Has anyone else ever been called "Far/Extreme Left"? Mystifying, isn't it?

[DerekG]

Silly me, I'd always assumed that the designation applied to Marxist-Leninists or Maoists, but in the good ol' USA, the only prerequisites involve advocating universal health care, living wages and the cessation of drone-bombings.

When did sensible progressive platforms become revolutionary (particularly within the Democratic Party itself)?

[shenmue]

1. I get called that all the time on another board

It's a religious one, and almost everyone there is a right-winger. Sometimes I feel like giving up, but then, I want to keep reminding them that not all people of faith are crazy right-wingers like them.

[RKP5637]

2. When did sensible progressive platforms become revolutionary (particularly within the Democratic

Party itself)?

When the power brokers in the democratic party decided they could only win elections by acting like republicans and the march ever rightward.

[Cleita]

3. About the time Reagan came around and started busting unions and

talking about welfare queens and all those other commie institutions.

[Scuba]

4. Yep, being in favor of far-left radical ideals like Social Security and Medicare earns you that.

[Gothmog]

5. I have been called this on several boards

I find this charge to be amusing

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. I don't think ...

anyone applies that designation based on the criteria you suggest; but rather, how these progressive platforms are presented.

For example, advocating for universal health care has one on the left; advocating universal health and being willing to risk getting no reforms to health care, has one on the far/extreme Left ... advocating for a living wage has one on the left; advocating a living wage of $15.00 and being willing to risk getting no raise in the MW, has one on the far/extreme Left ... advocating for the cessation of the drone program has one on the left (probably); advocating the cessation of the drone program with no room for its usage ... ever, has one on the far/extreme Left.

[rhett o rick]

24. Explain how one advocates for universal health care to the point of risking no reforms at all.

That doesnt make any sense. I am very familiar with people that strongly advocated for universal health care. They did everything they could and none of their actions risked losing it all.

[1StrongBlackMan]

29. Come on ...

you do not recall the calls for fighting for UHC/a Public Option, even if it would have scuttled the ACA?

ETA: You don't recall the calls to "Go over the cliff" because there were insufficient tax cuts to the wealthy?

[rhett o rick]

36. Explain how that one that is avid for universal health care can jeopardize the ACA.

Those that you label "the extreme left" marched against the Iraq war. Would you say their actions were jeopardizing Bush's war efforts which were supported by the centrist Democrats? Did you support the centrist Democrats when they kissed King Georgie's feet and sent our troops to their deaths.

Explain to me what issues the extremists on the left have that you disagree with.

The extremists on the left disapprove of the TPP. I am guessing you think they are too extreme and that we should bow down to H. Clinton-Sachs and Penny Pritzker, and let the corporations rule.

The ACA was a great accomplishment, but unlike the sorry-assed centrists, I am not satisfied. I will continue to fight for universal health care. Call me names if it makes you feel better, but I am a proud extreme leftist.

[1StrongBlackMan]

41. I already did ...

Last edited Fri Jan 24, 2014, 11:19 AM - Edit history (1)

Explain how that one that is avid for universal health care can jeopardize the ACA

You don't recall the out-rage here on DU when the ACA came out and did not include the P/O? You don't recall all the cries that it should have been included even if it didn't have the votes? Surely, you remember this thread (just to cite one of probably hundreds): http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5843431

Those that you label "the extreme left" marched against the Iraq war. Would you say their actions were jeopardizing Bush's war efforts which were supported by the centrist Democrats? Did you support the centrist Democrats when they kissed King Georgie's feet and sent our troops to their deaths.

Those are not those that "I" call the extreme Left.

Explain to me what issues the extremists on the left have that you disagree with.

I disagree with extremists whenever they would reject the doable imperfect for the undoable perfect. And I have provided examples.

The ACA was a great accomplishment, but unlike the sorry-assed centrists, I am not satisfied. I will continue to fight for universal health care. Call me names if it makes you feel better, but I am a proud extreme leftist.

I don't know anyone, that favored U/C or single-payer, that is "satisfied with" the ACA ... it doesn't go far enough and still maintains an unnecessary for-profit 3rd party. But that "unsatisfiedness" is not what makes one an extremist; that designation is for thoserejecting the ACA for what should have been.

Finally, a sure sign of extremism is finding solace in playing the victim in online posts where you would have someone "calling you names", where that never happened.

[Doctor_J]

35. That's the most bizarre argument of them all

that by actually taking a stance against the teabaggers, we'd be somehow putting the party and the country at risk.

Reason, like actual Dem policy, has no place in the BOG.

[rhett o rick]

37. The argument doesnt make any sense. How can you advocate for something like universal

health care too much? Basically the message is shut your mouth and accept what your authoritarian leaders give you.

[TheKentuckian]

51. Exactly, it is all "take what you get and like least you ruin the crumbs for everyone".

I don't think the best negotiation strategy is yes at any cost but we all have our own perspectives.

[rhett o rick]

52. I wonder what our Founders would think of that attitude. I wonder how far the Conservative

Democrats will let the 1% push us before they fight back. On second thought, they will never fight back because they are authoritarians and will take what their leaders dish out.

[adigal]

7. Yes, because I think we should give corporations who outsource our job

Any more tax credits.

Go figure.

[JHB]

8. Not to my face, but I've had my views described in those terms

Crap like that is why I coined the term "Eisenhower socialist".

[riqster]

19. Stealing.

That is brilliant.

