The Challenges of Leftist Movements in Today's Political Climate

Red
Mar 11, 2024
8 min read

Updated: Oct 1, 2024

In the last Politdigm Podcast episode [1], where we talked about last week's article [2], my co-host and I had some moments of miscommunication regarding what the left can do to win against the right in the current political landscape. Therefore, I have decided to delve deeper into this topic in this article and try to formalize what exactly can be done, and what exactly has been going on regarding the left. By doing so, I hope that we can further debate the topic after this article is published on the Politdigm Podcast.

The West and its Capitalists

In the previous episode of the podcast, there was a misunderstanding regarding the success of the left in recent decades. To clarify, I, Red, explained that the reason we have the rights we enjoy today is because of the pressure exerted by leftist movements on liberal right-wing governments. Eventually, these governments give in to the demands of the left, which is a crucial point that I would like to elaborate on. However, before I do so I want to give some context.

Liberal governments and later Neo-Liberal governments have been leading the western part of the global north since the mid-20th century. Their primary objective is to sustain capitalism, but this has proven to be challenging. The various crises we keep experiencing are due to capitalism's inherent contradictions. One of these contradictions is the clash of interests between the working class and the capitalist class. It is usually due to this contradiction that leftist movements emerge. Movements that are a direct threat to capitalism.

Neoliberal countries located in the western part of the global north experience the impact of capitalism daily. However, one of neoliberalism's favorite things is individualism which in turn creates division among people. This is a "divide and conquer" strategy [3]. This is how in Neo-Liberal countries you plant a seed in people's minds to ensure that large collective action leftist movements can't happen.

Additionally, this hyper-individualism mindset causes us to view issues as individual problems rather than recognizing them as interconnected side effects of capitalism. For instance, private property, feminism, and queer rights are all interrelated issues that exist to maintain the reign of capital and its owners, but many people are unaware of this.

Let us now look at a different example. In Scandinavia, where social democracies have been mostly successful, people seem to have no complaints. However, this is because capitalist oppression is outsourced to other countries in the global south, so people in Scandinavia do not directly suffer the consequences of capitalism. This keeps anti-capitalist ideas from gaining traction, as the material conditions in those countries do not allow it.

The reality is that all these forms of capitalism value capitalism's life and must keep anti-capitalist ideas at bay. They do this by giving people just enough so that they feel pleased. Again it is all about divide and conquer. For as long as they can keep pleasing small groups of people, giving them a feeling of progress, it will keep them from realizing they are being played.

Left V. Right

As we delve deeper into the topic of left-wing movements and their impact on society and the capitalist system, it's important to revisit the point made earlier about the gains that have been achieved in the past due to the pressure exerted by such movements.

Throughout history, there have been several instances where large left-wing movements have formed, challenging the status quo, and posing a significant threat to the current capitalist system. In response to these movements, those in power and those who benefit from the capitalist system have often made concessions to pacify the situation and prevent the escalation of violence and unrest. This has led to significant wins for human rights and progress, including the abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, and the Civil Rights Movement.

However, it's important to understand why the right-wing parties make such concessions. The right is more interested in maintaining the status quo and ensuring that things don't escalate to a level that they can no longer deal with. They offer these small victories to pacify the masses and prevent a larger, more violent uprising against the capitalists. It's a way of maintaining control over the situation and preventing further unrest.

It's crucial to note that these wins are not always permanent or what they seem. In some cases, they are overturned, such as Roe V. Wade, which has been facing significant challenges in recent years. Or more pressingly, with the abolition of slavery, where any mildly historically informed leftist knows that the notion that slavery was truly abolished in the USA is laughable. This demonstrates that while these victories may bring about positive change, they are often short-lived, and the fight for progress must continue.

As a society, it's essential to look beyond the small victories and recognize that the fight is against capitalism as a whole. While these concessions may temporarily improve the situation, they do not address the root causes of the problem, and they do not guarantee lasting change. As such, we must continue to push for progress, challenge the status quo, and work towards a more equitable and just society for all.

Did the Left fall asleep, or what?

The world we live in today is a dynamic and ever-changing landscape, marked by significant transformations in recent times. The advent of social media and the global economic downturn of 2008 have had a profound impact on our world, altering the way we interact and perceive our surroundings. One of the most notable consequences of these changes has been the mass migration of people to the European Union in search of better opportunities and a better life.

