Why are you a leftist?

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

I figured a companion to the "Why are you a conservative" thread was a good idea.

I'm a bit tired to give an answer tonight, but hopefully I'll feel up for it tommorow.

[FT-02 Senator A.F.E. 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

I want the government to do stuff

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

The political values that I was raised with include the pursuit of rough socioeconomic equality even at the cost of ignoring who ostensibly "deserves" ownership of which resources; the right of regular people to have a say in who runs their lives, both politically and economically; the idea of labor as ennobling when properly considered, that is when properly ordered in a person's or a society's list of priorities, but disempowering or even dehumanizing once it comes to dominate someone's entire waking life; and the project of building a society in which it's widely agreed that hating people for their race or religion is always morally wrong. I have never had any experiences that have caused me to substantially reconsider, reformulate, or reject any of those core values.

[Biden his time]

Don't like it when others get left behind hahaha

[TML]

In the aftermath of the 2016 election, I analyzed various commentaries about the election result and concluded that Clintonism (which I used to subscribe to) was no longer viable in the current political climate, and that FDR or LBJ-style leftism is what is truly needed for the long term viability of this country.

[If my soul was made of stone]

Being a queer person and seeing people like me treated by great societal forces in whatever demeaning way is deemed most profitable by the forces of structural hegemony at any given moment (gestures at all the gay and lesbian bars and clubs in Mount Vernon that have disappeared, like the one being redeveloped into an eight-story luxury whatever that I see whenever I go to get groceries); being an avowed environmentalist and witnessing irreparable abuses past and present of the natural world (and subjugated nations, and the manpower required to abuse and subjugate as much) in the name of the mass exploitation of what are demeaningly termed "natural resources" for profit; being the resident of a part of the world long starkly segregated along racial and class lines by governments and corporate actors alike, and almost as one, where I am constantly reminded of bigotry and deprivation; being a devoutly religious person and resenting the commodification of my identity, and through my faith believing in an ideal of all-encompassing love and the sisterhood of living things which has been turned against itself and the resulting strife commodified to enrich a vacuous and craven few.

Knowing firsthand, in other words, that growth ideology is a death cult fundamentally incompatible with the continuation and flourishing of life on Earth whose orgasm of apotheosis is chillingly near.

[afleitch]

I earned it.

The Scottish independence campaign was probably the turning point. My working life helped make me leftist. Working in criminal justice and taxation has helped. I'm a union member too.

Just lots of cumulative experiences since my mid 20s.

[Big Abraham]

I am innately attracted to the idea of building a higher, more Radical society. I find moderate and conservative politics frankly unimaginative; we have had over five thousand cumulative years over the course of human civilization and still have not yet managed to create anything beyond a hyper-stratified class system where a tiny propertied elite subjugate the hordes of working masses, who provide the toil and the sweat that is the cause of all their wealth.

This ought to be an outrage; we Americans are living in the richest, most prosperous nation that has ever existed hitherto on the face of the planet, and the first and only country with a truly global (even universal!) reach, and yet the vast majority of that wealth goes into the hands of financiers who ruined the housing market, the fossil fuel companies who plunder and poison the earth's natural resources, all the while millions of our compatriots sleep on the streets and die with no name.

It is also why, unlike some on this forum, I am much more willing to excuse episodes of violence like in revolutionary France; because if a higher, more Radical society can be quickly (and decisively) constructed upon the ruins of the old one, then we are able to close the chapter of history that beget the old inequities, and focus on the new ones. Feudalism is dead and gone, and I long too, for the day that its twin, neoliberalism, will be buried in its grave alongside it.

[Antonio the Sixth]

For as long as I can remember, I've always deeply believed in the equal dignity and worth of all people. Left-wing politics come fairly naturally from that premise.

[Хahar 🤔]

I am not a leftist because you can't stick "ism" onto a word and pretend that that makes it a coherent worldview.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

I am a leftist because the socialist and egalitarian ideals which have been a crucial aspect of my political worldview for as long as I can remember are traditionally placed on the left on the political spectrum.

[Damocles]

Because tyranny can exist in the private sector, as well as the public sector.

[Klobmentum Mutilated Herself]

I'm a leftist because an economy that encourages infinite growth on a planet of finite resources cannot protect ecosystems. An economy where the risk of accidental nuclear war is seen as worth taking in order to make money cannot make peace. An economy that cares only to feed and house those with means can never end starvation and homelessness. An economy that thrives on maintaining a pool of cheap, easily exploitable labor cannot help itself but to divide people by race, gender, and creed.

Only an ecological and egalitarian politics and economy can solve the crises we face today. I'm a leftist because I care about the well-being of people, animals, and ecosystems.

