Forget RedBull, if you really want to fly high, get into politics, because politics gives you wings left, right and centre. Cultural critics (as if there is such a thing), often criticise the youth for not knowing their wings from their tails when it comes to politics. However, the following read-up should equip you with the oh-so-necessary political jargon that will differentiate you from the run-of-the-mill youth that is politically inactive, knows nothing but is still heavily opinionated.

When Did Politics Learn To Fly?

Politics first spread its wings during the French Revolution in the late 1700s. The terms left and right actually referred to the seating arrangement in the parliament. The supreme leading figure would be seated centrally with members of the parliament on his either side. Those seated on the right would be from amongst the aristocracy and noblemen whereas the left primarily consisted of the emergent working middle class and/or their representatives.

Conventionally, the right wing would be in favour of supporting the preserving institutions of the Ancient Regime which consisted of the monarchy, the aristocracy and the established church. On the other hand (wing, actually) you would have those that supported the radical changes of the revolution and would generally be in favour of secularisation and the creation of a republic. This method of describing political views as “left-wing” and “right-wing” has stuck around till today and it is unlikely that it is going to change, even though many developments have taken place in the political sphere since then. Hence it is best to become articulate with this political jargon and give the cultural critics lesser reasons to pick on the youth.

Right-Wing Politics

In modern context, the right wing represents the capitalists or those with capitalist tendencies. Their primary belief is that the government should have lesser control and should have the least possible involvement in the lives of the public. According to the right wingers, this is what empowers the people and relieves them of the burden of state mandated services. They are in favour of a free market economy wherein all companies are privately owned and the public is free to buy shares in them. This, they believe, would provide a much greater choice to the public in terms of the services on offer and thus everyone would have the opportunity to progress and prosper. Limiting the tax burden on the populace is also one of their primary objectives and they hope to achieve this by limiting the number of services for which the public is responsible.

The right-wing is further divided into different parts which are at times difficult to distinguish. You have the right of centre, the right, the far right and the radical right. Definitions for these terms are approximate and broad because they tend to vary with every country and political culture. In general, parties of the centre-right are in favour of capitalism coupled with liberal democracy, free market economy (with government intervention only when necessary) and private property rights. They are generally in opposition to socialism and communism while encourage the development of the welfare state in a limited form. Conservatism and economic liberalism are the primary principles upon which such political parties base their ideology and policies.

The far right and/or the radical right is criticised as being extremist in nature. This part of the wing is generally occupied by nationalists, religious extremists and reactionary groups. Fascism and Nazism are considered to be prime examples of the radical right. Such ideologies are known for targeting racial, ethnic and religious minorities and are often worked up over a single issue.

In Pakistan the flight of politics is rather turbulent. Since we are an “Islamic Republic” we naturally have religious political parties (read: politically religious) like the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and the MMA. Historically, the JI is believed to represent the right wing but of late they have introduced socialist-like elements in their political slogans like the famous “Roti, Kapra, Makan” of the PPP. While this shows a transition towards the left for a conventionally right aligned religious political party, the shrewd local leftists believe it to be some kind of a conspiracy designed to oust them. The MMA on the other hand is a de-centralist party which is legally ultra-conservative and economically socialist.

Left-Wing Politics

The left-wing generally represents the socialists (the cool revolutionaries as some cultural critics would have you believe) and those with socialist tendencies. The fundamental principle here is that the governing body is responsible for providing the populace with certain things. Free health care and education for all are among the top prerogatives for the left wingers. Historically, they have always been more in favour of a closed economy with the most important industries like gas, electricity and water belonging to the state. This would ensure that such vital industries operate on a not for profit basis and that everyone has access to such essentials.

Just like right-wing politics, the left has its own spectrum ranging from centre-left to far left or the ultra-left. The centre-left is obviously closer to the political mainstream while the far left is far more radical in nature. Traditionally, the democrats, democratic socialists, progressives and the “greens” or eco-socialists fall under the umbrella of the centre-left. Parties that assume such a political stance are generally in favour of a mixed economy with market allocations of resources that includes a significant public sector as well as a thriving private sector. State intervention is allowed but limited in the economy and in matters of public interest. They are also in favour of moderate environmentalist policies and are generally supportive of moral issues and individual freedom.

The radical end of the left wing is believed to be best represented by ideologies like Communism, Autonomism, Maoism and different forms of anarchism. Groups labelled as far left are known to advocate eco-terrorism, anti-capitalist, identity politics. In many cases the radical left is considered to be a group that is keen on bringing about the change that they desire through a violent revolution rather than restrict themselves to established political processes.

Historically, the PPP has been the most popular left-aligned political party of Pakistan. It started off as a socialist nationalist party under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto but down the line made a transition towards the right under Benazir Bhutto. Of course, the right minded right wingers were quick to understand this cleverly staged conspiracy designed to alter the image of a left aligned party in the eyes of the simple minded public.

The Political Spin

Despite these historical distinctions and definitions, the fact of the matter is that most individuals and parties can and do take a left-wing stance on one matter and a right-wing stance on another. Take the example of our very own King’s Party, the PML-Q. Irrespective of whether you have the left-wingers turn right-wing in power or the right-wingers turn left-wing in power, you’ll always find this party in the government.

Many political scientists believe that these classifications no longer hold any meaning because the world has become far more complex since the French Revolution. Think about it, how in the world would we be able to determine the political alignment of a party like the Jamaat-i-Islami that claims to be a religious political party and favours the “Islamic Caliphate” model of governance over democracy, yet remains the only party to consistently elect its leaders through absolute democratic means. On the other hand you have the champions of democracy, the PPP which has never elected a leader through democratic means! Hence today, these terms are used primarily for the purpose of spinning a particular point of view rather than classifying individuals and parties. Yet, these wings are presented as polar opposites.

By adding this political jargon to your vocabulary you will be able to keep the cultural critics off your back yet remain politically inactive just because you know your wings from your tails.

Rishadullah Shaikh is the New-Media Manager at Dawn.com

*Illustration by Faraz Aamer Khan/Dawn.com

The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.