A Defense of the Left
The left is made up of people who seek a world that lacks oppression and meets basic needs, a world with equity and that values human dignity. Within that framework there are huge philosophical and tactical differences that keep the left apart and divided. One thing that unites the American left at this point is the fact that republicans have taken control of government and their agenda threatens the principles the left belives in.
With the aid of powerful financial benefactors, and coordinated grass roots mass movements, the right has succeeded in framing the American left to be as bad as its most irrational, aggressive members. It has succeeded in creating a wide-spread belief that the left is anti-Christian and cosmopolitan elitist. The right would have you believe 1. that the left is nothing but irrational and excessive idealogue filled with hate, e.g. the SJW extremists and Marxist culture narratives. 2. that the left is the true establishment, the cultural elites that have shifted the country into a pluralistic radicalism. 3. That there is a war on traditional American values, particularly on Christianity.
There are kernels of truth to this anti-left discourse. That's what makes it so effective. Social media makes the more excessive elements of the left far more visible than before, but believe me they have always been there. The radicalism on the left can go off the deep end, lose itself in ideological fervor. It is also true, on the other side of the coin, that the establishment left has not always adhered to the principles I espoused above.
On balance, however, the positives of the left outweigh the negatives. That is why I consider myself a "leftist." The protests, the activism, the persist struggle are responsible for a period of human liberation that is among the greatest achievements of human civilization. Reasonable and ethical people of all stripes consider the social conditions prior to the 20th century as tyrranical for most human beings.
That some progressives go too far or are excessive in their methods has to be weighed against all the tranformations that have made the world far better. Without the efforts of the left, little children would still be forced to work in sweatshops, and labor would be in a the state of virtual slavery. Women would still not be allowed to vote. They would still essentially be the property of men. People of color would be marginalized by aparteid and oppression. Those whose lifestyle is not heterosexual would continued to be seen as deviant and punished for in a host of ways, from ostracization to imprisonment. The successes of the left are founded on human freedom and dignity, first and foremost.
Since the Reagan "revolution," the right has essentially kicked the left's ass. Hammering on the negatives, character assassination and generating scandals the tactics of choice. In the 80s and 90s, the left mostly responded defensively. As a result the right won the narrative war. Today the left mostly responds by doing the same thing back to the right, hammering them with the same type of attacks. Its ugly. It works. But both sides are doing it now. It's become trench warfare. Something else is needed.
For the left to be successful it will need to win the hearts and minds of as many people as possible. It will need to address cultural and economic concerns as intrinsically connected... social justice, environmental justice and economic justice aspects of the same thing. The disparate elements of the left will need to embrace a comprehensive strategy. This will require every faction to place their core issue in a larger context, compromise. How to begin?
The left can begin to unite by conveying positive messages about itself. For example, the many voices of resistance, the marches and protests that being condemend as "uncivil" fall within the tradition of civic duty. This activism is American to the core. Moreover, the social justice goals of the left are not incompatible with religious practice. They are in line with it. The civil rights movement, the woman's movement, the environmental movement and so on, are filled with devout christians and adherents to other religions.
For the establishment left, The definition of an elite is someone with greater control. Elitism isn't about ideology. It's about power. Elites want "conserve" the system that has given them so much power. In the world today, power comes from money. The elites are those who hold the most wealth and those who attach themselves to that wealth. The establishment left needs to make campaign finance reform a true priority and not just give it lip service. Removing that corruption is the only way the more progressive elements of the left will even begin to consider joining with you.
The "hard" left is fed up with slow reform and excuses by the establishment left and is bent on universal human liberation now. The problem is cultural revolutions don't work. It's a powerful lesson of history. The US had a political revolution, but it took culture centuries to broaden the ideals of the American revolution beyond the prejudices of the past. Cultural change is organic and evolutionary. It cannot be forced. It has to be sewn and tended. Your principles are best served by allying with the center left and pushing for deeper reforms.
Humanity itself is undergoing revolutionary change through globalization, economics and technology. The partisan battles, the populist revolts are a consequence of that change. Navigating these waters is the true challenge. I think the trouble we find ourselves in are only the outer bands of the storm. We have to get ourselves together.
There are kernels of truth to this anti-left discourse. That's what makes it so effective. Social media makes the more excessive elements of the left far more visible than before, but believe me they have always been there. The radicalism on the left can go off the deep end, lose itself in ideological fervor. It is also true, on the other side of the coin, that the establishment left has not always adhered to the principles I espoused above.
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| A Child Worker in a Cotton Mill |
That some progressives go too far or are excessive in their methods has to be weighed against all the tranformations that have made the world far better. Without the efforts of the left, little children would still be forced to work in sweatshops, and labor would be in a the state of virtual slavery. Women would still not be allowed to vote. They would still essentially be the property of men. People of color would be marginalized by aparteid and oppression. Those whose lifestyle is not heterosexual would continued to be seen as deviant and punished for in a host of ways, from ostracization to imprisonment. The successes of the left are founded on human freedom and dignity, first and foremost.
Since the Reagan "revolution," the right has essentially kicked the left's ass. Hammering on the negatives, character assassination and generating scandals the tactics of choice. In the 80s and 90s, the left mostly responded defensively. As a result the right won the narrative war. Today the left mostly responds by doing the same thing back to the right, hammering them with the same type of attacks. Its ugly. It works. But both sides are doing it now. It's become trench warfare. Something else is needed.
The left can begin to unite by conveying positive messages about itself. For example, the many voices of resistance, the marches and protests that being condemend as "uncivil" fall within the tradition of civic duty. This activism is American to the core. Moreover, the social justice goals of the left are not incompatible with religious practice. They are in line with it. The civil rights movement, the woman's movement, the environmental movement and so on, are filled with devout christians and adherents to other religions.
For the establishment left, The definition of an elite is someone with greater control. Elitism isn't about ideology. It's about power. Elites want "conserve" the system that has given them so much power. In the world today, power comes from money. The elites are those who hold the most wealth and those who attach themselves to that wealth. The establishment left needs to make campaign finance reform a true priority and not just give it lip service. Removing that corruption is the only way the more progressive elements of the left will even begin to consider joining with you.
The "hard" left is fed up with slow reform and excuses by the establishment left and is bent on universal human liberation now. The problem is cultural revolutions don't work. It's a powerful lesson of history. The US had a political revolution, but it took culture centuries to broaden the ideals of the American revolution beyond the prejudices of the past. Cultural change is organic and evolutionary. It cannot be forced. It has to be sewn and tended. Your principles are best served by allying with the center left and pushing for deeper reforms.
Humanity itself is undergoing revolutionary change through globalization, economics and technology. The partisan battles, the populist revolts are a consequence of that change. Navigating these waters is the true challenge. I think the trouble we find ourselves in are only the outer bands of the storm. We have to get ourselves together.
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