Left-wing Research Articles

W. H. Auden’s Left-Wing Political Thinking and Its Impact on His Early Poetry

Auden’s political thinking was rooted in the turbulent times of the 1930s. He chose to stand with the proletariat and paid attention to social realities. Marxism helped him better understand the background and causes of social problems, and find ways to diagnose and treat social ills. Under the influence of these left-wing political thoughts, Auden’s poetry showed criticism of the bourgeoisie, exploration of social issues, and a call for social change and struggle in terms of its content. In terms of the form of his poetic creation, this stance was manifested through what Auden termed “the hawk’s vision” and highly radical wording.

Football as Political Communication Tool for German Supporters: How the Story of St. Pauli and Union Berlin Goes International

Football is the most popular sport in the world, involving many people, from players, club officials, federation administrators in each country, the media, and also supporters consisting of various backgrounds. In some countries, even football also involves politicians and political parties. Because it involves many people and also many media, it is not uncommon that many people intend to convey their political messages through football so that they can be seen by the public. Germany is one of the countries that experiences this, with a background and political history that is quite strong in society and German football, which is quite famous in the world. Many football supporters in Germany try to convey various political messages to the public; they assume that football is a powerful medium to convey various political messages that they have. Starting from left-wing politics, right-wing nationalism, to various socio-political ideologies. By using political communication methods, this article tries to analyse the correlation between politics and football supporters in Germany and how the political message can go across the globe. This article was written using descriptive analysis and concluded that although German society has a dark history of politics, this does not prevent German football supporters from conveying their political messages through football, while on the other hand, the media helps to spread those messages across the globe.

Orbital Intraosseous Abscess After Lateral Bony Orbital Decompression.

A 66-year-old woman status post bony lateral orbital decompression for thyroid eye disease presented with recurrent episodes of left lateral canthal edema and erythema, despite repeated courses of oral antibiotics, titanium hardware removal, and repeated exploratory orbitotomies with debridement and curettage. MRI later revealed an intraosseous fluid collection in the left greater sphenoid wing. Another exploratory orbitotomy was performed and an intraosseous abscess was identified. The purulent fluid was sent for culture, and the area was debrided and irrigated thoroughly with bacitracin solution. Cultures grew Staphylococcus epidermidis. The patient was treated with a 6-week course of intravenous antibiotics and has remained symptom free for 3 years.

The Left Party: Crisis of Ideas or Inherited Defect?

The purpose of this study is to determine the nature of the crisis which the German Left Party faces today. The article analyses the ideological profile of the party, the depth of tensions between representatives of different wings within the party, and the origins and consequences of fierce competition with the right-populist Alternative for Germany in the new federal states. The party's guidelines set out in the 2011 party program are considered outdated. It is argued that today's Left Party is unable to offer the electorate new attractive ideas. The article analyses the contradictions on the issue of finding a new political image for the party between the right-wing “statesmen” (ideological successors of the PDS and SED) and the left-wing “internationalists”, which led to the Left Party’s split last autumn. The article emphasises that during the years of the eurozone crisis and the unprecedented migrants flow to Germany in 2015-2016, the Left leadership has failed to keep the support of the citizens in the East of Germany, who have shifted mainly to the AfG-voters. Based on the results of the study, the authors recognise that the crisis of the Left Party is systemic. The authors draw attention to the fact that the Left Party’s split would cause its withdrawal from the forefront of the German political life. In return, Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht, the new party launched by Sahra Wagenknecht, will probably gain its momentum. In this case, Left Party's right-wing members, part of the protest electorate of the Alternative for Germany, and supporters of a diplomatic settlement of the Ukrainian conflict and relations recovery with the Russian Federation may vote for Wagenknecht's party.

Gender cleavage and political parties in 19 welfare states, 1900–1975

ABSTRACT Cleavage theory posits that political parties have been a key channel for representing political interests, formulated by cleavage structures. Existing literature argues that gender differences are not strong enough to constitute a cleavage, as evidenced by early voting behaviour among women. This article contends that the paradox of the traditional gender gap may arise from our lack of understanding about supply-side explanations, namely political parties’ positions on gender policies in early history. In the early and mid-twentieth centuries, women’s political interests stemmed from their role as homemakers and workers, advocating for family allowance and paid maternity leave. Using a novel historical database, I test whether parties’ positions aligned with women’s political interests in 19 welfare states between 1900 and 1975. My findings show that Christian democratic parties advocated for gender policies, albeit selectively, depending on the types of gender issues, while social democratic parties did not exhibit stronger support for gender policies more than other parties. This helps us understand why women did not predominantly vote for leftist parties. Instead, female representatives in parliaments across party affiliations functioned as agents of women’s interests and promoted welfare policies that supported the different roles of women.

