"The Left" Are Not An Homogenous Group

It really shits me when I come across an article in which someone cannot grasp that "the Left", just like "the Right", comes in many different forms. Amir Taheri wrote a piece today about how "the Left" have been supportive of the Iranian regime, but first he draws his longbow back.

'American leftists such as Michael Moore, Sean Penn and Noam Chomsky have persuaded themselves that anyone who shouts "Death to America!" is fighting for repressed humanity. The champagne-and-caviar socialists of Paris and London, meanwhile, claim that the only Iranians who oppose the mullahs are middle-class intellectuals who often have dual Iranian-US citizenship and, thus, deserve to be tortured in Tehran as hostages. '

Let me get one thing straight, I hate the Iranian regime. It is one of the most oppressive, borderline fascist regimes in the world and I believe that if some leftists did support it then they are undoubtedly true turncoats who've turned their backs on cornerstone beliefs. It's for this reason that I can't see what Amir claims to see, apparent broad support for it amongst the Left. I doubt that Amir actually has evidence that leftists in Europe think that those opposing the mullahs 'deserve to be tortured in Tehran as hostages'. But who needs proof of such things when the goal is to create an enormously evil strawman Left and tape it to anyone espousing left-wing thought.

'In fact, the most serious challenge to the new ruling class comes from what the Left labels "the popular masses". Spearheading the fight are groups of urban workers who have started to flex their muscles in the past two to three years.

Starting this week, these workers will confront President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration through a series of one-hour strikes to show solidarity with imprisoned trade unionists. The regime began a crackdown on independent trade unions last April.

The Workers Organisations and Activists Co-ordinating Council notes that more than 600 labour leaders have been arrested or "made to disappear". Another 4500 workers have been dismissed, often without pay, on vague charges of "fomenting unrest" at various state-owned projects. The largest number of arrests came at the May 1 International Labour Day marches organised by the WOACC, representing independent trade unionists, in defiance of state-sponsored ceremonies.'

Clearly what Amir is talking of here is of it's very essence a left-wing movement against a right-wing ultra conservative police state. How anyone on the left could speak out against these trade unionists is beyond me, but if some do I doubt that they are anything more than a minority.

'The good news is that Western trade unionists are beginning to pay attention to the struggle of their fellow workers. Several European unions have called for Iranian trade unionists to be released. There is some hope that American labour organisations will follow suit.

Somewhere along the line, the Western Left may realise that it has been duped by a few anti-American slogans into supporting a regime that is dedicated to destroying whatever progressive ideals it once espoused.'

Newsflash Amir, the unionists you speak of are most likely of the Western Left variety therefore your claim that 'the Western Left' are supporters of the mullahs is self evidently wrong. That is unless trade unions have become right-wing over night, in which case Howard's got his strategy all wrong.

What gets me is that I see far more evidence everyday in the media of an homogeneous Right rather than Left. When was the last time anyone saw Akerman criticise the government (let alone Bolt etc... or vice versa), or heard Sheridan say "I actually think the Bush administration is wrong on this one"? These things are bloody rare yet time and time again you'll read Adams let loose on Rudd, or see a split on various issues such as the Iraq war (Cohen, Bone etc...). Even I'm against troops being pulled out of Iraq which is a common , though far from universal, desire of many on the Left.

It's becoming clear that "Left" and "Right" are insufficient titles and maybe this is part of the problem.