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Here is a long answer to the OP's question, for those who have the patience to read it.
Question: "How did far-left extreme ideologies become so mainstream?"
Left wing ideology began with the French Revolution in the late 1700s. That revolution failed at first, but was revived during the industrial revolution in the form of Marxist Communism.
Communism did not succeed in Western Europe, but many concessions were made by capitalists in order to prevent a major uprising.
This worked until the end of WW II, when there were communist revolutions in both Germany and Russia.
The revolution failed in Germany, but succeeded in Russia.
The Soviets formed a "Comintern" to make their movement international. Many labor leaders, journalists, professors and intellectuals in the U.S. became a part of that movement.
During WW II, the U.S. was allied with the Soviet Union, so it was not all that socially unacceptable to be a leftist or a communist.
It only became socially unacceptable during the Cold War with the Soviet Union.
If you look at Marxist theory, you will see that Marx believed that the economic and political structure of society can be shaped by culture. So in capitalist countries resistant to Marxism, Marxists decided to do all they could to take over cultural institutions -- the media, the schools, the universities, the arts, popular culture -- in order to inculcate Marxist values that they hoped would eventually change the political and economic structure of society.
They largely succeeded in doing this. Hence the mainstreaming of extreme leftism in our society.
The latest incarnation of this form of subversion is the analytical dividing up of society into warring factions based not just on class, but on race and gender.
Class warfare alone cannot work, because the old impoverished "proletariat" of workers became too rich and comfortable to rebel. So new sources of discontent had to be created.
Of course, the capitalist class was well aware of what was going on and saw that it needed to "appropriate" or "co-opt" the revolutionary movements of blacks, Latinos, gays, etc.
So instead of resisting them, it used the technique of what the neo-Marxist Frankfurt School philosopher Herbert Marcuse called "repressive desublimation" in order to twist them to its own -- now globalist -- purposes.
Corporations and the military were in the forefront of pushing for "affirmative action" and "gender equality."
Being not just tolerant but actually deferring to women and minorities became a "cultural must" if you wanted to be accepted by the elites.
In the meantime, the fundamental structure of capitalism not only did not change, it became even more unequal.
A third of the population remained in trying economic circumstances, another third was comfortable but not fully secure, and the upper third did well -- but most of that group was left in the dust by a "top 1%" who gained most of the wealth.
That elite group now has no allegiance to the United States or any particular country. It is a global elite, protected by private security, able to live anywhere in the world. It spouts extreme left-wing ideology while perpetuating the most extreme forms of inequality.
Brexit and Trump's victory actually constitute a resistance to this elitism, and in that sense are the only progressive developments we have seen of late.
I am confident that Marx himself would have approved of Trump's election as a slap in the face to an arrogant liberal elite that "subverted the subversion."
Last edited by dechatelet; 11-23-2016 at 01:24 AM..
This is the great mystery of our time. It's understandable that some groups have pushed this worldview, but how did it go mainstream and become so dominant? How did so many, mainly white, people by into an ideology that demonized them?
They have been attacking us from within for over a 100 years. Progressive policies (ie socialism/communism/marxism) have been at the focus of the government as far back as Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson and FDR. We have been growing government and pushing socialist policies, creating dependency and controlling education to promote such. If you have experienced the university system, there is no surprise where this mindset is coming from, the indoctrination of the youth by these idealist who worship at the feet of progressive policy. This is not "all of a sudden", this has been a slow and arduous process of social engineering over decades. It was pointed out numerous times in our past but people dismissed it or believed the attacks on those who were whistle blowing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dark Enlightenment
At least now it seems like many are stepping back and looking at the question.
This is the most dangerous time though. Remember, these people subscribe to the "End Justifies the Means" and they will do anything to make sure they come out on top. While the progressives have always lied, and manipulated the truth in the past, they are becoming more and more bold, no longer weaving the truth within the lie, they are out and out lying, without control or shame. They are resorting to radical tactics of Alinksyism and blatant methods of confrontation. They are fearful they may be losing power and they will lash out like a cornered animal to preserve their world view.
Let us hope that this uncontrolled and irrational fear proves to be the final nail in the coffin of their movement (at least for a while) and let us hope that they do not harm too many on their way out.
The drift to the Left is far less economic than it is cultural and social. Just look at the recent election. It was the leftist candidate for president and her party, that was the most for free trade, a common market extending throughout the Americas, pro-NAFTA, etc. All positions strongly endorsed and promoted by........Ronald Reagan, back when the GOP was all Milton Friedman about economics. The Republican nominee, is all for restricting free trade, ending NAFTA, etc.
