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

[Fumesucker]

122. I haven't ever advocated any of the things you list

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 yet I get the label "far left" or "fringe left" thrown at me fairly regularly and I know I'm not alone.

It seems to me to be more about candidates and personalities than anything. For instance if you aren't "Ready for Hillary" at this moment there is a clique here who delight in throwing terms like fringe left around despite the fact that Hillary hasn't even declared she is running yet and probably won't for quite some time yet.

What's interesting to me is that the 1956 Republican platform sounds like a leftish Democrat now, you really don't have to go much further left to be labeled fringe or far left these days.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/print.php?pid=25838

On social services:

We are proud of and shall continue our far-reaching and sound advances in matters of basic human needs—expansion of social security, broadened coverage in unemployment insurance, improved housing and better health protection for all our people.

On the environment:

• We favor a comprehensive study of the effect upon wildlife of the drainage of our wetlands.
• We recognize the need for maintaining isolated wilderness areas.

On regulation of business:

• A continuously vigorous enforcement of anti-trust laws
• Legislation to enable closer Federal scrutiny of mergers which have a significant or potential monopolistic connotations
• Procedural changes in the antitrust laws to facilitate their enforcement.


On labor:

• Stimulate improved job safety of our workers, through assistance to the States, employees and employers;

• Continue and further perfect its programs of assistance to the millions of workers with special employment problems, such as older workers, handicapped workers, members of minority groups, and migratory workers;

• Strengthen and improve the Federal-State Employment Service and improve the effectiveness of the unemployment insurance system;...

• Assure equal pay for equal work regardless of Sex;

• Clarify and strengthen the eight-hour laws for the benefit of workers who are subject to federal wage standards on Federal and Federally-assisted construction, and maintain and continue the vigorous administration of the Federal prevailing minimum wage law for public supply contracts;

• Extend the protection of the Federal minimum wage laws to as many more workers as is possible and practicable;

• Continue to fight for the elimination of discrimination in employment because of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry or sex;

• Provide assistance to improve the economic conditions of areas faced with persistent and substantial unemployment;

• Revise and improve the Taft-Hartley Act so as to protect more effectively the rights of labor unions, management, the individual worker, and the public.