Humanity's Greatest Threat

The Long Trail of Mass Murder

Nah.  It's all good, mate.  At least when it comes to violence and oppression of human beings, the Leftists amongst us are willing to excuse a good deal.  Their view, shall we say, is somewhat selective.

It's not that the Left ignores violence.  Rather, by means of a vast distorting prism, the Left sees violence as something that only occurs on the Right.  The Right, of course, means Fascism, Nazism, Hitlerism, and so forth.  If anyone is on the Right, by definition they are a closet Nazi.  Punch them hard enough and they will go on to prove it.  They will end up putting people in gas chambers.

However, a survey of totalitarian ideologies which have emerged in the Modern Period shows that by far and away the greatest totalitarian monstrosities have been Leftist.

 According to a disturbingly pleasant graphic from Information is Beautiful entitled simply 20th Century Death, communism was the leading ideological cause of death between 1900 and 2000. The 94 million that perished in China, the Soviet Union, North Korea, Afghanistan, and Eastern Europe easily (and tragically) trump the 28 million that died under fascist regimes during the same period.

During the century measured, more people died as a result of communism than from homicide (58 million) and genocide (30 million) put together. The combined death tolls of WWI (37 million) and WWII (66 million) exceed communism’s total by only 9 million.  [Reason.com]

There is something in Leftism that makes it prone to murder.  Actually, it is a cluster of ideas.  First is its notion of heaven.  The Left does not have a doctrine of life after death, nor an eternal judgement: what you see in this world is it. It's heaven on earth, or nothing.   Secondly, it has a triumphalist eschatology: all human society is moving by means of violent "cleansing" revolution towards the overthrow of those who resist and oppose.  It is the inevitable arc of history--as Marx foretold.  Therefore, the victory of Leftism is certain.  Thirdly, human society must be saved from the machinations of capitalist exploitation which resembles a bird of prey ripping its catch to pieces with claws and beak.  Using violence to kill the rapacious monster is essential.   Fourth, capitalists, or the Right--or anyone not Left-- represent the Devil and his demons.   Finally, the apostates and enemies who resist, or who have other views, must be exterminated.  There is not one problem, hurdle, or obstacle which cannot be overcome by exterminating those who stand opposed.

Since no Leftist society has yet appeared without problems or obstacles to achieving the dictatorship of the proletariat, every Leftist has a wide range of enemies to choose from, focus upon, and demonise to their deaths if necessary.  And it is always necessary,  demanded by a greater good.

Violence is both natural and endemic to Leftism. It is not an aberration.  It is not an excess.  It is inevitable.  The record of the Twentieth Century is overwhelming in its testimony.  Only the ideologically purblind would claim not to believe it.