Editing Left-wing politics (section)

== Types ==
The spectrum of left-wing politics ranges from [[centre-left]] to [[far-left]] or [[ultra-left]]. The term ''centre-left'' describes a position within the political mainstream that accepts capitalism and a market economy. The terms ''far-left'' and ''ultra-left'' are used for positions that are more [[Radical politics|radical]], more strongly rejecting [[capitalism]] and mainstream [[representative democracy]], instead advocating for a socialist society based on [[economic democracy]] and [[direct democracy]], representing economic, political and social democracy. The centre-left includes [[social democrats]], [[social liberals]], [[Progressivism|progressives]] and [[Green politics|greens]]. Centre-left supporters accept market allocation of resources in a [[mixed economy]] with an empowered [[public sector]] and a thriving [[private sector]]. Centre-left policies tend to favour limited [[state intervention]] in matters pertaining to the [[public interest]].

In several countries, the terms ''far-left'' and ''radical left'' have been associated with many varieties of [[anarchism]], [[autonomism]] and [[communism]]. They have been used to describe groups that advocate [[anti-capitalism]] and [[eco-terrorism]]. In France, a distinction is made between the centre-left and the left represented by the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] and the [[French Communist Party]] and the far-left as represented by [[anarcho-communists]], [[Maoists]] and [[Trotskyists]].<ref>Cosseron, Serge (ed.). ''Le dictionnaire de l'extrême gauche''. Paris: [[Éditions Larousse|Larousse]], 2007. p. 20.</ref> The [[United States Department of Homeland Security]] defines "left-wing extremism" as groups that "seek to bring about change through violent revolution, rather than through established political processes".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/hsa-leftwing-extremists-increase-in-cyber-attacks-dated-26-january-2009.pdf |title=Leftwing Extremists Increase in Cyber Attacks |access-date=3 June 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419052505/http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/hsa-leftwing-extremists-increase-in-cyber-attacks-dated-26-january-2009.pdf |archive-date=19 April 2009}}</ref> Similar to [[far-right politics]], [[Extremism|extremist]] far-left politics have motivated [[political violence]], [[radicalization]], [[genocide]], [[terrorism]], sabotage and damage to property, the formation of [[militant]] organizations, [[political repression]], [[conspiracism]], [[xenophobia]], and [[nationalism]].<ref name="Rossi 2021">{{cite journal |last=Rossi |first=Federica |date=April 2021 |editor-last=Treiber |editor-first=Kyle |title=The failed amnesty of the 'years of lead' in Italy: Continuity and transformations between (de)politicization and punitiveness |journal=[[European Journal of Criminology]] |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=381–400 |location=[[Los Angeles]] and [[London]] |publisher=[[SAGE Publications]] on behalf of the [[European Society of Criminology]] |doi=10.1177/14773708211008441 |issn=1741-2609 |quote=The [[Years of Lead (Italy)|1970s in Italy]] were characterized by the persistence and prolongation of political and social unrest that many Western countries experienced during the late 1960s. The decade saw the multiplication of far-left [[Terrorism in Italy|extra-parliamentary organizations]], the presence of a [[militant]] [[Far-right politics in Italy|far right movement]], and an upsurge in the use of [[Political violence|politically motivated violence]] and state repressive measures. The increasing militarization and the use of political violence, from [[sabotage]] and damage to property, to [[kidnapping]]s and [[Targeted killing|targeted assassinations]], were justified by left-wing groups both as necessary means to achieve a revolutionary project and as defences against the threat of a neo-fascist coup. |doi-access=free |s2cid=234835036}}</ref><ref name="Ojeili-Taylor 2018">{{cite journal |last1=el-Ojeili |first1=Chamsy |last2=Taylor |first2=Dylan |date=September 2018 |editor1-last=Cheng |editor1-first=Enfu |editor2-last=Schweickart |editor2-first=David |editor3-last=Andreani |editor3-first=Tony |title=The Revaluation of All Values: Extremism, The Ultra-Left, and Revolutionary Anthropology |journal=International Critical Thought |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] on behalf of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=410–425 |doi=10.1080/21598282.2018.1506262 |issn=2159-8282 |eissn=2159-8312 |s2cid=158719628}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=McClosky |first1=Herbert |last2=Chong |first2=Dennis |date=July 1985 |title=Similarities and Differences Between Left-Wing and Right-Wing Radicals |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0007123400004221/type/journal_article |journal=British Journal of Political Science |language=en |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=329–363 |doi=10.1017/S0007123400004221 |issn=0007-1234 |quote=Once one adjusts for superficial differences, Shils contended, communists and other radicals of the far left resemble right-wing radicals in zealotry, susceptibility to Manichean interpretations of human events, implacable hatred of opponents, intolerance toward dissenters and deviants, and an inclination to view public affairs as the outcome of conspiracies and secret plots. |s2cid=154330828|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kopyciok |first1=Svenja |last2=Silver |first2=Hilary |date=2021-06-10 |title=Left-Wing Xenophobia in Europe |journal=Frontiers in Sociology |volume=6 |pages=666717 |doi=10.3389/fsoc.2021.666717 |issn=2297-7775 |pmc=8222516 |pmid=34179182 |quote=We find that a surprisingly large share of those who identify as far left do express extremely xenophobic attitudes, and we profile them in contrast to far right xenophobes. |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=Cheng |last2=Lee |first2=Ji-Yong |date=2007-12-01 |title=Making sense of North Korea: "National Stalinism" in comparative-historical perspective |url=https://online.ucpress.edu/cpcs/article/40/4/459/77/Making-sense-of-North-Korea-National-Stalinism-in |journal=Communist and Post-Communist Studies |language=en |volume=40 |issue=4 |pages=459–475 |doi=10.1016/j.postcomstud.2007.10.003 |issn=0967-067X |quote=the role of strong anti-liberal ideology that combined both far left and far right nationalist elements was highly significant in sustaining the regime and therefore should not be underestimated...the DPRK regime was able to hold on to power by using imagined and real external threats, such as the nuclear and missile crises, to justify continuing domestic repression and reinforce its nationalist claims|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In China, the term ''[[Chinese New Left]]'' denotes those who oppose the [[Economic reform in the People's Republic of China|economic reforms]] enacted by [[Deng Xiaoping]] in the 1980s and 1990s, favour instead the restoration of Maoist policies and the immediate transition to a socialist economy.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.ft.com/cms/s/74029202-a389-11da-83cc-0000779e2340,s01=1.html |title=China launches 'New Deal' for farmers |newspaper=[[Financial Times]] |date=22 February 2006}}</ref> In the [[Western world]], the term ''New Left'' is used for social and cultural politics.

