HC9: New Left and Green parties Flashcards
Why the rise of New left in 1960?
The rise of Social Democracy + WWII compromise (Keynesian welfare state) made it so that the left became less attractive for the younger voters due to:
1. View that this was de-radicalisation of left
2. Saw this as sign to play electoral politics/ becoming catch-all party
3. the left became too conservative
4. the left was too material in terms of growth
5. the left was too hierarchical
What did the younger voters do?
Started to rework what it meant to be left.
Students discovered radical politics.
They placed themselves between SU and West.
They felt that Social Democratic parties was to quick to accept the West vs SU idea.
They were very critical of capitalims, but also of SU (sort of Third wayP
They discovered Marxist Humanism which focused on alienation + role of individual in society.
Agency + action was more prominent
Important Worldwide events for the rise of New left
- Hungarian Revolution
- Czechoslovakia Revolution : reformed Capitalism from within + made communism more humane
- Civil Rights Movements in the USA: fostered general feeling of not excluding colour and race.
Hypocrisy of US installing democracy in Europe, while theirs is not good.
New left thinking
- Politicisation of education due to younger people going to university. –> the education was seen as inadequate due to overload of the system. Also seen as extremely hierarchical (old white men)
- Ties into larger idea of politicising every day life, critique of WWII compromise and general Post-war era.
- Activism to demand a less hierarchical society
New Left + Left-libertarianism
- Sceptical of all forms of state
- Individuals+ freedom are key
- Left-wing ideas of Capitalism: equality, justice and strong individuals
- Bottom-up rather than top-down
- Based on social cooperation
- Differs from right-libertarianism in critique of capitalism and idea of private property
What changed in society due to the rise of the new left?
- Bigger focus on Post-material issues due to increasing wealth, welfare state, growth of mass education and expansion of the middle class.
- Focus on autonomy changed and challenged the allegiance model.
(idea that allegiance (trouw) to democracy is necessary for it to succeed)
Post-materialist displayed higher levels of interpersonal trust, solidarity and efficacy but were dissatisfied with political system
It was a shock for western democracy
Fragmentation of the New Left
Many became more radical, because they felt were not radical enough in attempting to get rid of imperial Western Capitalist state, some became terrorists.
Some became less political due to this radicalisation of others and joined mainstream parties
Rise of Green Left in 1980
Due to fragmentation in New Left:
Could take 2 routes
1. Formation of Green parties
2. Transformation of communist parties
Context of Rise of Green Left in 1980s
- Much larger discussion about limits to growth (oil/economic crisis)
- Mainstream people, International Organisations, scientists, increasing awareness of Climate issues
- Broader idea of needing to do something about the planet.
- discussion about nuclear power and nuclear weapons (protecting of West for Communist power, height of Cold war)
This all comes together in lager context where New Left people want to participate more mainstream and form New Green parties.
2 types of Green parties
- Green environmentalists: focus on sustainability, conservation, more limited on social issues
- Eco-socialists: fusing new left politics with green politics.
more focused on ecological crisis, left wing notion of power, exclusion and equality, alternative and more direct forms of participation
German Greens program
- Finite natural resources
- survival of the planet: need to change power relations/ culture –> structural critique
- Critique on capitalism + socialism: both were caught up in productivity ethic and had focus on decentralisation
- focus on power + equality: feminism, sexual orientation and mutliculturalism
- new forms of democracy: more direct, decentralisation of party and state, revolving in leadership, personal life becoming more politicized
Succes of the left in the 80s
- Were able to grow due to advanced industrialisation + Welfare state, and more educated voters
- Grew when left was in power and when nuclear warfare was an issue
- attracted younger voters, women, higher educated, and new middle class due to post-materialism
opposition to bureaucratic welfare state + new-libertarian views
Is the left still that radical now?
- Scaled back on grass roots and focused moe on liberalism
- Accepted more of market economy
3 environment still very important - remained more multicultural
- became more realistic as they became more office seeking
Succes of left now
- Success by higher educated, female, young, urban and culturally open voters
- Created a new dilemma for social democratic parties
- politicised immigration + environment
more left groups since greens
- Green left: focused on environment, culture and social justice
- Old radical left: social justice, anti-globalisation + sometimes environment
- Populist radical left, same but populist (HA)
