I like a lot of the leftist ideals but I certainly don't want to live like it . Most of my far leftist friends are chardonnay socialists who are as greedy as the next person when it comes to a dollar . It makes them feel better to be benevolent in their thoughts but not their lifestyles.
I don't think it's indicative of anything to label people though . There are guys I know who are right of Genghis who would give you the shirt off their back if you asked ,and similarly some commies.
To me it all comes down to pure economics . Without human endeavour enterprise and profitable businesses no one could ever get anything and therefore to me the downtrodden are far better off in a capitalist society because eventually some of it trickles down . Unfortunately the left ,particularly in this country ,has become dominated by hardcore unionists who over the past 30 years or so have become only interested in their own mini capitalistic welfare . The left is becoming obsolete because it is cutting out the moderates. Look at the ALP for instance ,an election whitewash and one change ,that's right one ,to the shadow cabinet . The same jobs for the same self opinionated and proven failures. Therefore we have the emergence of the greens and the like where the cast offs have a voice ,but unfortunately as their agenda has been unveiled over the last decade or so we find that they are even more hardcore than the hard leftists.
What does it all mean ? It means that the ALP needs someone moderate and charismatic to come in and put a torch to the place if they are ever to appeal to the mainstream. At this stage it doesn't look like happening
