CRMJ 521 WEEK 4 Discussion

Chapter 7

Violent Ideologies

Terrorism from the Left and Right

The Classical Ideological Continuum

· From the Left Fringe to the Right Fringe

· Fringe-left: Extreme, often violent, interpretation of Marxist or other leftist ideologies.

· Far-left: Radical and extreme interpretations of Marxist or other leftist ideologies that are usually non-violent.

· Liberalism: Policy agenda promoting people’s rights. Expectation of positive government role.

· Moderate center: Usually largest segment in democracies.

· Conservatism: Traditional distrust of change or government intervention.

· Far-right: Strong and extreme adherence to social order and tradition.

· Fringe-right: Uncompromising, often violent, belief in ethnonationalist or religious superiority.

· Ideologies and Ideals

· Ideologies: Systems of belief.

· Anarchism: Minimal central governmental control.

· Propaganda by the deed.

· Marxism: Class warfare leading to a communist dictatorship of the proletariat.

· Fascism: Strong antidemocratic, anti-communist belief in law and order.

· Often ethnocentric and militaristic.

Left-Wing Ideologies and Activism

· Class Struggle

· Orthodox Marxism.

· Relationship to the “means of production.”

· Goal: Dictatorship of the proletariat.

· Leftist Nationalism

· Selective application of Marxist theory.

· Rooted in Cold War rivalries.

· Wars of national liberation.

· Special-Interest Extremism

· Single-issue terrorism.

· Cases: Environmentalism and peace movements.

· Problems on the Radical Left

· Marxist revolutions occurred in the developing world.

· Infighting about the revolutionary party.

· Soviet versus developing world Communism.

· Working classes in the West never acquired a revolutionary consciousness.

The Terrorist Left

· Case: Latin America

· Colombia

· FARC

· National Liberation Army

· Peru

· Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso)

· Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA)

· Argentina

· Montoneros

· Case: Europe

· Italy

· The Red Brigade

· Years of Lead

· Germany

· Red Army Faction

· June 2nd Movement

· Northern Ireland

· Provisional Irish Republican Army

· Irish National Liberation Army

Right-Wing Activism and Extremism

· Political Parties and Dissident Movements

· Reflect the distinctive features of national environments.

· Neofascist political parties in Europe and Latin America.

· Unorganized or partly organized dissident movements.

· Tradition and Order

· Defenders of a supreme principle such as a “new order.”

· Scapegoating enemy groups.

· Right-Wing Nationalism

· Notion of a superior national group or race.

· Loyalty to the superior group.

· Subordination of inferior groups.

· Religion and Mysticism

· Not universal traits on the reactionary right.

· Common in America.

· Less common in Europe or Latin America.

·

The Terrorist Right

· Case: Europe

· Germany

· Usually street-level confrontations.

· Italy

· Random attacks by small fascist-leaning groups.

· Turkey

· Grey Wolves.

· Northern Ireland

· Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)

Violent Ideologies in the New Era

· The “New Terrorism”

· Difficult to classify as “left” or “right” terrorism.

· The Terrorist Left in the New Era

· Defeat of the urban guerrillas.

· A few remaining “rebels in the hills.”

· Some grass-roots neo-anarchist activism.

· The Terrorist Right in the New Era

· Continued scapegoating.

· Rightist reactions to unpopular agendas.