The Leftward Shift in Society & Politics: A 60-Year Overview

~ Over the past 60 years, society and politics have undergone a significant shift to the left ~

The Leftward Shift in Society & Politics

Introduction: Over the past six decades, society and politics have undergone a significant leftward shift. This shift has been driven by a variety of factors, including social movements, cultural changes, and political realignments. In this article, we will explore some of the key ways in which society and politics have moved to the left over the past 60 years.

The 1950s and 1960s were marked by a more conservative cultural and political landscape, with a strong emphasis on traditional family values, religious observance, and a general social order. However, the 1960s saw a significant shift with the rise of the counterculture movement, civil rights activism, and the anti-Vietnam War protests. This period marked the beginning of the leftward shift in society.

Since then, the left has continued to gain influence in culture, media, and politics. The 1970s saw the rise of the women’s liberation movement, the gay rights movement, and the environmental movement. The 1980s and 1990s saw the left make further inroads in academia, the arts, and the media. The 2000s and 2010s saw the left gain significant influence in politics, with the election of Barack Obama and the rise of the progressive movement.

Top Seven Changes Resulting from the Leftist Movement

*The leftist slant to the environmental movement has turned natural climate change into a global panic*

Civil Rights Movement: The 1950s and 1960s saw the rise of the civil rights movement, which fought for equal rights for African Americans. This movement led to significant legislative changes. The Republican Party, founded by Abraham Lincoln, was the party that historically championed civil rights. Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared slaves in Confederate-held territory to be free, and the Republican Party pushed for the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, which abolished slavery, granted citizenship to African Americans, and guaranteed them the right to vote, respectively. In the 1960s, Democrats became more active in the Civil Rights movement. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 marked a significant shift to the left as programs like segregation of schools brought resulting changes to academic programs, and affirmative action in the workplace brought resulting changes to merit-based hiring and advancement. The left has been criticized for creating dependence upon the government instead of independence for black Americans by getting them dependent upon government programs and financial handouts rather than creating true opportunities. In recent years, the leftist influence on the Civil Rights Movement has led to the rise of BLM and its subsequent history of violent protests around the country.
Women’s Liberation Movement: The 1960s also saw the rise of the women’s liberation movement, which fought for equal rights for women. This movement led to significant and often detrimental changes in society, including the legalization of abortion, the establishment of affirmative action programs, and the increased representation of women in politics and the workforce. This took women out of the home and away from their children. It also led to a movement to “sexually liberate” women which resulted in rampant promiscuity, the need for birth control and the abortion on demand debacle.
Gay Rights Movement: The 1970s and 1980s saw the rise of the gay rights movement, which fought for equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. This movement has led to significant changes in society, including the legalization of same-sex marriage and the increased acceptance of gay and lesbian individuals in society. In addition, it has also led to detrimental changes where the LGTB community has pushed for laws that punish people for differing religious and cultural beliefs. It has also let the drag queen story hours for children, books in school libraries for children with graphic homosexual content, and the early grooming of school children to accept behavior that is in direct violation of Biblical laws.
Environmental Movement: The 1960s and 1970s saw the rise of the environmental movement, which fought for the protection of the environment and the conservation of natural resources. This movement has led to significant changes in society, including the establishment of environmental protection agencies, the passage of environmental laws, and increased alarm about natural climate change as we have vacilated from devastating predictions of a coming ice age to Al Gore’s gloom and doom about an ice-free Arctic in 2008.
Anti-Vietnam War Protests: The Vietnam War, which lasted from 1955 to 1975, was a significant turning point in terms of leftward shift in society and politics. The war was widely opposed by the American public, with millions taking to the streets in protest. The anti-war movement led to significant changes in society, including the end of the draft, the establishment of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the increased skepticism of government intervention in foreign affairs.
Rise of Progressivism: In recent years, there has been a growing movement towards progressivism in politics. This movement emphasizes social justice, equality, and environmental protection. Progressives have made significant gains in recent years, with the election of Barack Obama and the rise of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which many see as a pivotal moment in the decline of our nation.
Increased Growth and Reach of Government: All these changes have resulted in more laws, more government programs and the increasing reach of government into all facets of society, business, education, and even the family unit.

Many people believe that the focus on social justice and equality has led to a breakdown of traditional values and a decline in overall mental health. Mental illness rates have increased in recent decades, and some argue that this is a result of the leftward shift in society. In addition, some mental conditions like “gender disorder” have been removed from medical and psychology books in an effort to normalize them, resulting in the enabling of mental conditions instead of assigning appropriate treatments.

