[Vision2020] "Leftist" Misused Term

[tbertruss at aol.com]

Kai et. al.
 
Kai wrote:
 
"The law school has left leaning Supreme Court justices visit each year..." 
 
The current usage of the words "left" or "leftist," when used to describe a political orientation, have become so emotionally charged and used with such careless abandon by those who seek to denigrate anyone who is labeled as such, it seems the words have lost any clear and precise meaning.  
 
I do not think it is accurate to describe any of the current US Supreme Court justices as "left leaning," unless the weak use of the word "left" is employed, in which case most Republican's could also be accurately termed "left leaning."  I do not think this is the use of the word you had in mind.  
 
The weak definition of the phrase "left wing" is offered below with a source given.  It merely means to "support varying degrees of political or economic change designed to promote the public welfare," a description that would apply to many Republicans who want to maintain and secure access by US citizens to Medicare and Social Security, for example. 
 
When we use the strong sense of the term "leftist" we find, as is shown below again with a source, that a synonym is "collectivist," someone who supports "ownership and control of the means of production and distribution by the people..."  In other words, Leftists would be jumping for joy to see Exxon/Mobil nationalized, etc.  None of the current US Supreme Court justices fall into this category.
 
I assume as a writer and journalist you want to use words with precision, not just to push buttons with emotionally charged labels that are not accurate.
 
Definitions used above given below: 
 
left wing
n : those who support varying degrees of social or political or economic change designed to promote the public welfare [syn: left]

Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University

 
leftist
adj : believing in or supporting tenets of the political left [syn: left-of-center, left-wing] n : a person who belongs to the political left [syn: collectivist, left-winger]


Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University



col·lec·tiv·ism    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (k-lkt-vzm)
n. 
The principles or system of ownership and control of the means of production and distribution by the people collectively, usually under the supervision of a government.


col·lectiv·ist n. 
col·lectiv·istic adj. 
col·lectiv·isti·cal·ly adv.


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Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

 
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V2020 Post by Ted Moffett
 
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-----Original Message-----
From: Kai Eiselein <editor at lataheagle.com>
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Sent: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 10:54:37 -0800
Subject: [Vision2020] Right to Speak


Is not Friendship Square public property? Is is not funded by taxpayer
money? Public property is public property.....if one group is allowed to use
it, then why not another?
The law school has left leaning Supreme Court justices visit each year,
Theresa Heinz visited, all perfectly legal. At the same time only presenting
a single point of view. Should that nutty preacher that shows up and screams
at passers by be banned from the campus, or the older guys that hand out the
little Bibles? I think the are Jehovah's Witnesses.
As long as they aren't engaging in criminal behavior, they are protected.
Frankly, it's a dangerous road. Mark my words, once we have one right taken
away, the others will fall like dominoes.
How many people hate SUV and other gas guzzling vehicles? Why not protest
the motor home show held at the dome each summer? Many people think those
things are for the rich and they only get 4-9 miles per gallon. After all,
they are sucking down our natural resources in massive quantities.


Kai T. Eiselein
Editor
Latah Eagle
521 S. Jackson St.
Moscow, ID 83843
(208) 882-0666 Fax (208) 882-0130
editor at lataheagle.com
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