Redefining internationalism: the German left’s silence on Palestine and feminist critiques

This article critically examines the complexities of internationalism within German radical Left movements, especially in the face of war, humanitarian crises, and the global reach of late-stage capitalism. Germany’s failed response to the Genocide in Gaza and its carceral turn is shaped by the State’s approach to national memory, which is deeply rooted in its ideas of liberalism in approximation with Zionism. This narrows the radical Left’s engagement with global violence and divides movements into fractions. To address this issue, the article turns to internationalist feminist movements that actively challenge this culture of guilt and complicity. It explores how these collectives seek to forge broader alliances and initiate decolonial connections through solidarity with one another. By drawing on decolonial feminist practices from Palestine, these movements illustrate the potential for new feminist kinships and anticolonial solidarities. This urges us to redefine what we really mean by internationalism.

ASSOCIATION OF CERVICAL PROPRIOCEPTION AND BALANCE AMONG VESTIBULAR DYSFUNCTION PATIENTS; A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Background: Balance in humans relies on the integration of somatosensory, visual, and vestibular sensory systems, which work together to compensate for deficits in any one system. Vestibular disorders arise from pathologies affecting the vestibular apparatus in the middle ear or the central nervous system. Common symptoms include nystagmus, vertigo, imbalance, nausea, and headache, significantly impacting quality of life and postural stability. Objective: To determine the association between cervical proprioception deficits and balance impairments among various vestibular dysfunctions, including benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Meniere’s disease, unilateral vestibular dysfunction, and bilateral vestibular dysfunction. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 71 participants selected through purposive sampling over a six-month period. Cervical proprioception was measured using the Cervical Joint Position Error Test (CJPET), while balance deficits were evaluated with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Participants were categorized into three risk levels based on BBS scores: low fall risk (51–56), moderate fall risk (40–50), and high fall risk (<40). Age, gender, and BMI data were recorded, and statistical analysis was conducted to identify correlations between cervical joint position errors in flexion, extension, and rotation with balance outcomes. Results: The mean age of participants was 37.36 ± 7.35 years. Males constituted 64.8% of the sample, while females accounted for 35.2%. Most participants (81.6%) had normal BMI, 9.9% were underweight, and 8.5% were overweight. Significant correlations were found between balance impairments and cervical joint position errors in flexion (p = 0.025) and extension (p = 0.039), but no significant correlations were observed for left (p = 0.590) or right (p = 0.421) rotational movements. Conclusion: Cervical proprioception deficits in flexion and extension movements are significantly associated with balance impairments in patients with vestibular dysfunctions, while rotational movements showed no significant relationship. These findings highlight the importance of targeting specific cervical movements in therapeutic interventions for balance disorders.

CONSTRUINDO O ‘MITO’ E DEMONIZANDO A ESQUERDA: UMA ANÁLISE DE DISCURSO CRÍTICA DAS DEZ FAKE NEWS MAIS COMPARTILHADAS VIA FACEBOOK E WHATSAPP DURANTE A ELEIÇÃO PRESIDENCIAL NO BRASIL EM 2018

The dissemination of fake news, by means of texts which were massively shared on social media and spread disinformation among the population was a phenomenon that marked the 2018 Brazilian presidential elections. In October 2018, Revista Exame published a report containing a ranking with the ten most shared fake news throughout the first round of the presidential elections. Using the three-dimensional model of critical discourse analysis proposed by Norman Fairclough (2003), I analyzed the ten texts of the ranking, identifying their structure, and how the processes of lexicalization, intertextuality and interdiscursivity appear within the corpus; based on Wardle (2017), I investigated what kind of information disorder was used; finally, according to Thompson (2011), I examined how ideology operates in these texts. Throughout the analysis I have noticed a superlexicalization of a nationalist ideal linked to the then-presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro. Two semantic-discursive fields stood out: the representation of Jair Bolsonaro and that of politicians associated with the left-wing spectrum. Bolsonaro is represented throughout the texts as the candidate who has validation from the public. Left-wing politicians are represented as enemies who need to be fought and who exhibit morally questionable behavior. It was possible to conclude that the texts presented here corroborate a movement of the middle-class in support of the candidate Jair Bolsonaro (Cavalcante, 2020), being complacent with his neo-fascist discourse in favor of a neoliberal/meritocratic ideology, depicting left-wing politicians as executioners of nationalist progress.

