What is so wrong with being right wing?

[semiautomatix]

Wait? What the hell is wrong with the right wing? Conservatives in Britain and the Republicans in the USA are right wing.

Well, the right wing tends to be associated more with 'conservative' values (with a small 'c')... the status quo and tradition. They tend to be me tougher on law and order than the left, and emphasise the importance of free trade and low taxation policies, often cutting tax when in power. A welfare state may be seen as important, but not the extent as for a more left wing society.

What is being done and believed is akin to equating left-wing with communism, and we all know how well that work in the "there is a communist in my basement" McCarthy era. Do you think all left-wing politicians consider themselves communist?

The left wing, on the other hand, is associated much more with what may be termed more liberal values, the role of society, and the community as a whole. Law and order policies tend to be more relaxed, taxation is increased by large amounts as they look to create a safety net and look after the poorer members of society through a more robust healthcare system etc.

The right and left wing have just as much right to exist as eachother. You have no need to apologise. Neither wing is wrong, it is only the extremists on both wings which are an issue.

Just because Africa prefers a left-wing approach to democracy (and a very right-wing approach to dictatorships) it does not mean right-wing parties cannot include the majority of people. Hell, even the DA isn't a right wing party, it is a moderate left-wing party. We have to ask ourselves why? Why is there an opinion that right-wing = racist rather than conservative (as it is very well labelled in the UK).

Yet somehow it has become common place in this country to associate right wing with racists, much like left wing was always associated with communism (in the past). The question is why, when it is perfectly acceptable to be left wing or right wing in other countries, is being called right wing an insult in this country?

 

[Morgoth]

nothing, I prefer to live up to morals and values then to question everything.

 

[bekdik]

probably because it's seen as white wing not black wing?

 

[semiautomatix]

probably because it's seen as white wing not black wing?

Good point, but a party like IFP is right wing and they are also seen as the enemy (by the ruling party). Perhaps it is a case of a non-ANC wing versus an ANC wing?

However, I do point this out because LancelotSA was going on about "did this forum become right wing when I wasn't watching" and I thought that it doesn't matter if it did. Right wing does not make it racist, it may disagree with many of the policies of the ANC but it's hardly an evil.

 

[Ronjay]

Of course there is nothing wrong with being right wing, it is just a political view point. Unfortunately though in SA the mention of these words sends chills down the spines of many because it has connotations of the evil's of our past during the apartheid era. The Nats where right wing, remember. And then you have the whole issue of the far right AWB like groups. So, unfortunately, in SA "right wing" has become an issue of racism and nothing to do with conservative views. Think "Whites only" rather then "Don't pee on the grass", so being right wing is never going to be considered a good thing here.

 

[daveza]

Historically in SA right wing = verkramptes, left wing = communists.

On the right wing we had the HNP, CP and the Nats. On the left wing we had nobody because they were all banned.

In the middle we had the Progs, who could best be labelled as ( close your ears Alan ) liberals.

PS: The description of Republicans as right-wing possibly explains some of the stigma.

 

[Alan]

Political correctness. It's taboo to step out of line of the sheeple

 

[semiautomatix]

Of course there is nothing wrong with being right wing, it is just a political view point. Unfortunately though in SA the mention of these words sends chills down the spines of many because it has connotations of the evil's of our past during the apartheid era. The Nats where right wing, remember. And then you have the whole issue of the far right AWB like groups. So, unfortunately, in SA "right wing" has become an issue of racism and nothing to do with conservative views. Think "Whites only" rather then "Don't pee on the grass", so being right wing is never going to be considered a good thing here.

As I said, any far or extreme wing is not welcome regardless of the side.

Consider that the Nazi party was a far right wing party and the despite the German's reservations about the right wing, especially the far right wing, the Christlich Demokratische Union is a moderate right wing party.

The Russian Union has the same fear about the far left wing, including the Communist Party, yet the Communist Party of the Russian Federation has a far following in that country.

Get over yourselves people, left wing or right wing, it doesn't matter because it's democracy that counts and that will not be taken away by either side.

