa, Asia and South America. Some left-wing groups in the developing world, such as the Zapatista Army of National Liberation in Mexico, Abahlali baseMjondolo in South Africa and the Naxalites in India, argue that the Western left usually takes a racist and paternalistic attitude towards popular movements in dominated countries. The Zapatista Army of National Liberation ( Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional, EZLN) is an armed Revolutionary group based in Chiapas The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Abahlali baseMjondolo is a popular entirely non-professionalized and democratic mass movement of Shack dwellers and other poor people in South Africa. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Naxalite or Naxalism is an informal name given to Communist groups that were born out of the Sino-Soviet split in the Indian communist movement India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country There is particular criticism of the role played by NGOs and the assumption by the Anti-globalization movement in Europe and North America that it is a global movement with an automatic right to lead movements in the South. " Anti-globalization " is a term that encompasses a number of related ideas

The left and post-modernism

Left-wing Post-modernist theories reject attempts at universal explanatory theories such as Marxism, deriding them as grand narratives. In Critical theory, and particularly Postmodernism, a metanarrative (from Meta - Narrative, sometimes also known as a master- or They argue for an embrace of culture as the battle grounds for change, rejecting traditional ways of organising such as political parties and trade unions, focusing instead on critiquing or deconstruction. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Deconstruction is a term used in Philosophy, Literary criticism, and the Social sciences, popularised through its usage by Jacques Derrida in Left-wing critics of Post-modernism view it as a reaction to the economic failure of State Socialism (both in Europe and Latin America and the USA) and disillusionment with authoritarian Communist regimes. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based They assert that cultural studies courses inflate the importance of culture through denying the existence of an independent reality. Cultural studies is an academic discipline which combines Political economy, Communication, Sociology, Social theory, Literary theory ^[14][15]

The most famous critique of post-modernism from within the left came in the form of a 1996 prank by physicist and self-described leftist Alan Sokal. A physicist is a Scientist who studies or practices Physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning Alan David Sokal (born 1955) is a professor of Physics and faculty member of the physics department at New York University. Concerned about what he saw as the increasing prevalence on the left of "a particular kind of nonsense and sloppy thinking… that denies the existence of objective realities, or…downplays their practical relevance…",^[16] Sokal composed a nonsensical article entitled "Transgressing the Boundaries: Toward a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity",^[17] in which a mix of mis-stated and mis-used terms from physics, postmodernism, literary analysis, and political theory are used to claim that physical reality, and especially gravitation, do not objectively exist, but are psychologically and politically constructed. The Sokal affair (also Sokal's hoax) was a Hoax by physicist Alan Sokal perpetrated on the editorial staff and readership of the Postmodern Physics (Greek Physis - φύσις in everyday terms is the Science of Matter and its motion. Postmodernism literally means 'after the modernist movement' While " Modern " itself refers to something "related to the present" the movement of modernism Literary criticism is the study discussion evaluation and interpretation of Literature. Political philosophy is the study of questions about the City, Government, Politics, Liberty, Justice, Property, Rights Reality, in everyday usage means "the state of things as they actually exist" Gravitation is a natural Phenomenon by which objects with Mass attract one another

The journal Social Text published the paper in its Spring/Summer 1996 issue, whereupon Sokal publicly revealed his hoax. While some saw Sokal as attacking leftism in general, he was very clear that this was intended as a critique from within:

Politically, I'm angered because most (though not all) of this silliness is emanating from the self-proclaimed Left. We're witnessing here a profound historical volte-face. For most of the past two centuries, the Left has been identified with science and against obscurantism… epistemic relativism betrays this worthy heritage and undermines the already fragile prospects for progressive social critique. Theorizing about "the social construction of reality" won't help us find an effective treatment for AIDS or devise strategies for preventing global warming. Nor can we combat false ideas in history, sociology, economics and politics if we reject the notions of truth and falsity. … The results of my little experiment demonstrate, at the very least, that some fashionable sectors of the American academic Left have been getting intellectually lazy. ^[18]

Traditionalist thinkers (conservative) scholar/critics view post-modernism as nihilistic. Gary Jason claims that "The failure of socialism, both empirically and theoretically, . . . brought about a crisis of faith among socialists, and Post-modernism is their response. "^[19]

See also

• New social movements
• Political spectrum -- discusses various writers' views of the usefulness (or not) of the Left/Right dichotomy and of alternative spectra. The term new social movements (NSMs is a theory of Social movements that attempts to explain the plethora of new movements that have come up in various western societies A political spectrum (plural Spectra) is a way of modeling different political positions by placing them upon one or more geometric axes
• Left-right politics -- discusses the range of various writers' meanings when they use the terms "left" and "right" in a political context. Left-right politics or the Left-right political spectrum is a common way of classifying political positions political ideologies, or political parties
• Right wing politics
• Post-left anarchy -- discusses anarchist critiques critical of leftism, which attempts to escape the confines of traditional leftist ideology. In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities Post-left anarchy is a recent current in Anarchist thought that promotes a critique of anarchism's relationship to traditional leftism.
• Social criticism
• Extremism
• Ideology
• Sinistrisme

References and notes

Bibliography

• Encyclopedia of the American Left, ed. Alan David Sokal (born 1955) is a professor of Physics and faculty member of the physics department at New York University. Alan David Sokal (born 1955) is a professor of Physics and faculty member of the physics department at New York University. Social Text is a postmodernist Cultural studies Journal published by Duke University Press. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Alan David Sokal (born 1955) is a professor of Physics and faculty member of the physics department at New York University. by Mari Jo Buhle, Paul Buhle, Dan Georgakas, Second Edition, Oxford University Press 1998, ISBN 0-19-512088-4
• Lin Chun, The British New Left, Edinburgh : Edinburgh Univ. Press, 1993
• Geoff Eley, Forging Democracy: The History of the Left in Europe, 1850-2000, Oxford University Press 2002, ISBN 0-19-504479-7
• Marxism on Terrorism by John Molyneux
• Terrorism and Communism by Karl Kautsky
• Leftism in India

External links

• The Marxists Internet Archive (a free online Marxist library)
• Leftist Parties of the World List of present-day leftist parties and organizations of the world, with links to their websites. John Molyneux is a British Trotskyist and a leading member of the Socialist Workers Party. Karl Kautsky ( October 16 1854 - October 17 1938) was a leading theoretician of Social democracy.
• World Socialist Web Site News and analysis of current world developments in politics, economics and culture from a Marxist perspective.

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