As a member of what has become known as the "far left" those who attack me here don't anger me

[whatthehey]

119. Why should it?

I have no idea why people resist and resent demonstrably true non-pejorative descriptors, and far left is both for much of DU. Even though I am way closer to the center than many here overall, I have quite a few opinions that fall in line as far left compared to the overall US population. I describe them that way myself and have no problem others using the term. Things like health care, progressive taxes, corporate taxes and regulations, basic income guarantees spring to mind. Things like absolute equality for all and legalization of drugs used to be far left but are now becoming a bit more centered.

Now if you share those opinions AND think that, for instance, all guns should be destroyed, capitalism needs to be overturned, wealth caps should be put in place at a millions rather than billions level if at all, military budgets should be cut by 90%, whole industries should be nationalized, bank CEOs should be imprisoned en masse etc etc (and these are not difficult opinions to find on DU by any means) then that kind of worldview would correctly be identified as far left in the US and there's nothing wrong with that. Most Americans will disagree, me included, but most Americans disagree on all kinds of preferences and opinions and unlike the far right opinions (where strangely there is little resistance to the label) there is likely to be little direct harm caused beyond economic drags. People wouldn't starve or die under such plans as a matter of course.

So far left is simply a position on the political spectrum. It HAS to exist. Somebody has to fit on that edge as it's a continuum, and when poll after poll after poll shows a large supermajority of self-described liberal Democrats who, for example, approve of Clinton and Obama, where else would people who consider them to be far far too right for their tastes, a very common opinion here, fit on that spectrum but much further to the left? What should that position be called on the left-right continuum when about 90% of the populace either thinks Obama is too left wing or doing fine? How small does the tail of people even more leftward have to be before far left is the best descriptor?

It's not the newest of polls but it's unlikely to have shifted too much so here's exactly what I mean. Only 10% of Americans think Obama is too conservative, and that of course must include people who think he is only a BIT too conservative. So when people disparage him on DU as being way too right for them, far more than 90% of the US disagrees and has a less left leaning opinion of him. What else could that possibly be then but a far left opinion?

http://www.gallup.com/poll/152954/half-say-obama-liberal-agree-issues.aspx