Far right,
extreme right,
ultra-right, or
radical right are terms used to discuss the
qualitative or
quantitative position a group or person occupies within a
political spectrum. The terms
far right and
far left are often used to imply that someone is an
extremist. The terms are used by many political commentators to discuss political groups, movements, and political parties that are difficult to classify within conventional
right-wing politics. The term
far right has been used by different scholars in conflicting ways:
- Reform-oriented right-wing movements, such as classical liberalism or libertarianism.
- Most argue Nazism and fascism are "far right". Some scholars categorize fascism as a Third Way movement.
Usage
The term
far right is usually rejected by right-wing political parties that consider themselves mainstream. Far right supporters are often strong advocates for forcibly intervening in society in order to protect or promote values that are viewed as traditional. This is in contrast to supporters of
left-wing politics, who advocate intervention in favor of
egalitarianism, and give little or no authority to tradition. Both stand in contrast also to less interventionist positions such as mainstream
conservatism and
liberalism,
anarchism and
libertarianism.
The political terms left and right arose during the French Revolution, and the original meaning of far right was the throne-and-altar reactionaries such as Joseph de Maistre and Louis de Bonald. They rejected democracy, liberalism and individualism, and were in favour of an authoritarian monarchical government. They further advocated the submission of the individual to the "natural associations" (families, regions, professions, nations, etc.). For them, humans should obey their superiors (the father in the family, the king in the state, the Pope in the Church) on earth because their authority is the mirror of the authority of God in the universe.
The original French meaning of far right is specific to a Roman Catholic nation, and more specifically to a Gallican society in which church and state were closely tied to one another. In this context, the term can be expanded to include the kind of Caesaropapism that occasionally existed in some Eastern Orthodox kingdoms. This specific interpretation of the term far right especially lost favor in the decades following the Revolutions of 1848, as a return to the Ancien Régime became increasingly implausible. By the reign of Pope Pius XI, this interpretation of far right had essentially become anachronistic even in conservative Catholic circles. The last regimes that were far-right in this sense were arguably those of General Francisco Franco in Spain (1939-1975) and Salazar's Estado Novo in Portugal (1933-1974).
In the 2000s, the term far right is usually applied to those who support authoritarianism and policies that are considered right rather than left. In regions and nations that have no recent history of monarchy, such as Central America (discounting the Pre-Columbian era), Switzerland, and the United States, far-right politics is rarely monarchist, and usually advocates harsher law enforcement, particularly against disfavored groups, and sometimes fascist or military dictatorship.
The term far right also embraces extreme nationalism, and sometimes evokes a pure ideal of the nation, often defined by race. They may advocate the expansion or restructuring of existing state borders to achieve an ideal nation, often to the point of embracing war and imperialism. In English-speaking nations, this nationalism is often descended from militant aspects of British New Imperialism. Radical right-wing populism is a far right ideology that accepts representative democracy, but criticizes supposed political elites and appeals to ethno-nationalism. Fascism is generally, but not universally, classified as a far-right ideology. However, there are many other competing interpretations of the left-right spectrum.
Ideologies and movements such as Strasserism, National Bolshevism, Third Position, National-Anarchism — and the ideologies of Juan Peron in Argentina, Gamal Abdel Nasser in Egypt, and the Baath in Syria and Iraq — are sometimes regarded as far right, but they transcend standard political boundaries. On one hand, these movements are anti-communist, but they often recruit among the lower and middle-classes, and when in power, have often nationalized industries and property, especially that owned by foreigners or by members of ethnicities not defined by them as part of their nation.
Environmentalism, calls for full employment and other concerns common on the left are sometimes found in the far right. Populism, social unrest, Autarky, violence, and revolution can be found in both the far right and far left.
The term "far right" has sometimes been used to describe certain "free market dictatorships", such as that of Augusto Pinochet in Chile. While the term is occasionally applied to supporters of laissez-faire capitalism, calling right-wing libertarians far right is a matter of controversy. Capitalist libertarians consider themselves proponents of Classical liberalism, which was the main adversary of the original far right. In his essays "Left and Right: the Prospects for Liberty" and "Confessions of a Right-Wing Liberal", Murray Rothbard even put libertarianism on the left, claiming that conservatives are the right and socialists merely "middle-of-the road"..
Parties and movements alleged to be far right or extreme right
Europe
North America
South America
Asia
Australia
Notes
References
- Arzheimer, Kai and Elisabeth Carter (2006). "Political Opportunity Structures and Right-Wing Extremist Party Success" European Journal of Political Research (45):419-443
- Betz, Hans-Georg and Stefan Immerfall, eds. 1998. The New Politics of the Right: Neo-Populist Parties and Movements in Established Democracies. New York: St. Martin's Press.
- Betz, Hans-Georg (1994). Radical Right-wing Populism in Western Europe. New York: St. Martins Press.
- Durham, Martin (2000). The Christian Right, the Far Right and the Boundaries of American Conservatism. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press.
- Durham, Martin (2002). "From Imperium to Internet: the National Alliance and the American Extreme Right" Patterns of Prejudice 36(3), (July): 50-61.
- Hainsworth, Paul (2000). The Politics of the Extreme Right: From the Margins to the Mainstream. London: Pinter.
- Schoenbaum, David. Hitler's Social Revolution: Class and Status in Nazi Germany,. ISBN
- Formisano, Ronald P. (2005). "Interpreting Right-Wing or Reactionary Neo-Populism: A Critique". Journal of Policy History 17 (2): 241–255.
- Radical conservatism : the right's political religion / Robert Brent Toplin., 2006
- Radical conservatism and the future of politics / Göran Dahl., 1999
- Fascists and conservatives : the radical right and the establishment in twentieth-century Europe / Martin Blinkhorn., 1990
- The Routledge companion to fascism and the far right / Peter Davies., 2002
- The terrorist next door : the militia movement and the radical right / Daniel Levitas., 2002
- Right-wing populism in America : too close for comfort / Chip Berlet & Matthew N. Lyons, 2000
- The extreme right : freedom and security at risk / Aurel Braun., 1997
- The impact of radical right-wing parties in West European democracies / Michelle Hale Williams., 2006
- Right-wing extremism in the twenty-first century / Peter Merkl., 2003
- Extreme right parties in Western Europe / Piero Ignazi., 2003
- The United States and right-wing dictatorships, 1965-1989 / David Schmitz., 2006
- The emergence of a Euro-American radical right / Jeffrey Kaplan., 1998
- The politics of the extreme right : from the margins to the mainstream / Paul Hainsworth., 2000
- The revival of right-wing extremism in the nineties / Peter Merkl., 1997
- Shadows over Europe : the development and impact of the extreme right in Western Europe / Martin Schain., 2002
- Western democracies and the new extreme right challenge / Roger Eatwell., 2004
- The voice of modern hatred : encounters with Europe's new right / Nicholas Fraser., 2000
- Extreme right activists in Europe : through the magnifying glass / Bert Klandermans., 2006
- Preachers of hate : the rise of the far right / Angus Roxburgh., 2002
- Movements of exclusion : radical right-wing populism in the Western world / Jens Rydgren., 2005
See also
External links