Populism: reconceptualising a multifaceted concept

Abstract. Populism is an interdisciplinary ever-changing topic. It has generated endless controversies. Scholars are confused in their conceptualisation. We have varieties of populism with more or less radical versions. Nevertheless, I know that populism is not just a European phenomenon. It spread throughout the world. The rising of populism has produced an explosion of many conceptual studies. The populist political parties emerge whether on the right or the left wing. This paper examines the literature facets of populism, and in particular radical right wing populism, in Europe particularly in the United Kingdom. It shows that the left-behinds citizens tend to vote for populist parties. There is a rising support for radical populist political parties in Europe. Populist discourse asserts that the rich political elite govern by conspiracy against the people, and their governance is not for the common good. Moreover, they are ‘true representation of the people’. Based on academic, this article literature wants to explore populism as an ideology and new concepts of populism such as strategic and an identitybased populism tool to widen the populist electorate in Europe, in particular right-wing populism,. Mots-clés : populisme, radicalisme de droite, contre l’establishment, le peuple, pensé unique Keywords: populism, right wing radicalism, anti-establishment, people; single-mindedness

Political Parties and Household Food Insecurity Among Canadian Provinces: A Panel Data Analysis, 2005–2014

ABSTRACT In Canada, links between social determinants and household food insecurity (HFI) are well-documented, but the influence of political parties remains unclear. This study examines whether political parties predict HFI rates across Canadian provinces and explores the mediating roles of low income and social assistance. Panel data from 2005 to 2014 were obtained from Statistics Canada, with political party strength categorized as left, center, or right. Linear regressions with Driscoll and Kraay standard errors reveal that left-leaning parties are associated with lower HFI rates, right-leaning parties with higher rates, and center parties show no significant effect, controlling for demographic and economic factors. Low income and social assistance fully mediate the effect of left parties but only partially mediate the effect of right parties. These findings provide insights into the politics of food insecurity, with implications for social work in the context of COVID-19.

Le Pen, Zemmour and the ‘patriotic ecology’ of the French far right: The case of the 2022 presidential elections

The French far right has historically been torn between two strategies which were opposed during the 2022 presidential campaign, a modernist line who was embodied by Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National and a traditionalist line who was represented by Éric Zemmour’s Reconquête. This article specifically examines the way the differences between the modernist and traditionalist lines were expressed when it comes to the topic of environmental concerns. Indeed, while ecological issues have long been seen as the exclusive domain of the political left, the increasing salience of the climate crisis means that politicians across the political spectrum have provided their own perspective on ecological issues. Building on a deeper tradition of conservative and nationalist thought about the environment, this article demonstrates that the French far right has developed a form ‘patriotic ecology’ that can be interpreted in different ways. Through an analysis of their programmes for the 2022 presidential campaign, the article contrasts the archetypical way Zemmour mobilised environmental issues by mobilising the classic far-right tropes about the environment while Le Pen engaged with them in much more modern and sophisticated way to depict herself as more in touch with the contemporary zeitgeist. Finally, it concludes with a discussion on the ideological plasticity of the far right and the need to address its versatility in appropriating issues beyond its ideological core.

How Not to Square the Left Vienna Circle’s Non-Cognitivism with its Political Commitment

Abstract This paper contextualizes and criticizes a recent attempt to square the socio-political commitment of the members of the so-called left wing of the Vienna Circle with the ethical non-cognitivism that follows from their conception of cognitive meaningfulness. It is shown that intolerable consequences result from the moral-political reading of the “scientific world-conception” proposed and it is argued that squaring their commitment and non-cognitivism does not require such a reading. It is also pointed out how deleterious consequences are avoided by an already existent reconstruction of the left wing’s position which was misunderstood by the author criticized and which is briefly recollected.

Determinants of Social Dialogue in European Countries (1980–2018)

ABSTRACTThis paper provides a quantitative assessment of the political and structural determinants of social dialogue in 25 European countries between 1980 and 2018 using a measure of social dialogue based on an original survey of industrial relations and social policy experts. We assess hypotheses on the role of structural (unionisation, employer organisation) and political (government partisanship, government strength) factors on the extent of cooperation between governments, trade unions and employers in public policymaking. We find a declining trend in the overall extent of social dialogue in the countries surveyed. Using panel regressions, we show that higher levels of social dialogue are more prevalent among governments where there is a balance of power between right‐wing and left‐wing parties, and thus where unions and employers can act as ‘brokers’ between left and right parties. We find no association between most structural factors (unionisation, collective bargaining coverage, employer organisation) and levels of social dialogue.