In the United Kingdom during the 1980s, the term ''[[hard left]]'' was applied to supporters of [[Tony Benn]] such as the [[Campaign Group]] and those involved in the ''[[Labour Briefing|London Labour Briefing]]'' newspaper as well as Trotskyist groups such as [[Militant (Trotskyist group)|Militant]] and the [[Alliance for Workers' Liberty]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/1054337.stm |work=[[BBC News]] |title=Benn's golden anniversary |date=4 December 2000 |access-date=4 April 2010 |archive-date=1 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301121545/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/1054337.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> In the same period, the term ''[[soft left]]'' was applied to supporters of the British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] who were perceived to be more moderate and closer to the centre, accepting [[Keynesianism]]. Under the leadership of [[Tony Blair]] and [[Gordon Brown]], the Labour Party adopted the [[Third Way]] and rebranded itself as [[New Labour]] in order to promote the notion that it was less left-wing than it had been in the past to accommodate the [[neoliberal]] trend arising since the 1970s with the [[displacement of Keynesianism]] and [[post-war social democracy]]. One of the first actions of [[Ed Miliband]], the Labour Party leader who succeeded Blair and Brown, was the rejection of the New Labour label and a promise to abandon the Third Way and turn back to the left. However, Labour's voting record in the [[House of Commons]] from 2010 to 2015 indicated that the Labour Party under Miliband had maintained the same distance from the left as it did under Blair.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26743802 |work=[[BBC News]] |title=MPs approve annual welfare cap in Commons vote |date=26 March 2014 |access-date=21 July 2018 |archive-date=30 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130234519/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26743802 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author-first=John |author-last=Kampfner |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/nov/05/labour-back-on-the-right |title=Labour's return to the right |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=5 November 2012 |access-date=15 November 2016 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202114513/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/nov/05/labour-back-on-the-right |url-status=live }}</ref> In contrast, the election of [[Jeremy Corbyn]] as the Labour Party leader was viewed by scholars and political commentators as Labour turning back toward its more classical socialist roots, rejecting neoliberalism and the Third Way whilst supporting a [[democratic socialist]] society and an end to [[austerity]] measures.