Over the past thirty years, the Left in America has found itself fractured and unable to affect the national public agenda. Even Bill Clinton, now fondly remembered by liberals and the Left, was a centrist. Very little of his agenda had even a strong liberal bent, let alone a Leftist one.
Right now, however, the Left has the strongest possibility it has had since the Vietnam War to return as an effective player on the national scene. We can end this war, and it will be the Left that leads us to its end–if it can get its act together.
If.
The Left has felt (for almost a century) that it should be a “big tent,” that it should welcome anyone–as long as their agenda was vaguely related to basic concerns of human rights (taking that, again, in its most broad interpretation). Thus, the left has long supported `true believers’ in causes that haven’t a snowball’s chance in hell of becoming viable parts of our national debate.
The focus on the Left has neither been on strategy nor on comprehensive goals. It has been on a panoply of separate agenda items, some of which can even contradict each other. It hasn’t mattered if these goals could be realistically imagined as part of the national debate or even if they were worth fighting for on moral grounds. What mattered was that somebody supported them, somebody who was also willing to give lip-service to whatever other goals might be under the big tent at the moment.
What this has done is allow the Right to paint the Left as a bunch of crazies. The media have been able to pick out the more `outrageous’ inhabitants of the `big tent’ for focus, making us all look like Don Quixotes tilting at windmills.
It has allowed the Right to marginalize the Left.
Sure, there are lots of good causes out there, ones that we should all support. There are changes that do need to be made. Realistically, however, not all of those changes can be made. Not now, certainly; not at once.
Until the Left learns this, and starts to impose some `message discipline’ on itself, it will continue to lose.
We have, for the first time in a long time, a clear and simple message we can present–a message that can succeed. Cindy Sheehan `stumbled’ upon it, and it has resonated across the land (witness the candlelight vigils last night): The war in Iraq is not worth the lives of our soldiers. By asking “What is the `noble cause’ my son died for?” Sheehan has reduced the questions concerning the war to something even our media can understand–and something the media are having a hard time corrupting.
If we on the Left can’t put aside our other agendas and take up this simply-enunciated cause, we probably will never succeed at any of our causes–and probably don’t deserve to. We can win, now. We can stop this war. But we cannot do that unless we bring an unstoppable majority with us–and that will not happen if centrist America sees identification with this cause as identification with other causes, ones not so easily presented in sound bites.
When there are demonstrations or vigils or any other activities in support of Sheehan, the organizers need to remember this, and discourage speakers and the crowd from getting off topic. “Free Palestine”? Sure. But don’t invite speakers on that topic to address rallies concerning the Iraq war–as happened Monday night in New York City.
Yes, sometimes there are “means and ends” questions… and ends don’t justify every means. Here, however, there is a critical need for an end to be reached. If the means to getting there requires putting aside other causes (not really a great sacrifice), then that has to be done.
If we on the Left can’t learn to discipline ourselves even to this small extent, then we probably have no business thinking we can succeed, anyhow.
If we on the Left can’t learn to discipline ourselves even to this small extent, Americans and Iraqis are going to continue to die as a result of this insane invasion and occupation.
Sure, there are other people dying elsewhere–there are plenty of wrongs in this world. But this is one we can have an impact on right now.
Get behind the one cause, people. Forget everything else until this is over. Let’s have the sense and power to win one when we need to.
Perhaps we might even learn something, and move on to win other battles later.
[Crossposted at dKos].
Cindy herself mentioned Palestine. I hesitate to impose an authoritarian rule over the message of the left. What we really need, in my view, is more voices, more bodies, less apathy and complacency, more involvement from “ordinary” Americans.
The question is, how do we inspire others to get active. Period.
We do, of course, need to educate each other. Reaching out one on one, as much as possible, is the most effective way. This opens windows and doors in one’s own life as well.
What do you think Cindy did when she first started out? One on one, then small groups, now look at her.
Hit the pavement. Running.
Cindy has also said we need to focus. But she is not the authority, either.
What I am not suggesting is authoritarian rule, but a putting aside of our egos to work together. We have a possibility for winning on this one. So lets put the effort into winning.
In your view (given above) we had best do what we have always done–which is lose.
And that is not how we inspire others to get active. Period, as you say. It’s not how we convince them that we are not the crackpots the Right wants to make us out to be. All in all, changing things around so that we win for a change is a hell of a lot more complicated than simply inspiring others.
Plus, the ways we have tried to inspire others, these past years, have been shown not to work. When we call for more bodies and more voices (as you say), all we do is create cacaphony. It’s time we stop that.
Another point: what reaching out have we on the Left really done? It seems to me, we simply talk to each other. When we speak of impeachment, for example, we are not reaching out to most Americans. Even if they oppose the war, they do not want that. And when we call for impeachment, well, we might as well be calling for all combatants everywhere to lay down their arms. Nice idea, yes, but it ain’t a-gonna happen. So let’s concentrate on what can happen.
