Left and right parties: differences and similarities in ideology

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

In recent decades, after the "blue screen" lit up in every home, international news is not complete without mentioning the left wing of the Bundestag or the right in the French parliament. Which one is pursuing which policy? In Soviet times, everything was clear: the left is the adherents of socialism, while the right, on the contrary, stands for the capitalists, and their extreme manifestation is the fascists, they are also national socialists, the party of small shopkeepers and bourgeois. Today, everything has changed, and both appeared in almost all countries that emerged as a result of the collapse of the USSR. Both left and right parties occupy seats in the same session hall of parliament, sometimes conflict, and sometimes they vote quite in solidarity, and there are also centrists.

Why "right" and "left"?

More than two centuries ago, the French Revolution thundered, overthrowing the monarchy and establishing a republican form of government. In the "Marseillaise", which has become the national anthem, there are the words "aristocrats to the lantern" - in the sense of a noose around his neck. But democracy is democracy, and parliamentarians with hostile positions are seated in one spacious hallPeople's Assembly, and so that there would be no skirmishes between them, they grouped. It just so happened that the Jacobins chose places for themselves on the left (Gauche), and their opponents - the Girondins - on the contrary (Droit). Since then, it has become customary that the political forces advocating radical changes in public life have become leftists. It is clear that the Communists reckoned themselves among them, it is enough to recall the "Left March" by V. Mayakovsky. Right-wing political parties take opposite positions, they are, as it were, conservatives.

A bit of modern history, or how the left becomes right

Under the slogans of improving the situation of workers, leaders came to power many times, bringing many troubles to their peoples. Suffice it to recall German Chancellor Adolf Hitler, who proclaimed National Socialism. During the struggle for the post of head of state, he promised voters many benefits, including high prosperity and justice, the annulment of the Versailles Treaty, shameful for the Germans, work for everyone, social guarantees. Having achieved his goal, Hitler first de alt with his political opponents - the left-wing Social Democrats and Communists, whom he partially destroyed physically, while others were “reforged” in concentration camps. So he became right, following the exiled Albert Einstein, proving that everything in the world is relative.

Another example. L. D. Trotsky was “too leftist” even for V. I. Lenin. This does not mean at all that the leader of the world proletariat was right. It's just that the idea of labor armies at that time seemed too inhuman,albeit quite Marxist. The presumptuous Lev Davidovich was slightly scolded, corrected, and given friendly advice.

But that's all history, and now it's a long time ago. And what is happening with the left and right parties today?

Confusion in modern Europe

If before 1991 everything was clear, at least for us, then in the last two decades, the definition of "rightness" in politics has become a bit tight. The Social Democrats, traditionally considered leftist, in European parliaments easily carry out decisions that quite recently would have been quite natural for their opponents, and vice versa. Populism plays a huge role in determining the political course today (especially during elections), to the detriment of traditional platforms.

Left political parties, namely the liberals, voted for providing financial assistance to Greece, which is not at all consistent with the declared position on improving the social policy of their own people. There is, however, continuity in relation to anti-fascism. The Left Party of Germany, through the mouths of its deputies, has repeatedly opposed Merkel's policy of supporting Ukrainian nationalist forces, arguing her position with numerous anti-Semitic and Russophobic quotes from the speeches of the leaders of the Right Sector and the Svoboda association.

The financial crisis has greatly complicated the situation. At present, the European left and right parties have switched roles in many ways, while maintaining visible unity in everything related to promises to improve the living standards of their countries' citizens.

"Right" positions in the former USSR

In the post-Soviet space, the interpretation of political orientation along the "cardinal points" as a whole has remained the same as in Soviet times. The right-wing parties of Russia and other former “republics of the free” countries indicate in their program documents the goals that, in the opinion of their leaders, the society should strive for, namely:

- building a truly capitalist society;

- complete freedom of enterprise;

- reduced tax burden;

- fully professional armed forces;

- no censorship;

- integration of the state into the world (read: Western) economic system, which is currently experiencing an acute systemic crisis.

- personal freedoms, including the removal of a whole range of restrictions with which the "non-democratic regime" "entangled" the country. The most courageous representatives of the right wing declare "European values" on the verge of propaganda of permissiveness.

Variety of forms of "rightness"

Nevertheless, the ruling United Russia party in the Russian Federation also belongs to this parliamentary wing, as it advocates the development of market relations. In addition to it, the right bloc cannot do without Unity and Fatherland, the Union of Right Forces, Yabloko, the Party of Economic Freedom, Russia's Choice, and many other public associations that advocate liberalization of all forms of relations.

Thus, in the camp of political parties of the same direction, there may also be contradictions,sometimes very serious.

What the left stands for

Traditionally, the parties of the left wing advocate the revival of the achievements of socialism. These include:

- public funding of medicine and education, which should be free for the people;

- prohibition of the sale of land to foreign citizens;

- state planning and control over all vital programs;

- expansion of the public sector of the economy, ideally - a complete ban on private entrepreneurship

- equality, brotherhood, etc.

The left-wing parties of Russia are represented by the vanguard - the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (actually there are two parties, Zyuganov and Anpilov), as well as the joined "Patriots of Russia", "Agrarians", "National Sovereigns" and several other organizations. In addition to the nostalgic projects of the bygone socialism, they sometimes put forward quite useful and sensible initiatives.

Ukrainian rightists

If in Europe it is difficult to figure out the orientation, then in (or in) Ukraine it is almost impossible to do this. We are no longer talking about capitalism, socialism, liberalism or ownership of the main means of production. The main determining criterion in determining political, and at the same time, economic goals is the attitude towards Russia, which the right-wing parties of Ukraine consider an extremely hostile country. The European choice is something for which they feel sorry for practically nothing: neither the remnants of industrially cooperative industries, nor their own population. The apotheosis of the development of this direction in the internalpolitics became the notorious "Maidan", quite possibly not the last. The so-called "Right Sector", along with other ultra-nationalist structures, has turned into a paramilitary organization, ready to carry out the tasks of ethnic cleansing.

Left in Ukraine

Ukrainian left and right parties constantly oppose each other. Throughout the existence of an independent state, only supporters of market reforms were in power, which, however, was interpreted in a very peculiar way. Nevertheless, the “Left Bloc”, consisting of socialists, their own, but progressive, All-Ukrainian Party of Workers, and, of course, communists, was constantly in opposition. This situation, on the one hand, is convenient, due to the lack of responsibility for what is happening in the country, on the other hand, it indicates that the ideals of Marxism are not very popular among the people. In fact, in Russia, the situation of the Communists is similar. The difference is one, but significant. In today's Ukrainian parliament, the left is the only opposition group that opposes the aggressive nationalist government.

Who is right and who is left

So, the understanding of "leftism" and "rightness" in the Western world and post-Soviet countries differs significantly. At present, the Ukrainian “Pravoseki” have the opportunity to punish fellow citizens who dared to tie the St.the worst option.

Accordingly, each of those is automatically ranked as a left, regardless of his attitude to the ideas of universal social justice. At the same time, the European left and right parties differ only in the colors of the party flags, some program items and names.