A Plug for Arguing the World

A Plug for Arguing the World

Martin Bright: Is There an Anti-totalitarian Left?

I have given Dissent and Arguing the World a shameless plug on my Spectator blog The Bright Stuff. There have already been a couple of interesting posts questioning the very concept of an anti-totalitarian left (and indeed the intellectual left).

Here is one from someone who calls himself Cuffleyburger:

“Sorry Martin, but intellectual left? I can understand wanting to be anti-authoritarian, I am myself, but if anybody described me as being of the left I’d thump him. Socialism, collectivism etc have been proven time and again to fail, and the consequence of their failure is felt mostly heavily by the poor.

‘Leftist intellectualism’ is a grotesque con trick, played by people who are either stupid or evil. My view is that the measure of a society is how it treats the most vulnerable. the only effective way to increase the wealth and well being of the whole population but most particularly of the poor, is via free markets, and de-regulation. This is not an opinion. It is proven economic fact.”

It’s something of a challenge writing for the Spectator‘s right-wing readership. I thought I would share some of the pain.