{"id":10933,"date":"2011-07-07T21:08:34","date_gmt":"2011-07-07T20:08:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.taxresearch.org.uk\/Blog\/?p=10933"},"modified":"2011-07-07T21:08:34","modified_gmt":"2011-07-07T20:08:34","slug":"why-do-the-far-right-hate-being-called-right-wingers-when-the-reality-is-theyre-really-nasty-extremists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taxresearch.org.uk\/Blog\/2011\/07\/07\/why-do-the-far-right-hate-being-called-right-wingers-when-the-reality-is-theyre-really-nasty-extremists\/","title":{"rendered":"Why do the far right hate being called right wingers when the reality is they’re really nasty extremists?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I'm fascianted to the reaction to one of my blogs this afternoon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I noted that\u00a0rather\u00a0surprisingly Jesse\u00a0Norman\u00a0MP (a Tory) and I had sided\u00a0against\u00a0the far right in a \u00a0debate yesterday.<\/p>\n

The reaction of one commentator - who I\u00a0confirm\u00a0was there - was so typical of the right. First he resorted to sophistry - asking me to define terms (it's a standard trick of the far right - they hate common\u00a0understanding\u00a0of terms expressed in plain English\u00a0comprehensible\u00a0to all, which is what I was using).<\/p>\n

Then there was\u00a0denial\u00a0 (\"I'm not an adviser even though I sit on an advisory panel\").<\/p>\n

Throw in a touch of\u00a0dissembling\u00a0after that - \"I'm not a right winger - how dare you say so? I'm a free marketeer\" type of thing.<\/p>\n

So let's use plain English.<\/p>\n

That I know of there is no one on the left who says the role of the state must be restricted as far as possible and that the\u00a0market\u00a0must\u00a0be left to resolve all issues. So it follows that free marketeer = right wing.<\/p>\n

And then let's note that arguing that democracy gives no legitimate right to the state to\u00a0regulate - a right that should apparently \u00a0be left to the market without\u00a0interference - \u00a0is a) anti-democratic\u00a0and b) way into the\u00a0fringes\u00a0of free market thinking and yet it was\u00a0being\u00a0openly endorsed yesterday at a meeting\u00a0sponsored\u00a0by and largely attended by members of the IEA and Adam smith Institute. That's extremism if ever I heard it, and\u00a0exceptionally\u00a0dangerous extremism too if I might say so (and as you're\u00a0libertarians\u00a0you really can't deny me the right).<\/p>\n

So it follows you're 1) right wing and 2) extremists.<\/p>\n

I might rest rest my case there.<\/p>\n

But let me add that if it so happens people of this\u00a0persuasion\u00a0populate the IEA and Adam Smith Institute well, you can see what follows on...it's not hard\u00a0\u00a0to work it out. So if they don't want the label, expel the thinking. That's an easy solution for you.<\/p>\n

If not live with the fact that I'm right\u00a0to say you oppose democracy. Because as far as I can see and hear and read that's what you do.<\/p>\n

And much as I hate racists I find that opposition to democracy as repugnant\u00a0because\u00a0you share with racists a\u00a0goal\u00a0of oppressing people whether on grounds of ethnicity or on the grounds of wealth (or lack of it). And both are an assault on the\u00a0dignity\u00a0of all human beings who I believe are, and have a\u00a0right\u00a0to be treated as\u00a0equals irrespective of such issues and\u00a0gender, sexual orientation,\u00a0belief,\u00a0disability\u00a0and more besides.<\/p>\n

You're challenge that\u00a0principle\u00a0- and I name that as extremism. Right wing extremism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m fascianted to the reaction to one of my blogs this afternoon. I noted that\u00a0rather\u00a0surprisingly Jesse\u00a0Norman\u00a0MP (a Tory) and I had sided\u00a0against\u00a0the far right in
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