Leftist, Rightist, who gives a s ?

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In summary: It just creates more division. Instead of trying to understand each other, we just attack each other. Being helpful generally gets more done than throwing a fit.
  • #1
FZ+
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Leftist, Rightist, who gives a s***?

I am officially annoyed.

It's not my fault your left winged friends...

...have liberal political philosophies...
etc etc ad infinitum.

We are supposed to be having reasonable discussions are we not? How then do we end up descending to the pointless depths where we childishly point fingers at people and call them "liberal", or "fascist" or whatever? What does that acheive?

Take the war as an example. Few seem to have noticed that opposition to the war or otherwise is completely unconnected to one's political alignment. Right wing newspapers in the UK constantly critcise the "socialist" government for their "naive leftwing" war. Left wing newspapers often criticize anti-war people for being selfish and rightist.

Since when could the opinion of man be neatly compartmentised in this way? Since when was being left or right a certain kind of manual on which you base your entire life? Since when was it valid to stereotype people as one side or another?

This sort of factionalising, utilising the "them verses us" principle must stop. It is not a matter of them verses us, it never is. It's a discussion, not a war. What right do you have in deciding, thinking for me how I should think based on whether you perceive me as liberal or rightwing? What different does it make?

Cut the crap. Left or right wing finger pointing are childish and meaningless. Judge people on what they say with each issue, not second guess them with your own emotional prejudice. It's ideas in the firing line, not people.
 
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  • #2
Well, thanks for singling my comment out. A comment that was meant to be a bit of a smart mouthed response to an equally imbalanced accusation.
Maybe you can search real hard and find a more generalized comment to use as an example next time.

oh btw if this appears rather pissy, it's because ..it is.
 
  • #3
I mean the way it is going on in general. I named no names. I am simply not bothered to search too much, because I think it is pretty obvious what I am talking about.

I simply say that the word "left winged friends" or whatever is absolutely pointless and not particularly smart, implying (a) that all left wingers are the same (b) there is some sort of conspiracy where these people group together and (c) it is valid to group people in this presumptious and prejudiced way.

These accusations do nothing but divide people, set up barriers. And that isn't what we need right now.
 
  • #4
Originally posted by FZ+
I mean the way it is going on in general. I named no names. I am simply not bothered to search too much, because I think it is pretty obvious what I am talking about.

I simply say that the word "left winged friends" or whatever is absolutely pointless and not particularly smart, implying (a) that all left wingers are the same (b) there is some sort of conspiracy where these people group together and (c) it is valid to group people in this presumptious and prejudiced way.

These accusations do nothing but divide people, set up barriers. And that isn't what we need right now.


I'm going to reiterate that the comment you chose to quote was a sarcastic response to a very biased comment towards my posting habits.

So either take my "not particularly smart" and "absolutely pointless" comment in context or choose another example. PLEASE.
 
  • #5
I would agree FZ+ categorization of people is an old tactic in the minds of people who have little of substantial relevance to state.

Personally I like to think 'center', cause it is ill defined as per all of the rest of those 'lefty' 'righty' 'pinko' 'stinko' thangs!
 
  • #6


oh come on kat, it is not like you are the only one who has said what FZ+ is quoting anyway. if you really don't like the example; perhaps you should present an alternative? being helpful generally gets more done than throwing a fit. :wink:

Originally posted by FZ+
Since when could the opinion of man be neatly compartmentised in this way? Since when was being left or right a certain kind of manual on which you base your entire life? Since when was it valid to stereotype people as one side or another?

best i can tell, it happens when a person does the same for them self. i mean once you decide you are on a "team", it becomes label anyone in disagreement as part of the "other team." also, the longer one clings to their "team" the further off center their mentality becomes; hence you wind up with people so far off to one side of the field that anything else looks like the other side.
 
  • #7
I agree. Everybody does it now and then. But it isn't helpful. And we should make an effort to stop.

Perhaps the fundamental freedom is not freedom of speech, but freedom of thought? I would prefer if people developed their own thoughts, rather than try to form their own little teams. I think we would all prefer it.
 
  • #8
I find that the more extreme, the narrower the veiwpoint, and the more likely it is to see yourself as being right, and anyone who disagrees 1% must be 100% opposed to you.
 
  • #9
I agree FZ.

I use to be the poster boy for the Republican party and I use to view the Democrats' ideology is that of similar to communism (which I ingrained into my thinking as an "evil" of society).

Then in high school, I kept seeing the kids from privileged families abuse the wealth and harrass other kids who didn't drive a BMW or wear the latest fashions (I drove a BMW and I dressed fine so they wouldn't bother me much in that aspect). I got harrassed by the whites for years without protesting much. The correlation? These same people who harassed others and performed the double standard (it's okay for them to insult me but it's not okay for me to fight back) were, along with their families, full-fledged members of the Republican party (and some possibly the NRA and KKK but that's beyond the point).

Anyway, years of this just built up and I finally stepped away, peacefully, from being associated with the rightwing and moved gradually toward the left. Getting verbal taunts from whites drove me to align myself with the Black Panthers and the Socialists but then I found out that the African Americans could be just as prejudice against Asians and I saw that the Socialists could be (and were) as corrupt as the Republicans.