[Middle-aged Europe]

My political views haven't changed that fundamentally these past 25 years. I guess they're largely a combination of my mother's views and the books and films I had consumed during my teenage years. Growing up in 1990s eastern Germany where casual racism and (at least at my school) expressing sympathies for literal Nazism was prevelant helped to solidify things.

When I came to Berlin in 2008 I moved to a city that "culturally" was more in line with my already existing views. I think I subsequently continued to shift to the left on economic issues after having to deal with my own anxiety and depressions though. Having delved deeply into the city's psychological treatment and support network I came to notice that an above-average portion of people with psychological issues are (in some cases long-term) unemployed and dependent on social welfare. That certainly went against the narrative that the unemployed only need some more "incentives" to go find work and led to the conclusion that we're largely a society that expects everyone to "function" even though not everyone can.

[beesley]

I'll interpret this is as asking why I have left-wing economic views.

Firstly, I believe there is a (moral) reason to oppose a system without any element of social redistribution. I fundamentally disagree with the narrative that working people are almost solely responsible for their own poverty and inability to break through a system which prevents their mobility. Indeed, I don't think socialism or social democracy is particularly unmeritocratic, but it guarantees (or should aim to) economic security and the possibility of prosperity. Similarly, I don't believe in the idea that private companies do things better than the state or local groups, because I don't believe the motivation of profit is a bringer of good. But even if you did believe the capitalist narrative, is tackling poverty for moral reasons not a benefit to every society?

I believe that people are (and should be) inextricably tied to the community and society in which they live and the people they interact with, and benefit from not just their own economic security but living in a society without unnecessary divides - significant inequality between class groups, ethnic groups and regions. The wealthiest might be fortunate enough to be unaffected but the security of one poor labourer, but others are not, unless you are happy living in a society that is structured as to make that person expendable. This links to my support for localism too - I believe that communities should reap the fruits of their labour.

Finally, I believe 'left-wing economics' provides the only credible offer to someone with those views, and my own experiences and living alongside others has convinced me of not only political preferences but the importance of the moral views. The latter may be the most important in answering 'how' I have the views that I do rather than why - I am still learning every day.

[S019]

I’m not

[Dr. MB]

Most of the societal conventions we’ve accepted and have fought wars and argued over for thousands of years are ridiculous social constructs which have no basis in reality. There’s no rational reason for a king to exist who simply because of their birth has some sort of elevated social status and all the power and prestige that comes out of that just because they were lucky and weren’t born to the average person. There’s no rational reason for democracy in government but dictatorship in other aspects of life (especially at work). There’s no rational reason for any one group of people to be the owner class because it inherently relies on exploiting the labor of other people, and it’s impossible for merit-based arguments to succeed because for there to be a “top” for people to aspire to there will always have to be a lower class which supplies labor for the upper class to profit off of.

The first world has supplied a lot of good material conditions for (some of) its citizens but that has always come at the expense of exploited workers, in the past (and even the present) because of slavery, now because of sweatshops, and it’s not a sustainable model for development because again, for capitalism to survive it needs a steady supply of people to exploit. The ruling class will only give up a small percentage of their wealth and power to placate people and supply the minimum acceptable standards for most people so they can hoard the rest.

I guess those are my beliefs but why? Idk. I guess over time I’ve just realized the absurdity of our social conventions and systems and even though I’ve always been more left leaning, I’ve become a lot more introspective and philosophical and that’s definitely shifted me to much more radical points of view. It takes time and effort to undo the indoctrination we receive as kids and through forcing ourselves to adapt to a reality which is fundamentally unhealthy and impossible to thrive in.

[Pulaski]

Probably the most accurate answer is that my parents are lefties.

Conceptually, I find Nathan and MB’s posts to be pretty accurate descriptions of my views, but I would add one thing: like all good parents, mine taught me the values of sharing, of justice, of caring about others, and that others are just as valuable as I am.

If you also believe in the necessity of society to impose some regulation on individual impulses (which, outside of nut job-level Libertarians we all do to a certain extent), then it becomes very hard for me to believe in those values my parents raised me with and not be a leftist.

When I was a teenager I believed conservatives just cared about themselves. In my early 20s I decided that maybe it was a bit more complicated than that. Now at 31 I realise conservatives do just care about themselves.

[TDAS04]

My views tend to emphasize increasing equality, not discriminating against society’s downtrodden, and providing enough of a safety net so everyone can comfortably afford life’s necessities.  I guess that means I place less of an emphasis on order and tradition or something.  I’m not against those things, it’s a matter of emphasis.

Equality/support for society’s vulnerable vs. order and tradition is the real divide between left and right, not big vs. small government. 

