4 ms·
Guilty of being leftist? Is this a crime in the US? Does being known as a "leftist" cause you to be shunned or looked down upon? Does leftist mean the same as i
by sspiff 13y ago
Guilty of being leftist? Is this a crime in the US? Does being known as a "leftist" cause you to be shunned or looked down upon? Does leftist mean the same as in Europe? (We generally call them socialists, but socialism is not a dirty word or concept in Europe, where as is associated with oppressive communist regimes of the cold war in the US.)
- AlisdairSH 13y agoYes. Leftist, socialist, and most of the related terms have been co-opted by the political right and now carry a negative connotation in the US.
- mpyne 13y agoI don't think it helped that leftist organizations in the U.S. such as Weather Underground turned violent. An offshoot of WUO later murdered people to rob a Brinks truck to try to fund further violence. Using violence to make your point has been a good way to get that point tainted in the minds of most of the U.S., especially after the Atlanta Olympic bombings, 9/11, etc. Liberal and socialist have also started to take on a negative connotation, but not as bad as 'leftist'. And of course it bears keeping in mind that many of those who oppose NSA surveilliance on principled grounds also oppose any type of leftist/socialist government by the same principles.