In my last semester of high school, I really got into the music of Rage Against the Machine. Their reputation as a great band had attracted me ever since I first heard "Guerilla Radio" and "Bulls on Parade". After listening to their left-wing messages, I became interested in their message of anti-exploitation and anti-racism. For someone who contained pent-up frustation and basically had no one to rely on, this was an escape I could place my frustrations into.

Once I started college, I had a History professor who really opened up my eyes. His course revealed the exploitation of the workers by the robber barons of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the outcome of American foreign policy. It taught me a lot of new things I couldn't believe actually happened and from then on, I moved even further on the left wing scale.

Now, I'm getting too frustrated with the whole political issue. As a "leftwing" I still had friends and good classmates that were in the College Republicans (who I helped on many occasions) and I realized that political differences shouldn't be a factor on how you judge one person. This whole leftwing VS rightwing thing can be a bit childish at times.

Being a physics/math major, I decided that politics should be left up to the social science majors and I should just go back to the science lab and do my own thing.
 
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  • #10
Can we still use the labels, Republican and Democrat? Aw, nevermind.

Lets all hold hands and sing a round of "We are the World".
 
  • #11
Originally posted by Alias
Can we still use the labels, Republican and Democrat? Aw, nevermind.

Lets all hold hands and sing a round of "We are the World".
LOL,
Well, you folks may actually think you have differences but I conveniently lump you all together under the label 'Forum Faithful' ...and you are all just alike

[edit]
Oops, almost forgot;
...We are the world, we are the children...
 
  • #12


Originally posted by kyleb
oh come on kat, it is not like you are the only one who has said what FZ+ is quoting anyway. if you really don't like the example; perhaps you should present an alternative? being helpful generally gets more done than throwing a fit. :wink:
Bah, I've never seen that exact quote on any post but mine last night, and it was posted under the conditions outlined above. Not a fitting example at all. A better example is when I asked for support of your post about clinton and was accused of clinton bashing [:P] when I never said anything bad about the man at all. As for throwing a fit, I'm sick, I have a fever and I'll throw a fit if I want to *pout*

On the whole I agree with you F.Z., I just see your qouting of me as a prime example of anti-Katism and I dun like it.
 
  • #13
awe, fair enough kat; and get well soon.

...we are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving...
 
  • #14
...There's a choice we're making, We're saving our own lives...
 
  • #15
See, who says we can't all just get along, lol.
I don't like the name calling and labeling either, but we are all human and it seems it is an integral part of our nature. To me, the terms left and right have become confused over the course of time and I avoid using them when possible. There are good things I have found in both camps and there are bad things as well.
Politics and Religion, yucky poo just waiting to be flung about. I recognize that I probably don’t have the answers for the world’s problems and this leaves me in a state of mind that sets my ‘soul’ (as if I had one) at relative ease.
 
  • #16
There are surely some people who qualify as right wing or left, but I think most people go along somewhere around teh middle.
 
  • #17


Originally posted by kat
On the whole I agree with you F.Z., I just see your qouting of me as a prime example of anti-Katism and I dun like it.

Anti-Katism? Who was it who used as signature for several months a statement I admitted to be wrong on after an argument in the religion forum on PF2?

Ok ok. Note to self: Shut Up.

Sorry...
 
  • #18
*deleted because of Physics Forums Guideline violations*
 
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  • #19
FZ I don't think you should have used Kat's comment... Perhaps next time give an example of something you make up or ask someone BEFORE you do that.
 
  • #20


Originally posted by FZ+
Anti-Katism? Who was it who used as signature for several months a statement I admitted to be wrong on after an argument in the religion forum on PF2?

Ok ok. Note to self: Shut Up.

Sorry...

Fz-It's okay, the Anti-Katism was just a bit of banter, not meant to be taken seriously. Just a little fyi, I used the quote because I liked it..not having you in mind at all.

As for quoting me in the beginning of this thread, it probably would not have bothered me nearly as much had I not been ill, vitriolic and weepy. Of course..I probably would not even have made the comment, to Zero, had I been feeling like myself in the first place.

It's a good point you've made in this thread, and as you are perhaps one of the more diplomatic posters here, I, personally will attempt to heed your advise.
 
  • #21
Originally posted by Alias
*deleted because of Physics Forums Guideline violations*
The imagination boggles.:smile:
These political forums are hard work. I think I'll stick to philosophy...
 

What is the difference between a Leftist and a Rightist?

Leftists generally believe in social and economic equality and advocate for government intervention in social and economic issues. Rightists, on the other hand, tend to prioritize individual liberty and limited government intervention in social and economic matters.

Why do people identify as Leftists or Rightists?

People often identify as Leftists or Rightists because they align with the beliefs and values of one of these political ideologies. It can also be influenced by factors such as upbringing, education, and personal experiences.

Can someone be a mix of Leftist and Rightist?

Yes, it is possible for someone to hold a combination of both Leftist and Rightist views. This is known as being a centrist or having moderate political views.

What is the main goal of Leftists and Rightists?

The main goal of Leftists is to create a more equal and just society, while the main goal of Rightists is to protect individual freedoms and promote a free market economy.

How do Leftists and Rightists differ in their approach to social issues?

Leftists tend to support progressive policies and advocate for social justice, while Rightists often hold more traditional values and prioritize personal responsibility over government intervention in social issues.

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