[sting in the rafters]

-They tried to kill me at age 4 when they claimed no fault for poorly maintained drainage pipe which flooded into my basement and gave me asthma
-They tried to kill me at age 9 when they decided my mother, a non-tenured hire less than 6 months into finally becoming a special-ed teacher, was “expendable”
-They tried to kill me at age 12 when they called for SNAP and HAMP “hand-outs for the lazy”
-They tried to kill me at age 14 when family tragedy caused my dad and step-mom to take in his late twin’s children as his own
-They tried to kill me at age 17 when they demonized benzo addicts such as myself, and relegated the trials of sobering up, to being a irredeemable lowlife
-They tried to kill me at 18 when they cancelled the Federal Perkins Loan program.
-They tried to kill me at 21 when they took away my essential worker hazard pay after the mandatory 2 months Governor Wolf gave everyone.
-They’re trying to kill me now via re-saddling me with the student loan debt representing the unavoidable educational premium one must pay if they wish to be a homeowner in a decent locale before their first gray hair.

In none of the above cases were “they” leftists.

[Zinneke]

- My family is pretty left-wing traditionally, for both socio-economic and ethnic reasons (originating from peripheral nations in their home countries that weren't treated well)

- I grew up enjoying politics to a degree that it was inevitable that I developed some choice political views and it wasn't going to be far right for the reasons above. That helped cement

- I probably work in a field and bubble with more leftists than not, although the Brussels bubble is very neo-liberal, no matter what party they tend to support from their home country.

- Also, related to that, being a good leftist I actually secretly hate other leftists. That's a clear indicator of being a leftist.

[Mr. Smith]

I’m not

This.

That said, the most defensible and workable position to effectively combat the evils of objectivism does tend to come from the left in most [but certainly not all] cases.

[jamestroll]

Basically...

conservatives look at things too rosy, unrealistic of their expectations of people, tolerate absolutely no mistakes, more likely to diss science, more likely to  racist and homophobic, etc.

[the artist formerly known as catmusic]

I was raised by two left-wing parents. I've been exposed to a very diverse group of people since I was a little kid. When I was discovering I was gay, I knew there was one side that mostly demonized me, and one side that mostly didn't. I considered myself liberal, not leftist until 2020 with BLM and COVID and etc...seeing the right's reaction to both of them and the liberals complete ineptitude in handling these sensitive topics turned me off. I started realizing what complete BS the entire capitalist system is, realizing how truly exploitative it is to workers and how unnecessary most of this all was. Plus seeing rich people say "we're all in this together" from their mansion while I'm trying to hear my class on zoom while both my parents are talking in meetings in the room right next to me...yeah. I became frustrated with democrats "what if we asked the pronouns of the drone pilot first?" version of policy, and it became apparent there was no room to debate with the other side when they would just as well have been fine with me dying. I probably should've realized sooner being an irreligious, ethnically jewish, effeminate gay man meant I should get with the lefties, but oh well.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

For me I think it's easier to answer why I'm not right-wing. I think it was Matt Stone who said "I hate conservatives, but I really f#cking hate liberals." Reverse the word order of "conservatives" and "liberals" and that's essentially my outlook on, certainly modern, politics.

I can't say this enough, I hate political correctness. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. I hate it when it's used by shitlibs to bully and police personal behavior. I hate it when it's used by the right to bully and police personal behavior. But I consider the excesses of the former somewhat more easily navigable than the latter.

A lot of that has to do with the political climate I grew up under. Yes, my parents were pretty generic liberals, but the right self-evidently had no credibility on any issue. "Small government conservatives" grew state power and overreach at unprecedented levels after 9/11, all while claiming that they were doing the opposite. They used state propaganda to antagonize dissent. They ignore/d the Constitution. We lost respect abroad while civil liberties declined at home.

Leftism (more specifically, left-liberalism) at least tries to recognize the importance of preserving these things without endorsing an economic system which systematically discriminates against poor and working-class people and furthers environmental decay. It doesn't put up a pretense of support for a "smaller government" which has always meant fewer taxes but more polluting rights for the owning class.

It was also those same center-right politicians who removed Depression-era safeguards, which led to the 2008 GFC.

The problem is, most of those things were a bipartisan effort. Democrats deserve their fair share of the blame for implementing what Reagan sought to accomplish, but was unable to, in the '90s and beyond. And their sleazebag attempts to compensate for that by steering hard-left on social issues is an insult to the working people who got them elected in 1932, in 1964, in 1992, in 2008.

Now the Democrats are trying to clean up their act. I can see that and give them due credit for it. But the attempts to push back on this repudiation of neoliberalism haven't gone unnoticed either, and the ensuing electoral failures that killed the party in many states it once held a firm grip on shouldn't be blamed on third parties or young people. If Democrats actually care about democracy, they should spend more of their time pushing for real electoral reform than suing other candidates off the ballot. And if they want votes from the left, they should earn them the same way they earn other people's votes, rather than simply expect them.