France is a good measure of our Left

...because their Left is clear about what they believe.

First, though, you have to get them to agree to the label "Left". They fight it like anything.

We on the right are frequently labeled by the left. It makes the left happy to throw ANY label at anyone. They call us rightwing and though we don't exactly like that label (since the word "wing" is pretty negative), we don't argue about it. A label is just a label, and we also think there is a left wing who ought to be wearing that label. But just try saying someone is "leftwing" or refer to the "left wing" of the democrat party and you're likely in for a fight. Labeling leftists as leftist, or communists as communists (even when they've got the card right there in their wallets) or socialists as socialists--use any word but "progressive" and you have spoken evil. Of course, you know, that means war.

But the left is always at war. I think they're mostly a bunch of unhappy, even miserable, people who blame everything outside themselves for the unhappiness they feel. Their solution is to try desperately to remodel the world by changing everyone else, another cause for the rage they express when you confront them with contrary arguments. "Well," you say, "if we just do suchandso, where will the money come from to pay for it?"

They don't know the answer. They have never thought it through, but they see that you want to stop them. But this has to translate into "you hate", so in retaliation they hate you.