I’d like to talk a bit more this week about a question I posed in a poll a while back about what people suppose the “far” in expressions like "far right” and “far left” refers to. I find it an interesting issue that complicates political discourse in the USA.
“Left” and “right” in the USA are conventionally defined in economic terms, specifically the ethics of economic power, although other issues, random cultural issues, a surprising number of them, are often added on, one supposes for rhetorical effect. If one hews closely to the economic foundation of right and left in the USA, one may reasonably wonder what to make of discussions of the far left and far right. Who cares? Only there seems some underlying controversy about it in the USA.
I propose one common take is people enter the Realm of Far when they’re so concerned to express their views on the ethics of economic power they demand their view prevails, stop supporting democracy, so authoritarian fascism far right and authoritarian communism far left. Under this view, there is a very powerful far right in the USA, with one of our two major political parties, millions of party members, more-or-less openly fascist, opposed to democratic government, keen to support conservative views on the ethics of economic power. Also under that definition, one may say there is currently basically no far left in the USA. No prominent politicians or parties, very few voters, endorse or promote communism as authoritarian government in ostensible support of leftist views on the ethics of economic power.
Interestingly, however, many far right (under this definition) anti-democracy fascists in the USA propose their opposition to democracy is required to fight what they propose is a very powerful far left. Are they just talking rot or using words in a different way? Might anti-democracy conservatives interpret the “far” in far left to refer not to views on democracy but something else, say particular views on the ethics of economic power or economic policy they find especially offensive? Voters seem to have various views on the ethics of economic power, economic policy, the proper goals of the economy, and so on, so if some subset of those may be designated “far left,” then one might propose the USA does indeed have a powerful “far left.”
One may suppose, in that case, to support what some may view as the momentous decision to oppose democracy, the US Constitution, one must perceive a very notable difference between acceptably left views on the ethics of economic power and especially noxious far left views. But I can’t say I honestly have any notion what that distinction is meant to be. We seem to be having the same sort of economic discussions we’ve had for years relating to the ethics of the definition, distribution, use of economic power. What is this new element of “far?” The mystery of the distinction of left and far left may suggest we’re on the wrong track. On the other hand, if conservatives don’t care much about democracy, the US Constitution, they will not see opposing those a momentous decision but a rather trivial affair. Indeed, if democracy is insignificant, far left may just be a rhetorically exaggerated way of saying left, one may have nothing particular in mind with the qualifier, may just slap it on to be dramatic. So perhaps the question is simply the significance of democracy?
I think perhaps what conservatives who profess to perceive a far left in the US are saying is simply other voters have views on the ethics of economic power they disagree and they feel justified opposing democracy to stop them. It’s not a matter of limits on acceptable left-ness. Indeed, I suppose it likely many conservatives have no particular notion of far left in mind and use it merely as a rhetorical device, perhaps hoping others may equivocate on terms and suppose far left means anti-democracy, authoritarian communism.
When one hears alarming talk about a supposedly powerful far left operating in the USA, one should stop, take a breath, think about how one would define the far left oneself, and then think about what others may have in mind, and how it relates to political democracy.
Oh, the poll results? About 67 percent thought the “far” in far right and far left referred to the rejection of democracy, as fascism and communism. However, 22 percent thought it referred to particular takes on economics and 11 percent to relative enthusiasm. (N=9)
