Third Edition Understanding Terrorism Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues

Terrorism From the Left and Right Chapter 7 Violent Ideologies Terrorism From the Left and Right

The Classical Ideological Continuum From the Left Fringe to the Right Fringe Fringe-left: Extreme, often violent, interpretation of Marxist or other leftist ideologies. Far-left: Radical interpretations of Marxist or other leftist ideologies that are usually non-violent. Liberalism: Policy agenda promoting people’s rights. Expectation of positive government role. Moderate center: Usually largest segment in democracies.

The Classical Ideological Continuum (continued) From the Left Fringe to the Right Fringe Moderate center: Usually largest segment in democracies. Conservatism: Traditional distrust of change or government intervention. Far-right: Strong adherence to social order and tradition. Fringe-right: Uncompromising, often violent, belief in ethnonationalist or religious superiority.

The Classical Ideological Continuum (continued)

The Classical Ideological Continuum (continued) Ideologies and Ideals Ideologies: Systems of belief. Anarchism: Minimal central governmental control. Propaganda by the deed. Marxism: Class warfare leading to a communist dictatorship of the proletariat. Fascism: Strong antidemocratic, anti-Communist belief in law and order. Often ethnocentric and militaristic.

A Comparison of Ideologies

Left-Wing Ideologies and Ideals Class Struggle Orthodox Marxism. Relationship to the “means of production.” Goal: Dictatorship of the proletariat. Leftist Nationalism Selective application of Marxist theory. Rooted in Cold War rivalries. Wars of national liberation.

Left-Wing Ideologies and Ideals (continued) Special-Interest Extremism Single-issue terrorism. Cases: Environmentalism. Peace movements. Problems on the Radical Left Marxist revolutions occurred in the developing world. Infighting about the revolutionary party. Soviet versus developing world Communism. Working classes in the West never acquired a revolutionary consciousness.

The Industrial Age Class Pyramid

The Terrorist Left Case: Latin America Colombia Peru Argentina FARC National Liberation Army Peru Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) Argentina Montoneros

The Terrorist Left (continued) Case: Europe Italy The Red Brigade Years of Lead Germany Red Army Faction June 2nd Movement Northern Ireland Provisional Irish Republican Army Irish National Liberation Army

Leftist Terrorism in Latin America

Leftist Terrorism in Europe

Right-Wing Activism and Extremism Political Parties and Dissident Movements Reflect the distinctive features of national environments. Neofascist political parties in Europe and Latin America. Unorganized or partly organized dissident movements. Tradition and Order Defenders of a supreme principle such as a “new order.” Scapegoating enemy groups.

Right-Wing Activism and Extremism (continued) Right-Wing Nationalism Notion of a superior national group or race. Loyalty to the superior group. Subordination of inferior groups. Religion and Mysticism Not universal traits on the reactionary right. Common in America. Less common in Europe or Latin America.

Scapegoats of the Reactionary Right

The Terrorist Right Case: Europe Germany Italy Turkey Northern Ireland Usually street-level confrontations. Italy Random attacks by small fascist-leaning groups. Turkey Grey Wolves. Northern Ireland Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)

Violent Ideologies in the New Era The “New Terrorism” Difficult to classify as “left” or “right” terrorism. The Terrorist Left in the New Era Defeat of the urban guerrillas. A few remaining “rebels in the hills.” Some grass-roots neo-anarchist activism. The Terrorist Right in the New Era Continued scapegoating. Rightist ractions to unpopular agendas.