David B. Shemano wrote: > Can people on this list explain to me why Father Coughlin (and Huey Long) > were examples of "right-wing" populism as opposed to "left-wing" populism? > What made them right-wing as opposed to left-wing in your terminology?<
Political terms are notoriously subjective, i.e., being in the eye of the beholder; it's really a matter of convention -- and of contention. Quoth the Wikipedia: >In modern political rhetoric, those on the Left typically emphasize their >support of working people and accuse the Right of supporting the interests of >the upper class, whereas those on the Right usually emphasize their support of >individualism and accuse the Left of supporting collectivism. Thus, arguments >about the way the words should be used often displace arguments about policy >by raising emotional prejudice against a preconceived notion of what left and >right mean.< I'd say that there are three dimensions of politics in a capitalist society [*]: 1. the classic left vs. right dimension. Following the classic definition, the "left" backs and defends the working class and the poor and the "right" roots for and champions the rich and powerful.[**] This dimension is the same as that of democracy vs. dictatorship (rule from the bottom vs. rule from the top). Leftists oppose the entrenched economic-political power of the capitalists, pushing for democratic control not only of the political system but also the economy. On this spectrum, rightists defend capitalist power, though as in the Wikipedia quote, they often state their position in terms of other dimensions. 2. centralism vs. decentralism of economic and political organization. On this spectrum, leftists split between centralists (e.g., social democracy, which leans toward technocracy) and decentralists (e.g. Guild Socialism, Yugoslavian market socialists, and anarchism). Like the other spectra, this is not an either/or divide, but involves matters of degree. There have been a lot of efforts to find a balance combination of centralism and decentralism. I don't know enough about Huey Long, but he seems like an old-fashioned machine politician (like the first Mayor Daley of Chicago). That kind of politics seems a corrupt version of social democracy, while being culturally conservative. Right-wingers such as Hank Paulson split between those who back big business (and its alliance with big government) and those backing small businesses, family farms, and of course that old shibboleth, "free markets." 3. traditionalism vs. liberalism on issues of culture. Traditionalists defend the currently societal dominant groups and norms of ethnicity, religion, and gender. "Traditionalist conservatives" usually defend the powerful economic elite (and are thus "rightist" on spectrum 1) and also defend the power of white Protestant heterosexual males. Many of them are not just top-down but collectivist, wanting to impose anti-abortion rules, marriage with no divorce, illegal marijuana, etc. on others. Father Couglin seems to have been a conservative of this sort, as I understand it. US liberals, leftists, and money libertarians tend to agree on cultural liberalism, while differing on the two other main issues. Money libertarians of course defend anyone with wealth while pushing decentralism toward narrow individualism. Non-elite US liberals are more scornful of the big money folks while seeing a positive role for government and centralism. The fact that money libertarians are in the same "conservative" coalition as the traditionalists has always been a source of conflict, even when united as parts of the US GOP. The usual solution to this conflict these days is to appeal to the Sainted Ronald Reagan -- or to hatred of liberals, Democrats, "the gay agenda," etc. -- Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante. [*] In a non-capitalist mode of production, "leftists" like Stalin and his followers would obviously support the entrenched political-economic power of his party. There's a real problem, however, with applying the left/right spectrum in non-capitalist countries. The same person could be "leftist" in, say, North Korea, but "rightist" from the perspective of global capitalism. [**] Of course, the currently dominant brand of right-wing politics (represented by the GOP in the US) sees itself as defending the "little guy" and even the "working class" against the elitist "liberals" (cryptosocialists). But I'd say that's a matter of defining the "working class" very broadly to include the small business sector (and often to exclude blue- and white-collar employees). _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