Trajectories and Legacies of Outsider Party-Building: The Rise and Fall of Spain’s Podemos

Mass protests in Spain that challenged the long-standing two-party system and austerity policies associated with both major parties (PP and PSOE) were followed by the emergence of challenger party Podemos. In the current conjuncture, however, Podemos faces an existential crisis. Supported by data gathered during interviews with key figures from Podemos, leftist parties and activists, this article disentangles why and how the outsider-to-insider party-building process culminated in a de-legitimized Podemos. The article argues that the electoral strategy of Podemos leaders in conjunction with opposition pressures encouraged a moderation of the party’s brand. To pursue such moderation required insulating the leadership clique from radical voices via degenerative factionalism and oligarchization processes. Moreover, weak popular sector organizations were unable to counter the moderation–factionalism–oligarchization process. The culmination of the party-building process saw a Podemos that lacked a coherent brand or any societal connections, leaving it vulnerable to replacement by a new challenger.

Anti-Epileptic Activity of Mitocurcumin in a Zebrafish-Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) Epilepsy Model.

Background/Objectives: Ongoing challenges in epilepsy therapy warrant research on alternative treatments that offer improved efficacy and reduced side effects. Designed to enhance mitochondrial targeting and increase bioavailability, mitocurcumin (MitoCur) was evaluated for the first time as an antiepileptic agent, with curcumin (Cur) and sodium valproate (VPA), a standard antiepileptic drug, included for comparison. This study investigated the effects on seizure onset, severity, and progression in a zebrafish model of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures and measured the concentrations of the compounds in brain tissue. Methods: Zebrafish were pre-treated with MitoCur and Cur (both at 0.25 and 0.5 µM doses) and VPA (0.25 and 0.5 mM) and observed for four minutes to establish baseline locomotor behavior. Subsequently, the animals were exposed to a 5 mM PTZ solution for 10 min, during which seizure progression was observed and scored as follows: 1-increased swimming; 2-burst swimming, left and right movements; 3-circular movements; 4-clonic seizure-like behavior; 5-loss of body posture. The studied compounds were quantified in brain tissue through HPLC and LC-MS. Results: Compared to the control group, all treatments reduced the distance moved and the average velocity, without significant differences between compounds or doses. During PTZ exposure, seizure latencies revealed that all treatments effectively delayed seizure onset up to score 4, demonstrating efficacy in managing moderate seizure activity. Notably, MitoCur also provided significant protection against the most severe seizure score (score 5). Brain tissue uptake analysis indicated that MitoCur achieved higher concentrations in the brain compared to Cur, at both doses. Conclusions: These results highlight the potential of MitoCur as a candidate for seizure management.

The effect of election outcome on economic activity: a tale of two countries

This paper investigates the effect of partisan politics on macroeconomic performance in France and the United Kingdom between 1971-2023. Using a panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model, it examines whether ideological divides between left- and right-wing parties and coalition governments relate to accountability for key macroeconomic indicators. Results suggest that economic growth is slightly lower under the left-wing governments, whereas unemployment and inflation rates are higher with a statistically significant difference of 10% for inflation. Furthermore, coalition governments underperform on growth and unemployment, struggling to stimulate economic expansion. Finally, despite the characterization of political parties as either right or left leaning in terms of cultural matters, their implemented economic policies seem to yield comparable economic outcomes.

Kinematic and Aerodynamic Analysis of a Coccinella septempunctata Performing Banked Turns in Climbing Flight.

