Current Affairs The Far Left

[dholliday]

...well someone has to...

Interestingly, the Wikipedia for Far Left has only 450 words, while the Far Right has 1350. Tho' there is a good argument that Far Left thinking dominates Western culture (if not always politics) more than its Right equivalent.

What is the Far Left and is it dangerous? In US & Canada it's mostly associated with factions of uni-culture shutting down free debate:





The Controversy of Bret Weinstein Explained — The Evergreen Scandal


https://medium.com/@jakubferencik/t...-explained-the-evergreen-scandal-f3dfe07b1d70

In Europe it's still more associated with the classic far-leftism of communism ideals, but as ever what culturally begins in the US habitually finds its way towards Europe.

So if the dominant force of the Far Left is less any political party and more those in academia (especially the young), this may present an interesting clash of ideals in the coming years.

If we think today is polarised, maybe we haven't seen nothing yet...

 

[dholliday]

it's already here after all...King's College in London (I did a project there almost 20 years ago...how intolerant it's got since then!)

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"Safe space" marshals are employed by the students' union to patrol speaker events on campus where there is a potential for audience members to be offended.


While on duty, the £12-an-hour officials are expected to hand out leaflets detailing the union's Safe Space policy, and must be ready to take "immediate action" if anyone expresses opinions that breach the policy.


Three marshals were present when Jacob Rees-Mogg MP spoke at the university's Conservative Association last year.
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[Pettifogger]

"Safe space" marshals are employed by the students' union to patrol speaker events on campus where there is a potential for audience members to be offended.


While on duty, the £12-an-hour officials are expected to hand out leaflets detailing the union's Safe Space policy, and must be ready to take "immediate action" if anyone expresses opinions that breach the policy.

I'm sure something will happen tomorrow to top that, but paying people to enforce safe spaces is a very high bar to set in this thread

 

[Pettifogger]

Touched on in other threads, but this saga should be getting more attention. Jake Tapper, to his credit, is one of the few members of the non-Fox media willing to discuss it.

Last week it was revealed that Women’s March organizer and co-president Tamika Mallory was present at a speech Farrakhan gave before the Nation of Islam in February. During the speech, Farrakhan made several anti-Semitic comments, including saying that “the powerful Jews are my enemy,” according to CNN. The Anti-Defamation League notes that Farrakhan also argued that Jewish people control the media and use that influence to increase the number of gay and transgender individuals in the US, said Jewish people control the US government, and claimed the FBI — under Jewish influence — pushed marijuana onto black men to “feminize” them, in addition to a number of other comments.

https://www.vox.com/identities/2018...khan-tamika-mallory-anti-semitism-controversy
​

This of course follows controversy of the Women's March being led by Linda Sarsour, who has praised several figures connected to international terrorism and made some pretty questionable remarks on terrorism and terrorists over the years. Nonetheless, the Women's March and Sarsour have received only outright adoration from American media.

There is a huge blind spot for anti-semitism in far-left circles, as seen recently in the feminist/pride right marches in Chicago last year. Some of that is connected to the far-left's instinctive defense of Islam. There is similarly (but perhaps not of the same motivation) a patterned hatred for Israel. The stupidity of intersectionality appears increasingly to apply to radicalism and hate, not just shared experience/struggle.

​

 

[Prevenger17]

This will go well I think

 

[peteblue]

Most people grow out of it, only the very bitter and well off lefties have any interest.......

 

[dholliday]

Most people grow out of it, only the very bitter and well off lefties have any interest.......

Indeed.

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Do we become more conservative with age? Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has no heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains. This maxim – variously attributed to Winston Churchill, Benjamin Disraeli and Victor Hugo – neatly captures the common notion that to be on the left of the political spectrum is to be young and idealistic, while to be on the right is to be older and more pragmatic.
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[neil999]

Indeed.

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Do we become more conservative with age? Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has no heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains. This maxim – variously attributed to Winston Churchill, Benjamin Disraeli and Victor Hugo – neatly captures the common notion that to be on the left of the political spectrum is to be young and idealistic, while to be on the right is to be older and more pragmatic.
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That stephen hawking bloke is a labour supporter, what a thicko!

 

[dholliday]

That stephen hawking bloke is a labour supporter, what a thicko!

The great thing about general rules is that there are always a healthy number of exceptions.

 

[neil999]

The great thing about general rules is that there are always a healthy number of exceptions.

Theres loads of exceptions tho, intelligence and political opinion are not intrinsically linked...very insulting to suggest otherwise, its fine to disagree and debate.

 

[dholliday]

Theres loads of exceptions tho, intelligence and political opinion are not intrinsically linked...very insulting to suggest otherwise

I didn't suggest that. Nowhere close.

its fine to disagree and debate.

That's been my message the whole time lol

 

[Chewbacca]

Am I far left?

I'd have been slightly left of centre 30 years ago but seeing as Tony Blair and Bill Clinton are seen as Socialists I guess I am 'far left' these days.

I earn a very good salary and pay all of my tax (I know, what an old fashioned concept that seems) and I would like it spent on healthcare, welfare and scientific research rather than redundant weapon systems and bailouts for incredibly wealthy banks.

Maybe I'm just a naive 55 year old northerner

 

[neil999]

I didn't suggest that. Nowhere close.




That's been my message the whole time lol

Fair enough, i may have misinterpeted...apologies

 

[dholliday]

I earn a very good salary and pay all of my tax (I know, what an old fashioned concept that seems) and I would like it spent on healthcare, welfare and scientific research rather than redundant weapon systems and bailouts for incredibly wealthy banks.

I honestly could've wrote this myself. I pay my taxes (4 different taxes, ffs) but have no issue with it as long as I know it's for the good of society. But as we know it's not (all of it) for that greater good. Here in Germany the government has bailed out banks and car manufacturers (some have since been found guilty of massive fraud), while selling military-assets - which the taxpayer funded to develop - to dodgy regimes which in turn cause massive refugee influx back into Germany, who often go on benefits and/or earn on the black market. And what pays for the cost of looking after all these people? Yep, our taxes do.

We're mugs, and we know we are.

 

[dholliday]

Fair enough, i may have misinterpeted...apologies

cheers Neil