Left-wing Radicalism and the Mass Army. The USA and the Netherlands in Comparative Perspective

Samenvatting

The various configurations displayed by the relationship between the military outlook & left-wing radicalism can be ordered by means of such variables as: political environment, structural isolation, & the sense of alienation of the radical left. Following the approach of 'situated options' it is assumed that variations in degree of isolation & alienation of the left tend to yield different strategies for the left to follow. These variations also tend to go along with variations in the image of society touted by the Left. The adversary, as perceived by the Left, can range from highly specific institutions or segments of society, to an opponent such as 'the system' or 'society'. Historical contexts such as the Netherlands & the US, which differ in the access offered to the Left or the isolation into which it is forced, display two divergent types of criticisms of society & two types of strategy chosen by the Left for confronting society & its military establishment. Modified HA.