Many Coccinella septempunctata flights, with their precise positioning capabilities, have provided rich inspiration for designing insect-styled micro air vehicles. However, researchers have not widely studied their flight ability. In particular, research on the maneuverability of Coccinella septempunctata using integrated kinematics and aerodynamics is scarce. Using three orthogonally positioned high-speed cameras, we captured the Coccinella septempunctata's banking turns in the climbing flight in the laboratory. We used the measured wing kinematics in a Navier-Stokes solver to compute the aerodynamic forces acting on the insects in five cycles. Coccinella septempunctata can rapidly climb and turn during phototaxis or avoidance of predators. During banked turning in climbing flight, the translational part of the body, and the distance flown forward and upward, is much greater than the distance flown to the right. The rotational part of the body, through banking and manipulating the amplitude of the insect flapping angle, the stroke deviation angle, and the rotation angle, actively creates the asymmetrical lift and drag coefficients of the left and right wings to generate right turns. By implementing banked turns during the climbing flight, the insect can adjust its flight path more flexibly to both change direction and maintain or increase altitude, enabling it to effectively avoid obstacles or track moving targets, thereby saving energy to a certain extent. This strategy is highly beneficial for insects flying freely in complex environments.

Does a Left-Wing Political Orientation Really Go Along With Greater Prosociality? A Large-Scale Empirical Investigation

The notion that political orientation is linked to prosociality has been voiced by many, suggesting that supporters of left-wing parties and ideologies may favor prosociality more than supporters of right-wing parties and ideologies. However, evidence for this proposition is inconclusive. We conducted a large-scale, preregistered analysis of the relation between political orientation and prosociality in a heterogeneous German sample (189 ≤ n≤ 1,836) using five different measures of political orientation, six incentivized economic game paradigms to measure prosocial behavior, and 10 measures of trait prosociality. Whereas we found only weak support for left-wing political preferences to be associated with more prosocial behavior, stronger evidence for said link was apparent for trait prosociality. Overall, our study suggests that political orientation and prosociality are indeed linked, thus supporting theoretical arguments. However, this link is relatively weak and depends on the way prosociality is measured.

Different effects of smooth pursuit eye movements on motion-based stimulus response congruency.

In the motion-based stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) effect, responses are faster when the task-irrelevant stimulus motion is congruent with the response movement performance. In the present study, we tested whether smooth pursuit eye movements, related to tracking a moving object, influence motion-based SRC when present on their own or when combined with position-based SRC. We examined the motion-based SRC effect during both the response selection and response execution stages. When investigating motion-based SRC alone, participants responded with left or right movements of the single hand to the left or right movements of a centrally presented stimulus, either with their eyes fixated at the center or tracking the moving object. In the case of combined motion-based and position-based SRC, participants responded with left or right movements of the left or right hand to stimulus motion presented on the left or right side of the screen, again with eyes either fixated at the center or following the moving target. Results showed that during the response selection stage, smooth pursuit type eye movements had no effect on the motion-based SRC when the stimulus moved in the center, whereas the effect was enhanced when the stimulus presentation was lateralized. This aligns with the idea that attentional shifts differ between central and peripheral vision and that cognitive system computes various spatial maps for stimulus and response. In the case of response execution, smooth pursuit type eye movements had no effect on the motion-based SRC effect, regardless of stimulus location.

A Neurological Disease, Vathatvartma (Ptosis), Managed with Integrated Management of Modern Science and Ayurveda – A Case Report

ABSTRACT Introduction: Ptosis is when the upper eyelid droops downward. However, a droopy eyelid can cover the pupil and reduce vision in some cases. Causative factors may be congenital, injury or stretching of eyelid muscles or ligaments damage to the nerve controlling the eyelid muscles, aging, a complication of eye surgery, a complication of Botox injections. Aim and objectives: To study case of ptosis with integrated treatment of neurologist along with Ayurveda treatment. Methodology: Case Description - This is a 34year old female patient complaining that she is unable to open her right eye since11 days. She visited to local ophthalmologist, then they have consulted neurologist, MRI done, treatment started, at the same time patient wants to take Ayurveda treatment also. After 7th day visit to neurologist, she has stopped his medicine and told to continue alternative treatment So she consulted at MGACH&RC Salod on 4/3/2022. Her V/A right eye after uplifting upper lid by doctors hand is 6/6 and lt eye v/A is 6/6. Fundus of both was within normal limit. No diplopia, Acute onset with fronto orbital pain, pupil NSRL, conjugate left downgaze movement restricted. Result and Discussion: treatment prescribedshirodhara with brahmi and til tail, netratarpan with triphalaghruta, Tab Palsineuron 2 bd, Tab Ekangvirras 2 bd. - vatashamak Chikitasa is done as ptosis is neurological disease.after 7th day visit to neurologist, he has stopped his medicine and told to continue alternative treatment. Conclusion: The results were enthusiastic photographic depiction were taken. This case may be fruitful for further research on Nimesh/ Ptosis.