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Originally Posted by Skybird
Unfortunately, eurppean policies on antional and international levels are basing on the second "solution", as does the recipes and strategies of the political left in general.
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Which left-wing recipes and strategies would those be Skybird? Specifically I mean. This is what Wiki says about "Left-wing issues" and I'm curious as to which of these general left-wing ideas you take issue with:
"The far left has historically opposed the concentration of
wealth and
power, especially in an institutionalized form, in the hands of those who have traditionally controlled them. As such, the left often works to eliminate high levels of inequality. Outside the
United States, which lacked a historical ruling class or
nobility, this often included at the most basic level demands for
democratisation of the political system and
land reform in agricultural areas.
With the spread of the industrial revolution, left-wing politics became concerned with the conditions and rights of large numbers of
workers in
factories and of lower classes in general. Social democracy or socialism, the
welfare state, or
trade unionism have been specific models of socieity which leftists believe will advance the interests of the poor. In modern times the left also criticized what it perceives as the exploitative nature of
globalization, as in global economic integration, through the rise of
sweatshops and the
race to the bottom, and has sought to promote
fair trade.
As
civil and
human rights gained more attention during the twentieth century, the left allied itself with advocates of
racial and
gender equality, and cultural
tolerance. It has also been opposed to some forms of aggressive nationalism, such as
imperialism and offensive
war, which have been seen as a vehicle to advance the interests of corporatism.
Although specific means of achieving these ends are not agreed upon by different left-wing groups, almost all those on the left agree that some form of government or social intervention in economics is necessary to advance the interests of the poor and
middle class, often in the pursuit of
Keynesian ideals.
Advocacy of government or social intervention in the market puts those on the left at odds with advocates of the
free market as well as
corporations (who oppose democratic control of the markets but not necessarily all control) if they see their interests threatened.
Many on the Left describe themselves as "
progressive", a term that arose from their self-identification as the side of social progress and openness to change.
Left-wing positions on
social issues, such as opposition to social hierarchy and authority over moral behaviour, strict adherence to tradition, and monoculturalism, may make them allies with
right wing advocates of "individual freedom", though their solutions are very different.
The above strands of left wing thought come in many forms, and individuals who support some of the objectives of one of the above stands will not necessarily support all of the others. At the level of practical political policy, there are endless variations in the means that left wing thinkers advocate to achieve their basic aims, and they sometimes argue with each other as much as with the right."