Green politics
Green politicsconsidered by its advocatesbe an alternativeboth leftright viewsparties, although adherentsboth views tendview Greens as "onother side". These viewscomplexcontradictory, but certainly ittrue that Green parties advocate measures that appearconventional politiciansappeal to, or repel, different groups than those conventionally grouped into "left" (or "labour")"right" (or "capital") by economic interests.Somethese views include:
- commitment tomethodsconsensus decision making, participatory democracydeliberative democracy wherever feasible
- green tax shift that would increase consumptionsales taxes on all resource-intensive items, while reducing income taxcapital gains tax -position also associatedLibertarianismseen as extreme even by "the right"
- cessationall taxes levied against strictly local productiontrade -position shared only by some advocatesLibertarianism
- localmoral purchasing provisionsgovernment especially, requiringsourcesupplyfollow similar environmentallabour standards as those prevailing inconsuming jurisdiction -position usually associatedliberal religious groups, pacifists,left-feminism
- measuring well-being as an alternativeconsumer price index based meansmeasuring economic growth - seen also as an extreme left position especially aswould impactmoney supplymeasuresinflation.
- full cost accountingan enddirty subsidypollution by government - another extreme right position, ending corporate welfarerequiring corporationscompete onbasisenergywaste savings.
- an endbiological formspollutionhuman health damage viasubsidydairy farming andmeat industry -position that cuts againsttendencyboth leftrightsupport family farms without limit or conditions
- treating waste asresource -commodificationsomething often seen as public,thusright-wing view
- investing heavilyhuman capital - usuallyleft wing position when done bypublic sector, andright wing one ifinvestmentviaprivate sector
- accounting reform that would probably disadvantage both labourlarge investorsfavorsmall investors, customers, andpublic at large - more ofleft wing position but not considered askey issue by most left parties
- an end toWar on Drugs inUnited StatesEurope - seen as an extreme left wing but alsoLibertarian position.
- an end toWar on Terrorism andcurtailmentcivil rights - focusing instead on growing deliberative democracywar-torn regions andconsturction ofcivil societyan increased rolewomen - this positionseen by most as an extreme left-wing position,perhaps as naive.
- urban secession by major citiespermit themshake off control ofsuburbsrenew their economiesways thatcannot do ifrequirepermissiontheir surrounding regions, e.g.tax, ban carsdowntowns, or put moneymass transit insteadhighways - this viewusually more associatedLibertarianismextreme decentralization movementsboth leftright.
- bioregional democracy reflecting ecological boundariespolitics directly -scale which tendsbe smaller than existing nation-states,thus isde facto secession movement, favored more by left than rightmodern times, although historicallyright wing was often defined by ethnictribal identities.
Basic statementsGreen political values includeFour Pillars ofGreen Party originally adopted byEuropean Greens,Ten Key Values ofGlobal Greens adopted by most English-speaking Greens in1990s, andsix core Green principles accepted2001.
Greens often referproductivism, consumerismscientism as examples"grey" views, which implies age, ashphaltobsolete ideashuman social organization, including globalizationeconomic relations. Many Greensimportant players inanti-globalization movement. This involvement includesfull spectrum from street protestersthose building local alternativesglobal economic monoculture.
Green politicsusually saidincludegreen anarchism, eco-anarchism, anti-nuclearpeace movements - although these often claim notbe alignedany party. Some claimalso includes feminism, pacifism andanimal rights movements. Most Greens support special policy measuresenable women especially mothers,oppose warde-escalate conflictsstop proliferating technologies usefulconflict or likelyleadconflict,such unusual measures as Great Ape personhoodend ape genocide, whichsee as akingenocideprimitive human populations, e.g. Stone Age Amazon tribes.