The cultural and social drift, is generational and more lasting. Every day of every year, America become less Christian and more secular and diverse religiously, more social liberal, even in "red" states, where they may be against abortion and suspicious of same-sex marriage, but they no longer even talk about divorce and remarriage, birth control, sex outside of marriage, etc.
Twenty years from now most self-identified conservatives will be for lgbt rights, marriage, legalized marijuana, etc. I have no idea what issues will hold them, and me, to the label.
The Internet has given a voice to people who previously were outside the realm of mainstream politics. It's the same thing as the alt-right. How did we get to the point where people idolizing Hitler and his worldview gets mainstream attention?
The alt-right does not idolize Hitler.
You are proving the OP's point.
Insulting half the country is a poor means of getting them to see your point of view as valid....as was demonstrated by this election.
How did far-left extreme ideologies became so mainstream?
What we can call neo-Marxism, made of Marxism.......
Why did you open a thread about extreme leftists views being mainstream, and then fail to give any examples of it. I have no clue what you are referring to. Extreme left is communism, but to claim that is mainstream in US is a flat out lie.
Extreme left is revolution. In the modern West it is an effort to overturn every aspect of traditional society, even to the extent of replacing the native population.
Here is a long answer to the OP's question, for those who have the patience to read it.
Question: "How did far-left extreme ideologies become so mainstream?"
Left wing ideology began with the French Revolution in the late 1700s. That revolution failed at first, but was revived during the industrial revolution in the form of Marxist Communism.
Communism did not succeed in Western Europe, but many concessions were made by capitalists in order to prevent a major uprising.
This worked until the end of WW II, when there were communist revolutions in both Germany and Russia.
The revolution failed in Germany, but succeeded in Russia.
The Soviets formed a "Comintern" to make their movement international. Many labor leaders, journalists, professors and intellectuals in the U.S. became a part of that movement.
During WW II, the U.S. was allied with the Soviet Union, so it was not all that socially unacceptable to be a leftist or a communist.
It only became socially unacceptable during the Cold War with the Soviet Union.
If you look at Marxist theory, you will see that Marx believed that the economic and political structure of society can be shaped by culture. So in capitalist countries resistant to Marxism, Marxists decided to do all they could to take over cultural institutions -- the media, the schools, the universities, the arts, popular culture -- in order to inculcate Marxist values that they hoped would eventually change the political and economic structure of society.
They largely succeeded in doing this. Hence the mainstreaming of extreme leftism in our society.
The latest incarnation of this form of subversion is the analytical dividing up of society into warring factions based not just on class, but on race and gender.
Class warfare alone cannot work, because the old impoverished "proletariat" of workers became too rich and comfortable to rebel. So new sources of discontent had to be created.
Of course, the capitalist class was well aware of what was going on and saw that it needed to "appropriate" or "co-opt" the revolutionary movements of blacks, Latinos, gays, etc.
So instead of resisting them, it used the technique of what the neo-Marxist Frankfurt School philosopher Herbert Marcuse called "repressive desublimation" in order to twist them to its own -- now globalist -- purposes.
Corporations and the military were in the forefront of pushing for "affirmative action" and "gender equality."
Being not just tolerant but actually deferring to women and minorities became a "cultural must" if you wanted to be accepted by the elites.
In the meantime, the fundamental structure of capitalism not only did not change, it became even more unequal.
A third of the population remained in trying economic circumstances, another third was comfortable but not fully secure, and the upper third did well -- but most of that group was left in the dust by a "top 1%" who gained most of the wealth.
That elite group now has no allegiance to the United States or any particular country. It is a global elite, protected by private security, able to live anywhere in the world. It spouts extreme left-wing ideology while perpetuating the most extreme forms of inequality.
Brexit and Trump's victory actually constitute a resistance to this elitism, and in that sense are the only progressive developments we have seen of late.
I am confident that Marx himself would have approved of Trump's election as a slap in the face to an arrogant liberal elite that "subverted the subversion."
You saw that on the internet, so it must be true...
It's really no mystery. Left wingers inundated the education system to where a large number of teachers and professors are liberal. They practically have a monopoly on the education system children attend. They start brainwashing children in Kindergarten and continue through college. An individual is not given two sides of the story but the liberal agenda. Add to this, they have also rewritten American History where the U.S. is no longer portrayed in a positive way.
On top of that, nearly everything one see's on television, the news and social media is politically correct and left wing. White people are demonized and made to look stupid and inept.
People are taught throughout their lives that if they are liberal, they are good, smart, environmentally friendly, financially well off tolerant. If they are not liberal, they are bad, stupid, rednecks, uneducated, racists.
According to a lot of my immigrant coworkers (some from FSU), we are no where close to what the world considers as "far left".
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