Log in

View Full Version : What is left wing politics and right wing politics


adz170
27th August 2006, 14:41
I am new to this site and these forums , that why i posting this thread onto the learning section. i would just like someone to explain what is left wing politics and a few definitions of them and what are right wing politics and some of the ideological thinking of these . thanks , comments would be appreciated. :D :D
MrDoom
27th August 2006, 18:27
Left Wing is Communism, Anarchism, Socialism, and Social Democracy. It tends to favor common ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership.

The Right Wing is capitalism, Fascism, Nazism, "Anarcho" Capitalism, and any other ideology that favors individual/state ownership of productive forces.

Needless to say, we here are left wingers.
rouchambeau
27th August 2006, 19:18
It goes back to some division among the French Parliment a while ago. Those who sided with the king were seated to his right (right-wingers). Those who were against him were seated to his left (left-wingers).

Some believe that right-wingers are those who want to keep things the way they are. While left-wingers are those who want to make the system a little more palatable while keeping the basic structure intact.
adz170
27th August 2006, 21:19
thx , i understand now , :D
apathy maybe
29th August 2006, 02:37
There are a few different definitions for what is "left" and what is "right".

Wanting to keep things the same generally puts you on the right (conservatives), but see also USSR in 1991. Wanting to change things for the better puts you on the left.

Another way of looking at it is in economic terms. More community, public ownership is on the left, private control is on the right.

You can also look at it in terms of the state, more state on the right, less on the left. (Or even vis versa.)

Yet another way is how the state should treat it's citizens. On the right are the people who favour a hands off approach, on the left money for health and education and so on.


As you can see, many of these are contradictory. Which along with the fact that there are so many left/right divisions makes the whole idea useless unless talking about specific circumstances where people know which left and right you are talking about.
Floyce White
31st August 2006, 04:53
In this post (http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?act=ST&f=6&t=42555&hl=&view=findpost&p=1291971763) I explain the terms.

Mr. Doom, Rochambeau is correct. I am not a left-winger.