EDIT: oh and stop using right wing as an insult, because it is not. Yes, I'm talking about you LancelotSA.

 

[BCO]

Political correctness. It's taboo to step out of line of the sheeple

Ironic that you call the left "sheeple" but it's the right who hold onto "traditional values" i.e. don't question the status quo. Who are the real sheeple?

 

[semiautomatix]

Ironic that you call the left "sheeple" but it's the right who hold onto "traditional values" i.e. don't question the status quo. Who are the real sheeple?

It's one thing to follow blindly, quite another to hold onto tradition.

 

[Alan]

Ironic that you call the left "sheeple" but it's the right who hold onto "traditional values" i.e. don't question the status quo. Who are the real sheeple?

and it's the left who cling to "political correctness" don't question the status quo. Just look at who plays the race card for example.

 

[Ronjay]

As I said, any far or extreme wing is not welcome regardless of the side.

Consider that the Nazi party was a far right wing party and the despite the German's reservations about the right wing, especially the far right wing, the Christlich Demokratische Union is a moderate right wing party.

The Russian Union has the same fear about the far left wing, including the Communist Party, yet the Communist Party of the Russian Federation has a far following in that country.

Get over yourselves people, left wing or right wing, it doesn't matter because it's democracy that counts and that will not be taken away by either side.

EDIT: oh and stop using right wing as an insult, because it is not. Yes, I'm talking about you LancelotSA.

Yip, humans tend to look for the worst in people. So here in SA, when someone says "hey, I'm conservative." Most tend to think he's a racist, right wing, bigot. It doesn't matter that it isn't true, and that that someone is only talking about how he feels the country should be, politically. It's wrong but it is the reality of the situation.

Oh and you will never catch me calling a racist a right winger, I only call racists, racist. I know of racists from the left as well, like most of the ANCYL and in particular their Leader, Julias "I don't like whities" Malema. The biggest racist since Hitler.

 

[Fazda]

I am so tired of being labelled a Left winger or a liberal, simply because I disagree with the generally blinkered view of right wingers.

I also have the "sheeple" label thrown at me by every "proud to be conservative" right winger whom I stumble across on various forums.

That particular label I find particularly ironic as these are the people who ALL hate Obama because he is black, They ALL love the Palin woman because of her huntin shootin fishin, anti abortion stance. And finally, the name callers all believe every word produced by Faux News to be Gospel, whilst they ignore straightforward reporting on other channels because it is "too liberal"......left wing sheeple? I don't think so!

Just to add another little bit...I found this article on the Political Irony site...

Do Republicans even know what Socialism is?

A while ago, the Republicans noticed that calling an opponent a “liberal” didn’t quite have the sting it once did, so they decided to simply replace the word “liberal” with the word “socialist”. Seriously.

Unfortunately, I don’t think any of them bothered to look up what socialism means. This led to ironic situations where people like “Joe the Plumber” were calling Obama a socialist because he was going to lower Joe’s taxes (by raising taxes on the rich). But I didn’t think that even Republicans could talk out of both sides of their mouth — applauding and decrying “socialist” policies — simultaneously.

Until now.

Monday, Fox News broadcast Sean Hannity interviewing Sarah Palin. One minute, Palin is bragging about how she increased the size of the check that every resident (man, woman, and child) gets from Alaska’s oil revenues:

Palin: We are the only state with a negative tax rate where we don’t have any income, sales or property tax statewide, and yes we have a share of our oil resource revenue that goes back to the people that own the resources. Imagine that.

Hannity: And it went up higher since you’ve been the governor and you negotiated with the oil companies. That all went up so people get a bigger check.

Palin: There was a corrupt tax system up there and we had a couple of lawmakers end up in jail because of the tax system that was adopted so we cleaned it up and said we wanted a fair and equitable share of the resources that we own, and the people will share in those resource revenues that are derived.

