A healthy democracy thrives on a balance between the left, which advocates for social progress and government action, and the right, which emphasizes individual responsibility and economic freedom.
By Vipul Tamhane
Generally, we try to correlate elections with extremism as democracies head into their general elections to choose their government of representatives. In democracies, elections are crucial for balancing the ideologies of the left and right. The left is associated with progressive ideals like social justice and income equality, while the right champions traditional values, individual liberty, free markets, and limited government intervention.
These ideologies are not absolutes but a spectrum of ideas, with parties and voters occupying various positions within this spectrum. Elections in democracies allow citizens to choose representatives who best reflect their political views, considering a candidate's platform and party affiliation. A healthy democracy thrives on a balance between the left, which advocates for social progress and government action, and the right, which emphasizes individual responsibility and economic freedom. This ongoing debate shapes policies and ensures that no single ideology dominates.
In the early 20th century, as revolutions spread across the world, the press and academics needed a quick way to categorize the different ideologies fighting each other. The Bolsheviks immediately embraced the left-wing versus right-wing spectrum, although they considered themselves the centrist position. Adoption in England and the US was slower, but eventually, as partisanship increased during the Civil Rights Movement, the idea of a left vs right political spectrum cemented along the beliefs of both parties.
The political spectrum often consists of two sides: the left, which represents ideas like liberty, equality, progress, and internationalism, and the right, which represents ideas like authority, hierarchy, tradition, and nationalism. The left often seeks more government involvement to improve society, while the right wants less government involvement. These generalizations are misleading, as people often fall somewhere in between.
The Nolan Chart, developed by libertarian activist David Nolan, is a tool for identifying political stances by examining personal and economic freedom spectrums. The Vosem chart, a three-axis version, focuses on attitudes toward government and social progress. Additional axes include communitarianism vs individualism, no separation of community and state vs complete community and state, interventionist foreign policy vs non-interventionist foreign policy, multilateralism vs unilateralism, globalization vs protectionism, pacifism vs militarism, centralism vs regionalism. The debates continue to shape the political landscape in India and the US.
The odds are that almost all of the readers are somewhere in the middle on all of these spectrums; their beliefs are never static. Chances are, you are constantly moving around on the spectrum, and that’s probably a good thing because it shows that you are more open-minded and accepting. But calling someone or yourself right wing or left wing, which really didn’t start happening frequently in the United States until the 1920s and in India until the late 90s, is almost always an oversimplification.
In both nations, the rise of populism has significantly impacted traditional left-right politics. It blurs the lines between left and right-wing parties, appealing to the "common people" against perceived elites, including economic and political elites. Populist leaders often shift their focus from national identity and cultural values to immigration, national security, and social norms, reducing emphasis on traditional left-right economic policies. This shift creates a fragmented political landscape and exploits economic anxiety and social unease, leading to a decline in support for centrist parties.
For the traditional left, populist movements can challenge left-wing parties if they fail to address economic concerns, while for the traditional right, they can compete with right-wing parties on immigration and cultural values. However, these movements can weaken democratic norms due to their emphasis on strong leaders and distrust of institutions. Understanding populism's appeal is crucial for navigating the current political climate.
Extremists often view democracy with skepticism, believing it undermines their ideological goals or threatens their power. They may advocate for authoritarian or totalitarian forms of government, viewing democracy as weak or inefficient. They reject pluralism, believing in only one legitimate ideology and allowing incompatible ideas and values. They view democracy as a barrier to achieving their goals through violence or coercion, and may also manipulate democratic processes to advance their agenda, using tactics like propaganda and disinformation. They tend to reject the principle of equality, believing in hierarchies based on race, religion, or ideology, viewing democracy as promoting equality at the expense of their group.
Successful democracies can face challenges from extremist ideologies on both the left and right. Left-wing extremism, such as authoritarian socialism and anarchism, seeks radical economic transformation through a strong, centralized state. Environmental extremism may resort to violence or property destruction to achieve its goals. Right-wing extremism emphasizes fascism/national socialism, often focusing on extreme nationalism and authoritarian rule. Color supremacy/racism asserts the superiority of a particular race, often the majority, leading to violence and discrimination. Religious extremism can also lead to violence against different faiths or those deemed to violate religious codes.
The spectrum of extremist ideologies in left-wing and right-wing politics in India and the USA varies due to historical, cultural, and social contexts. Left-wing extremists, embracing Marxism-Leninism principles, advocate for the overthrow of capitalist systems and a classless society. Right-wing extremists may adhere to fascist ideologies, emphasizing ultra-nationalism and authoritarianism. Left-wing extremists may promote socialist ideologies, advocating for government intervention in the economy, wealth redistribution, and social services.
Nationalism can take on extremist forms when it promotes exclusionary and xenophobic ideologies, targeting minorities or marginalized groups. Extreme left-wing anarchists reject hierarchical authority and advocate for decentralized communities. Far-right extremists reject multiculturalism and immigration, preserving a perceived identity and supremacy. Leftist eco-socialists combine environmentalism with socialist principles, advocating for societal transformation to prioritize ecological sustainability through anti-capitalist and anti-globalization rhetoric.
In successful democracies, left-wing extremism can manifest in various ways, such as anti-globalization movements in Europe, anti-immigrant populism in Switzerland, and neo-Nazi groups in Germany. Countries like Canada and Uruguay with strong social safety nets may see pockets of anarchism advocating for dismantling these structures and favoring individual autonomy. Extremism in Canada might manifest through far-right nationalism emphasizing ethnic identity or opposing multiculturalism. In Ukraine, right-wing extremism could emerge in the form of oligarchic populism where wealthy elites use populist rhetoric to promote policies benefiting the rich.
In East Asian democracies like Japan and South Korea, left-wing extremism might take the form of militant trade unionism or fringe communist groups critical of current economic structures. Examples of extremist ideologies vary by continent, with right-wing extremism in Europe, left-wing extremism in the Americas, nationalist populism in Asia, left-wing extremism in Africa, and right-wing environmental extremism in Oceania. These ideologies vary depending on a country's history, demographics, and social issues. Successful democracies must balance security and individual liberties while addressing the root causes that might lead citizens towards extremism.
The terms 'left' and 'right' in politics can have various meanings depending on the context. Politics is a spectrum, with individuals leaning center-left on economics and center-right-wing on social issues. Focusing on specific issues and asking for specifics can lead to more informative conversations. However, completely discarding "left" and "right" may be challenging as they offer a shorthand for complex ideas. To avoid this, citizens need to use more specific language to express their loyalty towards national growth and their ultimate commitment towards a basket of ideologies.
(The writer is a counter-terrorism expert and a visiting faculty with Pune University (SPPU) at the Department of Defense and Strategic Studies (DDSS). He is also the founder & editor-in-chief at Diplomacy Direct, a public interest think-tank.)
