Far-left politics

Far-left politics

Far-left politics are ideas and movements that sit further to the left on the political spectrum than usual left-wing views. This group includes many beliefs such as anarchism, communism, and Marxism. People who support far-left politics often want big changes to society. They usually reject capitalism, the system where businesses are owned by private people or companies, and they also oppose neoliberalism and globalisation.

In modern times, some far-left groups have tried to achieve their goals by voting and working within democratic systems, especially in wealthy countries after the Great Recession. Far-left ideas have not often succeeded in elections unless they work with more moderate left-wing groups called social democrats.

Unfortunately, some far-left movements have believed that using force is necessary to fight against unfair systems. In some places, far-left groups have formed rebellions. These actions are known as far-left terrorism and involve extremist, militant, or insurgent groups using political violence to try to achieve their goals.

Ideologies

Far-left politics are at the leftmost edge of the left–right political spectrum. They include beliefs within left-wing politics, like communism and anarchism. These ideas are usually to the left of social democracy. The line between the centre-left and the far-left can be blurry and depends on the situation.

The modern far-left differs from social democracy because it opposes capitalism, neoliberalism, and globalisation. People who support far-left politics often want to fix injustice and unfairness, especially when it affects oppressed groups. Some may focus on one issue, like environmentalism, without supporting all far-left ideas.

Communism and Marxism

Main articles: Communism and Marxism

Communism believes that society should organize around the needs and abilities of its people, not class divisions. It is a type of revolutionary socialism based on the ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Communism has many forms, especially since the end of the Soviet Union.

Marxism opposes capitalism. It sees the working class as the main force for change. Marx and Engels thought workers in different countries shared common goals. They believed that change would likely happen first in the most developed nations.

Anarchism

Main article: Anarchism

Anarchism rejects all forms of authority and control, including the state. Some anarchists believe in a society based on cooperation and helping each other. Others focus on the individual and personal freedom. Anarchism has many branches, including ideas about the environment and direct action.

New Left

The far-left is sometimes split into the Old Left and the New Left. The New Left began in the 1960s as part of the counterculture of the 1960s. It focused on social issues, like feminism, gay rights, and drug policy reforms. The New Left cared about many kinds of social justice, not just economic issues. In the United States, it was linked to protests against the Vietnam War.

Positions

The far-left wants a world where everyone is treated equally and there are no classes. They imagine a place without capitalism, where things are shared based on what people need, not who owns them. They believe that all wealth and resources should belong to everyone, not just a few people.

Far-left groups care about fairness and making sure everyone is treated the same. They think that capitalism can create unfairness and want to stop it. They also want to protect the environment, animal rights, and make sure women have equal rights. Some far-left groups believe big changes are needed to improve society, while others think we can make improvements by working within the systems we already have. They often speak out against big global organizations and military actions, especially by very powerful countries.

Electoral dynamics

Far-left parties often find it hard to win control of the government in parliamentary systems unless they join with social democratic groups. They must decide whether to work with other parties and sometimes change their ideas to get more voters, which can lead to arguments inside the party. The far-left tends to get more support in places with social inequality and poor economic conditions, especially from working-class people, trade union members, and those without strong religious beliefs.

The far-left also has many activities outside of elections, like trade unions and social movements. These groups sometimes prefer direct action instead of voting. Some far-left beliefs completely refuse to take part in elections. Over time, many far-left parties in Europe have started using elections more because revolutions are less common now. The far-left is still quite small in some areas like Southeast Asia.

History

See also: History of socialism, History of communism, and History of anarchism

Far-left politics started with ideas about sharing and equality, like those talked about by Plato and medieval thinkers who believed Jesus taught the value of shared resources. During the French Revolution, the far-left became a more radical group that wanted republics instead of monarchies.

In the 19th century, thinkers like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels created Marxism, which argued that workers should lead a change against capitalism. This time also saw the growth of anarchism, which was against both capitalism and governments. These ideas spread and affected many movements and changes.

The 20th century showed far-left ideas taking hold in some places, like the Russian Revolution, which set up a communist government. However, far-left politics met strong opposition, especially during the Cold War, when many nations were against communist thoughts. Even with these difficulties, far-left movements kept shaping discussions about workers' rights, fairness, and opposing war.

Far-left terrorism

Further information: Left-wing terrorism

The far left has sometimes included groups that used violence to try to change society. These groups thought violence could help fight unfair systems. Some groups formed secret organizations or started uprisings, especially where governments were weak. But not everyone on the far left supports using violence; many believe protests and other actions are better.

From the 1960s to 1980s, several far-left groups formed in different countries, such as the Red Army Faction in Germany and the Weather Underground in the United States. Most of these groups are no longer active today. While some used violence, none succeeded in starting a revolution this way. Changes in places like Cuba usually came from longer struggles with many people.