The influx of people into Europe, coupled with the erosion of left-wing politics since the 1990s, has contributed significantly to the rise of right-wing parties across the continent. There is a growing trend of right-wing ideologies gaining traction throughout Europe [4], and we are witnessing people openly supporting fascist ideas for the first time since the 1930s and 40s.

Throughout history, the left has always been at odds with the right, with the latter constantly attacking the former since the middle of the 19th century. However, unlike in previous times, the left has always been able to bounce back stronger. Unfortunately, with the advent of the internet and social media, the right wing has gained a potent tool to use against the left, making it increasingly challenging for them to regain their footing.

The weakening of the left can be attributed, to a large extent, to the Social Democracies and their exploitation of the Global South. Europe's favorite mode of producing riches, colonialism (now known as neo-colonialism), has played a significant role in shaping the material conditions of Europe in recent decades. As we said above, the exploitation of the Global South has benefited European Capitalists. This economic model has made it challenging for left-wing movements to gain traction in Europe because, for the longest time, we just felt that stuff has been "good enough I guess."

So, what can we do?

In the podcast, under the pressure of my co-host, I ended up giving a rather depressing and pessimistic answer to that question, saying that there was nothing we could do. However, I would like to clarify that my statement was specific to the topic of democracy, which was the focus of the discussion. What I meant to say was that within the constraints of the current liberal democratic system, there is no way to get rid of capitalism. This is because liberal democracy serves capitalism, which means that any attempt to remove capitalism would require a fundamental change in the political system that governs it.

To understand this better, it's worth looking at the Marxist view of the situation. According to this view, the problem is that we have been playing by the rules of the capitalist game for too long. We have been trying to reform capitalism from within, using democratic means like voting and experimenting with socialist workplaces. However, this is what Marxists call Utopian Socialism [5] - an optimistic but ultimately unrealistic approach. The reality is that capitalism is a powerful system that is deeply ingrained in our society and culture. Trying to reform it through democratic means alone is unlikely to succeed.

That's not to say that democratic socialism is impossible - far from it. However, it is important to recognize that achieving socialism through purely democratic means requires specific material conditions to be in place. Even then, the probability that a country like the United States will come in and undermine your democratic efforts, or even completely eradicate them, is high. Therefore, while democratic socialism is a noble goal to strive for, it is important to acknowledge the challenges and limitations that come with it.

To become a Scientific Socialist or Marxist, it is essential to adopt a scientific approach and comprehend the game. This entails understanding the principles of historical materialism, which postulate that the material conditions of a country influence its development. We need to analyze how economic and social factors shape the course of history. Marxism emphasizes the importance of exploring the underlying causes of social problems and finding solutions that benefit the working class. Therefore, to become a Scientific Socialist, one needs to have a deep understanding of the material world and the social structures that govern it. This is just the beginning of the journey towards becoming a Marxist.

Conclusion

I apologize for breaking the fourth wall and talking about ourselves in our articles. However, in our latest podcast episode, it was clear that there was a miscommunication between my friend and co-host, Alpha, and me. As humans, misunderstandings can occur, but it's vital to address them.

I created this platform to make a difference, as I have witnessed the weakness of the left. I used to be a Utopian Socialist, but I have invested a considerable amount of time studying to become a Scientific Socialist. I am confident that there is a path forward, but it won't be an easy one. The journey will be bumpy and uncomfortable, but one thing is certain - if we fight for it, we have a bright future ahead.

To loosely quote Yanis Varoufakis from his latest book [6], "We are fast approaching a fork in the road where our path will lead either to a world resembling Star Trek, where machines help us improve ourselves, or to barbaric climate Armageddon." So, it's clear that we are at a tipping point in history where change needs to happen. Capitalism is not sustainable, and Yanis suggests that it's already dead and has been replaced by something worse and even more unstable.

This is the time for action, for the left to rise from the ashes and unite. We need to educate and support each other as we take to the streets and use our collective power to fight back against the capitalist system. We must make them feel the weight of our voices and demand the change we need. But we cannot settle for low standards, especially the next generation of leftists. It's time to abolish capitalism and concentrated wealth altogether once and for all. The future depends on it. It depends on Revolutionaries and not Revisionists.

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