Defining 'The Left'

Comments debate the definition and characteristics of 'the left' in politics, distinguishing between true leftists, liberals, identity politics advocates, and addressing fallacies like 'no true leftist' in response to criticisms of certain organizations or actions.

➡️ Stable 0.7x Politics & Society
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#5803
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Keywords

ifunny.co US PSA fbschweiz.ch wikipedia.org OTOH left leftists leftist far left wing left wing politics far right far right wing

Sample Comments

cema Jun 11, 2010 View on HN

Could be the political left, you know.

verall Mar 10, 2023 View on HN

Good luck trying to explain leftism to hacker news

facetube Jan 25, 2017 View on HN

Who is "the left"? Be specific.

forgetfreeman Oct 23, 2022 View on HN

Actual leftist here. There is nothing even vaguely left-leaning about any of the organizations mentioned. There is, however, the minor issue of political expedience driving a wedge between right-wing politicians and observable reality. Demand better from your people.

thecatspaw Dec 18, 2018 View on HN

How so? Left doesnt mean anti capitalism

taborj Jun 27, 2019 View on HN

Oh good, I'm not alone in seeing this trend. The left seems to have a more "if you're not with us you're against us" stance.

rambojohnson Aug 4, 2025 View on HN

what far left are you talking about exactly?

baby Sep 8, 2020 View on HN

this "leftists are doing that" bullshit is usually an extreme right way of dismissing everything

vernie Jul 22, 2015 View on HN

I'm getting the sense that you have an issue with leftists.

ZanyProgrammer Jul 22, 2016 View on HN

Very similar to "anti identity politics leftists are the true leftists" which is probably relevant to this discussion.