Additionally, there are concerns that the push for equality and social justice has led to the breakdown of the traditional nuclear family. Some argue that the emphasis on individualism and personal freedom has led to a decline in traditional family values and a rise in single-parent households, divorce, and cohabitation, and the rise of same-sex couples basically buying babies through surrogacy.

Finally, there are concerns that the leftward shift in society has led to a loss of a strong moral compass. Some argue that the emphasis on tolerance and acceptance has led to a decline in traditional moral values and a rise in immoral behavior. One has only to watch what goes on at pride parades to see this first hand.

Conclusion: Over the past 60 years, society and politics have undergone a significant and frequently chaotic leftward shift. This shift has been driven by a variety of factors, including social movements, cultural changes, and political realignment. Worse, it seems to mirror the strategy of the Communist Agenda to tear down the United States from the inside to make the adoption of a socialist-Marxist-communist government a foregone conclusion.

As these changes have occurred, a new factor—the degradation of society resulting from the loss of morals and the breakdown of the nuclear family—has propelled further shifts to the left. This has had a negative impact on the family, the church, the community, society and our nation.

Recommended Reading:

“The Rise of American Affluence and the Prospects for Continued Growth: The Rise of American Affluence and the Prospects for Continued Growth” by Edward N. Wolff (2017) – This book shows a shift towards the left in terms of wealth distribution and economic policies since the 1960s.
“The Longest Decade: How the Failure of Our Public Schools Hurts Our Children, Our Community, and Our Nation” by John E. Chubb and Terry M. Moe (2008) – This book discusses the leftward shift in education policies over the past several decades.
“The Polarized Public: Why American Government Is So Dysfunctional” by Julian E. Zelizer and Samuel J. Abrams (2016) – This book analyzes the political polarization in the United States, which has led to a more left-leaning population in recent decades.
“The Leftmost City: Power and Progressive Politics in Santa Monica” by Christopher Hawthorne (2017) – This book provides an in-depth look at a progressive city and its policies, which can be indicative of the leftward shift in urban areas across the country.
“The New Left and the 1960s: Collected Essays” by Richard Wolin (2008) – This collection of essays explores the origins and development of the New Left movement, which has had a lasting impact on American politics and society since the 1960s.
“The Age of Fracture” by Daniel T. Rodgers (2011) – This book examines the shift in American society and politics towards individualism and fragmentation, which has contributed to a more left-leaning perspective.
“The Reagan Revolution: A Very Short Introduction” by Gil Troy (2009) – While this book focuses on the conservative policies of the Reagan era, it also highlights the subsequent leftward shift in American politics and policies in the following decades.
“The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities” by John J. Mearsheimer (2018) – Mearsheimer, a political scientist, argues that liberal (left-leaning) foreign policies have consistently failed to achieve their goals and have often led to unintended negative consequences.
“The End of Affluence: The Causes and Consequences of a Declining Economy” by Stephen Moore and Julian L. Simon (2000) – Moore and Simon, economists, analyze the economic policies and trends of the past two decades, suggesting that left-leaning policies have contributed to economic stagnation and decline.
“The Plot Against the Patient: How the Political Class Is Trying to Destroy Barack Obama’s Plan for Universal Coverage” by Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein (2012) – Mann and Ornstein, political scientists, critique the left’s approach to healthcare reform, arguing that it has led to political gridlock and failed to address the core issues of the healthcare system.
“The Rise of the Conservative Legal Movement: The Battle for Control of the Law” by Steven M. Teles (2008) – Teles, a political scientist, examines the rise of conservative legal thought and its challenges to left-leaning policies and legal interpretations over the past two decades.
“The Silent Majority: Why Justice for Some Won’t Cut It Anymore” by Cherrie Moraga (2019) – Moraga, a writer and activist, critiques the left’s approach to social justice, arguing that it has failed to address the needs and experiences of marginalized communities.
“The Trillion Dollar Revolution: How the Affordable Care Act Transformed the Business of Healthcare in America” by Robert Laszewski (2019) – Laszewski, a healthcare industry expert, evaluates the impact of the Affordable Care Act (a left-leaning policy) on the healthcare industry, suggesting that it has led to increased costs and inefficiencies.

Photo by Koshu Kunii for Unsplash.