‘So much for the tolerant left’

A ridicule of right wing stupidity

‘So much for the tolerant left’ a phrase often used by the right to undermine left wing politics.

‘The tolerant left’ a phrase I have never heard on its own, it is always within the longer one used by the right. The right are the only group that call us the ‘tolerant left’ indicating to me that they do believe the left to be more tolerant, I believe that they do understand what ‘tolerant left’ means and that they simply choose to ignore it because they like intolerance.

But, if right wingers are being candid with their use of the phrase ‘so much for the tolerant left’ then this proves that we have a major issue with our education system. Firstly, if they are being truthful I must say, that is absolutely hilarious and incredibly sad. Secondly, I’ll break it down.

What is the ‘tolerant left’?

It’s a phrase used, exclusively by the right, to describe left wing politics. It means that the left is tolerant of everybody, and are for respecting everybody, which I find astounding that this is a political position.

So what does ‘so much for the tolerant left’ mean and why is it so laughable?

This is a phrase used by the far right when leftists call out intolerance. Right wingers seem to believe that our ‘tolerance’ should extend to intolerance, they believe that you should tolerate intolerance. Right wingers say this because a leftist hurt their feelings when they called them out for being bigoted against oppressed groups of whom we accept and they don’t.

Leftist wont call themseleves ‘tolerant’ or ‘the tolerant left’, one, becauses its a bit arrogant, and two, because the left aren’t tolerant, ‘centrists’ are tolerant (sometimes). They may not accept you or like you for who you are but they will tolerate your existence and they wont try to harm you. But centrists also wont fight for you, if you a part of an oppressed group and the right are actively trying to hurt you, centrists wont fight for you, they’ll sit back and let it happen, but they’re not in the wrong because they ‘tolerated’ you. Centrists are tolarating the right, centrists tolerate intolerance.

Leftists don’t, we will fight against the right for oppressed groups, we will accept and love you. The accepting left would be a more fitting distinction. ‘So much for the accepting left.’ It has the same meaning to a right winger, “why aren’t you accepting my bigotry?”

The very essence of acceptance is the rejection of intolerance. If I accept or even tolerate right wing bigotry, I legitimise it. As Desmund Tutu said: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

Remember, the accepting left do not care about the feelings of the intolerant because we care about the feelings of those the intolerant oppress.