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>If you want to have an actual conversation about the current American political spectrum, please, use a real term. "Leftist" is, honestly, a stupid meme. Real

>If you want to have an actual conversation about the current American political spectrum, please, use a real term. "Leftist" is, honestly, a stupid meme. Really? I've never heard that complaint before, from either end of the political spectrum. What do you think would have been a better word with which to refer to these particular students?

ravitation 9y ago
Well, that's exactly the problem. You haven't taken the time to actually considered what these students believe, or a good term that actually relates to those specific beliefs. Leftist, as a term, exists only to describe opposition to the right. Not to actually describe a system of beliefs.
- rhapsodic 9y ago
  >Leftist, as a term, exists only to describe opposition to the right. Not to actually describe a system of beliefs. Wikipedia disagrees with you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-wing_politics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-wing_politics
  - ravitation 9y ago
    Ah! So, you're using the Wikipedia definition of left-wing. And, you're also using it in the context of American politics. So, members of the left ("leftists"), i.e. Democrats, must be support "social equality and egalitarianism." Oh wait, but both the left and the right claim to support those things in modern 21st century America... That's probably because our left and right do not conform to the Wikipedia definition... We can use the Wikipedia definition of what left and right is, but it's not helpful at all in the context of the modern American political spectrum. So, again, "leftist" is only used to describe opposition to the right, which is also how it's used colloquially in modern America... It's not a useful adjective for describing an actual system of beliefs. To be honest, you're just intellectually being lazy...
- sincerely 9y ago
  That's not really true. When someone self-identifies as a "Leftist", it's actually not (usually) being used to describe opposition the right, but to place themselves on the left as being further left than liberalism (i.e. identifying with Marxism, socialism, communism, anarchism, etc).
mikestew 9y ago
Really? I've never heard that complaint before You haven't been listening, or don't live in the U. S. "Leftist" is what The Right (yes, title casing) used before "Fake News". IOW, different variable names, but the pointers go to the same address as $THING_I_DONT_LIKE. In other, other words, it's an adjective that fails at its job because it doesn't modify the noun in a useful manner.
- rhapsodic 9y ago
  > You haven't been listening, or don't live in the U. S. "Leftist" is what The Right (yes, title casing) used before "Fake News". IOW, different variable names, but the pointers go to the same address as $THING_I_DONT_LIKE. In other, other words, it's an adjective that fails at its job because it doesn't modify the noun in a useful manner. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-wing_politics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-wing_politics
  - mikestew 9y ago
    Oh, I'm quite aware of the existence of left-wing politics. And "leftist" is certainly appropriate at times. My argument is against the colloquial use. Just like there is news that is fake, there are also political views that lean left. But just because Trump calls something "fake news" does not mean it's not true. And though I might be appalled at the current plans to run up the deficit and electing accused child molestors to Senate (views which should be easy to label as "traditional conservative"), I can guarantee you that Sean Hannity would label me as a "leftist" based on a few other whacky views I hold. Hell, it used to be anyone caught cozying up to the Russians was a "commie leftist". My, how times have changed.

ravitation 9y ago

Well, that's exactly the problem. You haven't taken the time to actually considered what these students believe, or a good term that actually relates to those specific beliefs. Leftist, as a term, exists only to describe opposition to the right. Not to actually describe a system of beliefs.

rhapsodic 9y ago
>Leftist, as a term, exists only to describe opposition to the right. Not to actually describe a system of beliefs. Wikipedia disagrees with you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-wing_politics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-wing_politics
- ravitation 9y ago
  Ah! So, you're using the Wikipedia definition of left-wing. And, you're also using it in the context of American politics. So, members of the left ("leftists"), i.e. Democrats, must be support "social equality and egalitarianism." Oh wait, but both the left and the right claim to support those things in modern 21st century America... That's probably because our left and right do not conform to the Wikipedia definition... We can use the Wikipedia definition of what left and right is, but it's not helpful at all in the context of the modern American political spectrum. So, again, "leftist" is only used to describe opposition to the right, which is also how it's used colloquially in modern America... It's not a useful adjective for describing an actual system of beliefs. To be honest, you're just intellectually being lazy...
sincerely 9y ago
That's not really true. When someone self-identifies as a "Leftist", it's actually not (usually) being used to describe opposition the right, but to place themselves on the left as being further left than liberalism (i.e. identifying with Marxism, socialism, communism, anarchism, etc).

mikestew 9y ago

Really? I've never heard that complaint before You haven't been listening, or don't live in the U. S. "Leftist" is what The Right (yes, title casing) used before "Fake News". IOW, different variable names, but the pointers go to the same address as $THING_I_DONT_LIKE. In other, other words, it's an adjective that fails at its job because it doesn't modify the noun in a useful manner.

rhapsodic 9y ago
> You haven't been listening, or don't live in the U. S. "Leftist" is what The Right (yes, title casing) used before "Fake News". IOW, different variable names, but the pointers go to the same address as $THING_I_DONT_LIKE. In other, other words, it's an adjective that fails at its job because it doesn't modify the noun in a useful manner. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-wing_politics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-wing_politics
- mikestew 9y ago
  Oh, I'm quite aware of the existence of left-wing politics. And "leftist" is certainly appropriate at times. My argument is against the colloquial use. Just like there is news that is fake, there are also political views that lean left. But just because Trump calls something "fake news" does not mean it's not true. And though I might be appalled at the current plans to run up the deficit and electing accused child molestors to Senate (views which should be easy to label as "traditional conservative"), I can guarantee you that Sean Hannity would label me as a "leftist" based on a few other whacky views I hold. Hell, it used to be anyone caught cozying up to the Russians was a "commie leftist". My, how times have changed.