[PowerToThePeople]

9. Silly. I am a centrist... n/t

[broiles]

10. No, but I have been called a Kamakazi liberal.

[stevenleser]

11. Yep. And I always smile for the same reasons you noted. nt

[Chan790]

12. I have. I am.

It's not the end of the world.

[Bluenorthwest]

13. Most people don't have much real world experience, so their context is

American cable tv paradigms.

[beachbum bob]

14. That and worse

If you stand up for working Americans and their families not getting screwed by the elite that bought this country. ..

[HughBeaumont]

15. OH, ALL THE TIME.

I wasn't aware that FDR Democratic Values = EXTREMERADICALMOOSLIMLENNONISTLEFTIST.

It's unbelievable the water that people carry for a supremely overpaid handful of massahs that give not shit ONE about them.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

16. Far left of what?

Far is a distance between two things. You don't have to be very left-wing by European standards to be a long way left of the mean American political opinion.

[riqster]

17. It's hysterical when people call me that.

I just laugh in their faces. All good fun.

[struggle4progress]

18. Ain't Done Nothing If You Ain't Been Called A Red

[LumosMaxima]

20. I call myself far-left. nt

[bvar22]

21. That AND "Fringe Leftist" among others.

---bvar22
a mainstream-center Working Class FDR/LBJ Democrat for over 46 years,
NOW labeled a "Fringe Leftist" in the "New Democrat" Centrist Party.
I haven't changed.

What was wrong with the "Old Democrats" that they had to be replaced with the "New Democrats"?


When someone calls me a Leftist,
I know exactly where they stand.
I never had much use for a "Reagan Democrat".

[socialist_n_TN]

22. How about Trotskyists or Bolshevik-Leninists?......

I'm so far left that I can't make a right turn. And I'm damn proud of it. That means that I KNOW whose side I'm on and it ain't the big money people.

[Douglas Carpenter]

23. according to the Sunday morning pundits - opposing cuts in Social Security and Medicare

(entitlement reform) is being far left - not even advocating increasing benefits - simply wanting to maintain the status quo in amount of benefit marks one as leftwing extremist

[Doctor_J]

34. And the 3rd way/BOG/Fan Club on DU

Expecting us to not cut SS is impractical! You don't understand how government works! And you're a racist!

[Douglas Carpenter]

39. I have my differences with the BOG crew and think they are way off base - but when it comes to

at least maintaining the current levels of benefits - I have seen even some of their most die hard members like ProSense and Steve Leser make it clear that they vehemently oppose any reduction.

[Capt. Obvious]

25. By a DUer?

rhetorical question

[Nye Bevan]

26. People here have called me lots of things, but never that (nt)

[DisgustipatedinCA]

27. Sure. There are center-aright people who say it in these pages all the time.

They're the same people trying to convince you that up is down, domestic surveillance is good, and Republican ideas put forth by a Democrat are somehow a good thing.

[rhett o rick]

28. Some people that see those that are willing to fight for our rights and freedoms as extremists.

They are authoritarians. They want freedom but not to the extent that they have to fight for it. Not to the extent that they bother their authoritarian leaders. And they dont want the extremists to fight either because they are afraid they might have to suffer the consequences.

They are afraid if you fight for universal health care too hard, you might make the authoritarian leader mad and we might lose everything. These are conservative authoritarians.

[freshwest]

30. Yes, and it's no mystery. Since my teens and onward, I"ve been called that. It's true, why hide it?

Last edited Fri Jan 24, 2014, 01:18 AM - Edit history (1)

[1000words]

31. I've been called a "class warrior," even a "radical."

I think both were intended to imply a similar level of "extremism."

[bobduca]

32. assholes here who use that term get put on full ignore.

[Doctor_J]

33. Don't forget clean drinking water

The current president has dragged a large portion of our once-great party to the fringe right. Their go-to defense is to call centrist Dems Marxists and such. It's why the party is almost dead.

[NightWatcher]

38. but I am

[Egalitarian Thug]

40. Only for the last 30 years or so. The consistent exception has always been my European

friends, they call me "their token conservative".

Our cultural isolation has produced a fucking scary population.

[LWolf]

42. I've been called that right here,

on a board that USED to self-identify as "left-wing." The ironic thing is that when I found DU in '02, I was a moderate. None of my positions have changed, but I've been "the fringe left" since, let's see...about 2008 or 2009.

[Armstead]

47. Do you not worship our Dear Leader?

If you are at all critical, you are immediately a fringe leftist

[LWolf]

50. Exactly. nt

[Motown_Johnny]

43. I cal myself far left

and the funny thing is that 20 years ago I was a moderate. The really funny thing is that on most issues, my opinion has not changed and on a few I may even have gotten a little more conservative (in my old age).

Far Left is the new normal. I am fine with it.

[polichick]

44. Anyone who doesn't think corporations are people is "extreme" these days...

We are in some deep shit.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

45. Red, Commie, Anarchist, Hippie, Pinko, Traitor, peacnik...yep, I have.

Pigeon holes are for pigeons.

[Armstead]

46. Mildly Liberal now means Rabid Radical

[Rex]

48. Well just so you know, some of them are not from America.

Yeah the ones saying it, funny story, most of them are NOT from America so I would filter out what they say since it doesn't even matter.

[Adrahil]

49. Sure, all the time, until I came here.

Apparently to some here I'm just to the right of Rick Santorum.