You sound like you are stuck in the old ways, the view of the Left that has held us down for years (sorry–but that’s how I see it). I’m not satisfied with that. I think we need to work towards things that can actually happen. I think we need to work towards winning again rather than losing and feeling morally superior.
As to authoritarian (again), there is no one on the Left who can impose order. That has to come from the people. From us. If we insist that each of us keep focused, we will. But we can’t force that on people.
All we can do is what I am trying to do here… convince people to “stay on target.”
Who said anything about losing and feeling morally superior? I’m in this thing to win. As far as I am concerned, the fate of the human race, of the ecology of the planet is at stake.
Here in New Orleans, I’m trying to practice what I preach. I’m involved in an affordable housing movement here. Tonight, a group of us met over concerns for the troops returning, in terms of getting tested for depleted uranium. We are going to look for alternative funding for the test.
All politics is local. What are you doing?
I tend not to want to silence any voice for a progressive cause, as I feel the issue is, we need more voices working on various progressive projects. You’re right, we preach to the choir on this site. Get involved with some groups in your local community, and learn what it is like to work with those you live near.
Your response to my comment, certainly, says something about feeling morally superior. When you ask “what are you doing?” you are attempting to patronize and take a moral high road. That’s only going to lead to defeat.
Stop worrying about what other people are doing. Don’t judge them (implicit in your comment).
It’s not a question of silencing voices. It’s a question of whether or not we want to win. You want to keep on doing the little things while the Right destroys the whole world? Well, that’s not OK with me. And the only way to stop them, right now, is to find one issue that we can put before the media simply and elegantly. One issue that the vast majority of Americans could get behind now, without a great deal of discussion or argument.
We have that. Let’s go with it.
I’m not sure what our disagreement here is. But let me try to define it. Btw, declaring the left on its way to losing yet again certainly smacks of a profound judgement, so I turned it back to you to ask, what are you doing? You haven’t answered my question, but I am really curious as to your involvements in your local community.
I suppose I am speaking from a very newfound experience in my own life. I sat on the sidelines, judging, complaining, for many years now, feeling unempowered. I had no idea what to do to try to change the world. I was drawn to a particular group here in N.O.. They held a speakout in front of a housing complex downtown. Developers are trying to drive the residents out to build condos, make a lot of money.
Our efforts drove them off, for now. The battle if far from over. Last night a small group of activists and myself committed to finding alternative funding to test soldiers for depleted uranium. You never know where your efforts will reach.
I’m sorry, but your editorial smacked of a lack of experience in working directly with people, a kind of ivory tower, king of the mountain set yourself apart from the people and direct them mood. You have to dive in amongst them to really know…
It doesn’t matter, what you do…to the crazy neocons. They are going to paint you in a negative, crazy light, in order to defeat you. Don’t worry what they think. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is the people who are sore and sorry and regretting this war, regretting perhaps their support for this sorry administration, people perhaps not used to speaking out.
There are so many ways to get involved, so many important issues that need time and attention. Let’s not silence a single one, but rather, encourage more voices and efforts to enter the fray. Perhaps, and what I am hoping for, is that we will, in our collective efforts, simply drown them out.
What I do in my local community is my personal business. I don’t care to use that in a discussion online. And I think it is arrogant and inappropriate for you to ask. However, I will comply with your request. Suffice it to say, I have never sat on the sidelines.
But it remains: my own personal activities have nothing at all to do with any judgment I may make about the Left. You are confusing things if you think that only activists can be commentators. The truth of what I say does not reside in my background.
And you are being judgmental, claiming (again) a moral high ground based on your own activism. That’s been one of the failures of the Left for the last fifty years: a feeling of being “better” by acting (and one of the reasons I will not broadcast my activities). Most Americans really resent that holier-than-thou attitude.
Let’s not speak politically, though I have been active since the 1960s–against the Vietnam War and as an anti-draft activist (and draft counselor) and resister (I was 1-A, expecting to refuse and go to jail, when the lottery came and I got a good number).
During the late 70s and early 80s, I ran an environmental organization in Iowa. After that, I spent four years in Africa, two as a Peace Corps Volunteer working in agriculture, teaching farmers to plow using oxen and developing reforestation projects. Today, I split my time between Brooklyn, NY (where I live in a predominately Haitian neighborhood) and Pennsylvania (where I teach). I own a store in Brooklyn (not in the neighborhood where I live) that is focused on the idea that creativity is to be found everywhere. I promote community artists and provide a space where people can go to sit and talk, read, write, or relax away from the hustle of the city. I founded Shakespeare’s Sister in an attempt to develop a business model that focuses on the neighborhood and not on profit (and, not being a great businessperson, profit is not something I have seen much of, this past decade). I have been involved in the Alternatives to Violence Project (though not for many years–I have very little time when I both teach and manage a store), spending three days inside a maximum-security prison as part of a process to teach violent prisoners how to deal with the world in a nonviolent fashion.
That’s not nearly all, but all I have the patience to recount. Unlike you, I would rather do than brag about what I am doing. I’d rather talk about other things.