Earlier this year I wrote about the important distinction between supporters and activists. When we look at left-wing political, social, economic and other causes and movements we need to distinguish between the less ideological and more sincere followers on the one hand and on the other the hard-core ideologues who often drive these causes and movements or at least exert an influence on them far in excess of their numbers but whose agendas are often different or much more extreme than those of the multitude of follower.