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THE ALLEYNIAN 709
OPINION, INTERVIEWS & FEATURES
What is the point of the labels of ‘left’, ‘right’ and ‘centre’? Is a centrist political position in one country the same as that in another? And how much attention does the average voter even pay to party branding? These are just some of the questions that Abel Banfield (Year 11) asks in this analysis of the language of political parties
ARTWORK — SIWOO RYU (YEAR 11)
Left, right and centrismalso depend heavily on the viewpoint of the person defining them “
Japan is, in almost every sense of the word, progressive: third in the world in terms of manufacturing output; third in the world in terms of technological advancement. However, their government has been almost exclusively run by the Liberal Democratic party since 1955 – a party that is, by its own definitions, conservative. But are the Japanese definitions of ‘left’ and ‘right’ different from those of, say, Venezuela? How does a country like Poland define political extremism? Is that definition the same in a country such as Egypt? Who decides what is ‘left’ and ‘right’, extremist and centrist? One thing must be considered when discussing the political orientation of a country, and that is the country’s political history. For example, were it not for Donald Trump’s constant reminders, the majority of us Europeans would have believed Abraham Lincoln to be a Democrat; he was, in fact, a Republican. It is important to see not only how political parties may change but also how words linked to politics and parties change too. For example, until 1940 (apart from sending loans to Europe and taking part in the final years of the First World War) the United States of America pursued (and mostly preferred) isolationism. They believed it was economically safer, and that European troubles and conflicts were too complex to an outsider, and as such they didn’t become involved in any wars between the First and Second World Wars. This policy of isolationism was widely accepted by Americans as sensible and respectable. It was only as the Second World War started spiralling out of control that ‘isolationists’ were accused of being selfish, putting America ahead of basic morals and rights. Whether these accusations were entirely correct or justified is less relevant; it is more important to consider the ways in which people, parties, slogans and words associated with these parties can swing ever so swiftly from ‘good’ to ‘bad’ or vice versa.
Left, right and centrism also depend heavily on the viewpoint of the person defining them. Does the average person define Le Front National (now Le Rassemblement National) as extreme right? Has our universal acceptance of what is too extreme changed? Do we still see far left and far right in as threatening a light? As the historian Hester Vaizey stated: ‘The popularity of those who offer simple solutions to complex problems is reminiscent of extreme politics in the past.’ Indeed, Trump’s unfulfilled promise to make America great again sounds hauntingly similar to these words from a speech by Hitler in February 1940: ‘Nationalism and Socialism had to be redefined … to carry new strength which would make Germany great again.’ Another important point of discussion is how a single figurehead can change the way in which a party is seen. For example, the Social Liberal Party of Brazil was seen as a centre right party, not dissimilar to the Social Christian Party, before the arrival of Jair Bolsonaro. However, when Bolsonaro became head of the party, he veered it off to the right, converting it into a more extreme, anti-communist, populist and nationalist party (before severing ties with them in 2019). Has the perception of the party changed in Brazil as a result? Whatever the effect it had, it certainly didn’t damage the party’s reputation or voter attraction; in the final round of elections, the Social Liberal Party was able to amass around 55% of the vote. Do parties need to be classified or even branded? Does it change anything in particular? Do voters even care? We have all heard stories of voters choosing candidates simply because their parents, friends or favourite celebrities did. Was the 14 billion US dollars spent by both parties in the run up to the US elections necessary? What is left? Right? Centrism and extremism? Do we need to classify political parties, beliefs and policies? The answer: no one knows. All we can agree on is that we need something to argue about and politics provides a perfectly divisive subject.
DIRECTION OF TRAVEL
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