If this isn’t socialism (or at least redistribution of wealth beyond Obama’s wildest dreams) then I don’t know what is. At the time, even Republicans called her a socialist, according to the Alaska blog The Mudflats:

After renegotiating the tax rate with oil companies, and using the gain to hand out $1200 checks to every man, woman and child in the state, some Republicans in Alaska were screeching “Socialism!” and comparing her to Hugo Chavez. All this, of course, was back before Palin became a household name outside Alaska’s borders. Most Alaskans thought this whole plan was just great. There were those on the left and those on the right that disagreed with Palin’s tactics, but it was a good lesson in how to become popular. Hand out cash.

But Hannity doesn’t even notice. In fact, just a few minutes later this in the interview, the other side of their mouths open:

Palin: If Americans aren’t paying attention, unfortunately our country could evolve into something that we do not even recognize. Certainly that is so far from what the founders of our country had in mind for us.

Hannity: Socialism?

Palin: Well… that is where we are headed.

 

[semiautomatix]

I am so tired of being labelled a Left winger or a liberal, simply because I disagree with the generally blinkered view of right wingers.

I also have the "sheeple" label thrown at me by every "proud to be conservative" right winger whom I stumble across on various forums.

That particular label I find particularly ironic as these are the people who ALL hate Obama because he is black, They ALL love the Palin woman because of her huntin shootin fishin, anti abortion stance. And finally, the name callers all believe every word produced by Faux News to be Gospel, whilst they ignore straightforward reporting on other channels because it is "too liberal"......left wing sheeple? I don't think so!

You disagree with lowering taxes and the implementation of free trade?

 

[Fazda]

You disagree with lowering taxes and the implementation of free trade?

What the hell has that got to do with the argument? Did I mention Taxes or free trade??

 

[Ronjay]

What the hell has that got to do with the argument? Did I mention Taxes or free trade??

He is trying to say that right wing = lowering taxes and free trade, left wing = communism. Talk about thinking extreme. Not all Liberals are communists, just like not all conservatives are capitalists.

 

[w1z4rd]

Lets be honest, the right is not very bright .. and to answer the OP`s... whats wrong with being right wing? Absolutely nothing at all. Most rurals are pretty conservative and backwards and thats fine. Thats how they want to live.

 

[Fazda]

He is trying to say that right wing = lowering taxes and free trade, left wing = communism. Talk about thinking extreme. Not all Liberals are communists, just like not all conservatives are capitalists.

My word, if that's the case, heaven help me from "right wing conservative" thinking, as it obviously doesn't have much depth if these proud right wingers are anything to go by!

 

[PeterCH]

Historically in SA right wing = verkramptes, left wing = communists.

On the right wing we had the HNP, CP and the Nats. On the left wing we had nobody because they were all banned.

In the middle we had the Progs, who could best be labelled as ( close your ears Alan ) liberals.

PS: The description of Republicans as right-wing possibly explains some of the stigma.

What stigma? You do realise that there is a bigger world out there than South Afrika? People in Europe, North America, Asia and South America have no clue, nor doe they care what goes on in SA. Why should they, or do you think SA is seen as an influential country in the world?

Come on daveza, what stigma?

BTW Nats were originally right wing but by the 80s they were centre-right, the right wingers went to the CP. The PFP were more centre-left wing. Then you have to account for racial differences - English vs Afrikaaner. PFP was a party of the English while the NP and CP were more Afrikaaner.

Since blacks did not have the vote, their views did not count and their parties were not part of the spectrum. You could say that the original SACP (founded by whites shortly after the Commies took over in Russia) was left wing. The Black PAC was Black Right Wing and the ANC was Right-Wing centre with the SACP pretending to be left wing. We of course know what happens in any country where communists take over - we get totalitarianism and not liberalism. Everything goes under state control.

 

[PeterCH]

Lets be honest, the right is not very bright .. and to answer the OP`s... whats wrong with being right wing? Absolutely nothing at all. Most rurals are pretty conservative and backwards and thats fine. Thats how they want to live.

LOL, you pretend to say there's nothing wrong but with the same breath you equate "Right Wing" with being "backwards". You FAIL.