[swiley]

>The left seem to have a certain libertarian bent if anything

My understanding was that the "left and right" is more or less orthogonal to the "authoritarian vs libertarian" dimension. The authoritarian forms of both are absolutely terrible, that's why we have democracy: so they can do their best to cancel each other out.

[opheliate]

Do you see why presenting "extreme gun control, censorship" (authoritarian ideas, not "leftist" ideas) might therefore not be considered a good argument for the idea that left-wing policy is gaining popular support?

[esyir]

This is a common misunderstanding in another group I converse with. Left in his context refers to the American one, which refers to an overarching field that is represented by the American progressives and includes the moderate dems (center left) progressives and socialists /communists, amongst others. You're coming from a European left right split, which means something different.