M. MATTECK writes:

There are two words that we use in the English language that do a much better job of describing “the Left” and their mindset. One is the word “sinister,” used in heraldry to describe the left side, and the other is the French word for left which is “gauche.” I consider both of these words to describe precisely the liberals who seek to promote their perverted agenda in our society. “Left” is too innocuous.

Thank you again for your “adroit” wit, and “dexterous” use of logic and reason on your blog! May you be blessed in your right-mindedness!

Laura writes:

Thank you. That’s interesting.

“Sinister” comes from the Latin for left and was used as a heraldic term in the Middle Ages. “Dexter” has a similar origin and refers to something situated on the right. (Droit is “right” in French.)

“Left” and “right” are neutral terms when used as political classifications. They come from the period of the French Revolution when supporters of the king sat on the right side in the French National Assembly and supporters of the revolution on the left. As Wikipedia reports:

One deputy, the Baron de Gauville explained, “We began to recognize each other: those who were loyal to religion and the king took up positions to the right of the chair so as to avoid the shouts, oaths, and indecencies that enjoyed free rein in the opposing camp.” However the Right opposed the seating arrangement because they believed that deputies should support private or general interests but should not form factions or political parties. The contemporary press occasionally used the terms “left” and “right” to refer to the opposing sides.

The “left” have the misfortune of never being in the right. And from the start they were prone to curse and shout indecencies in lieu of reasoned argument. I like the term “leftist.” That “ft” combination is like a fist in the face. I know many nice leftists, but leftism is a fist in a velvet glove.

Anyway, you are right. “Left” is an innocuous term for a sinister phenomenon.

— Comments —

Sage McLaughlin writes:

I also like the term “leftist.” It seems to contain more descriptive force, and I notice that people whom we refer to as “liberals” tend to shun it. Leftists prefer to call themselves grossly self-congratulatory things like “progressive” and “liberal.” Both these terms are loaded with feel-good assumptions and chest-puffery, but they also bring immediately to mind huge unanswered questions (Liberal about what? Progress toward what?). The person who pauses sceptically and asks those questions is what we call a conservative, though leftists love to use the term “right-wing.”

It’s interesting, isn’t it, that “right wing” and “leftist” are usually used as terms of disapprobation. Somehow they each conjure to mind ideology and, as you said, force. Political taxonomy is not as vexatious to me as it seems to be to other people. Anyway, I find that leftist is a more apt and descriptive term, which is odd since it is actually less colorful than the alternatives. Perhaps that’s why I like it. It is purely descriptive, lacks sentimental freight, and reminds us that we are dealing with ideology.

Laura writes:

As with leftist, I think the sting of “right-wing” has something to do with the consonants. It sounds like an insult. “Progressive” or “conservative” are elegant in comparison. 

It’s interesting, the term “rightist” never came into use, as in “He’s a rightist” or the “rightist establishment.” It’s harder to say than “leftist.”

A Grateful Reader writes: 

You wrote: “I know many nice leftists, but leftism is a fist in a velvet glove.” 

A nice leftist lady of my aquaintance sent to me an electronic greeting card with this message: “Happy Valentine’s Day: There is an important difference between love and friendship. While the former delights in extremes and opposites, the latter demands equality.” 

Sinister, oui?

Laura writes:

Phah!

That’s such a leftist interpretation of friendship.

Aristotle, who was a rightist, believed most friendship was based on inequality.

Mr. McLaughlin replies to Laura:

Funny, I began to mention the same thing about “rightist” but never got around to it.

Rightist is not only harder to say, it seems not to refer to anything. It and right-wing are, to quote Tolkien, “clothed in a totally different phonetic incarnation.” It is strange, but it is a matter of felt experience. Right-wing not only sounds different, it actually means something different from conservative.

I also agree that right-wing sounds like the marching of feet, thump-thump. It calls to mind fascism, even if it does not say fascism. That’s what liberals mean when they say right-wing.

Laura writes:

Yes, I always see Hitler when I hear the word “right-wing” even though Hitler wasn’t a right-winger.

“Rightist is not only harder to say, it seems not to refer to anything.”

Leftism is a coherent and systematic program of change. Rightism is comparatively incoherent in the sense that it doesn’t proceed by manifestos or revolution but grows organically from common, often unspoken understandings. Rightism is always taken off guard by leftism.

A reader writes:

An observation from about 3,000 years ago:

A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him toward the left. (Ecc. 10:2, NASB)

Please follow and like us: