Building a Powerful Left in the US

[deutsey]

5 part radio series on Pacifica Radio station KPFK:

http://www.kpfk.org/programs/prog-highlights/78-highlights/4485-building-a-powerful-left-in-the-united-states.html

Informing this series is the sense that three years into the gravest economic crisis since the Great Depression, the vast majority of Americans have no significant political movement that truly represents their interests.

The idea of the “left,” going back to the inception of term during the French Revolution, is that of a movement, or political force, that operates in the interest of the general population, as opposed to the “right,” which supports the cause of society’s elites. In the contemporary United States, this would mean standing up for middle class, working class and poor households (which represent 95% of all people) vs. interests that represent the wealthy plus powerful private institutions (primarily corporations). It certainly sounds like a winning formula in a democracy, and yet a meaningful left in the U S – one that truly exerts a positive, impactful political force - is virtually non-existent.

The people of the United States - and the world, due to the central geopolitical and economic role of the USA and the global nature of the economic crisis - desperately need such a movement to advocate on their behalf.

So, how do we build one?

Archived shows: http://buildingapowerfulleft.org/category/radio-archive/

[Cirque du So-What]

1. How do we build a powerful left?

Start with misery, oppression & deprivation and build on that. I'm as left as you can get, yet I recognize that the only way the left can become a political force is through disenfranchisement on a deep, broad basis. We haven't yet reached that tipping point where people spontaneously erupt in anger & frustration over their condition. Sure, unemployment & foreclosures have affected many individuals, but in Sociopath Nation, your neighbor getting kicked out of his house doesn't upset your apple cart (unless the grass gets too tall), so you do nothing. I'm apprehensive over what it WILL take to motivate creation of a leftist movement in this country; it may have to reach the level of widespread hunger & people dying untreated in the streets before people react...but - mark my words - react they will.

[The Doctor.]

3. Unfortunately, when that reactions comes,

the 'left' will be the scapegoat. The corporate elite are engineering a civil war with the morons on their side. Obviously, they can only get the morons on their side. Lucky for them, there are enough of them and they are easy enough to keep brainwashed with corporate programming.

When the shit hits the fan, those responsible will use the media to blame the left. Facts be damned. The morons will believe what they're told.

[old mark]

2. K&R- The extreme right is doing some of the recruiting for us, but we can not let this

chance slip away. Hard economic times and republican arrogance are real tools for any "leftist" movement...but we must be willing to do the work and get and support candidates to get the RWers out of power.
Takes hard work on our part and the ability to find common ground among progressives rather than competing to "out-left" each other.

Support unions, workers, and all who are being hurt and discriminated against by the right...if we can get all those people together, we will not be stopped.
mark

[Le Taz Hot]

4. Listening now.

K & R. Dolores Huerta speaking on the first one. For those of you who describe the San Joaquin Valley as a "shithole," could we PLEASE remember that Huerta and MANY OTHER LEFTISTS are from the Valley?

[blindpig]

5. Gotta start with unions.

The leverage of stopping economic activity is hard to beat. Though our unions are in bad shape that can turn around pretty quick when the rank & file have had enough. Union officials can comply with the will of the majority or they can be replaced. That is what is happening in Egypt now as the locals are ignoring the directives of the NDC officials and are taking things into their own hands.

[Le Taz Hot]

6. I'm going to kick this again.

I just finished listening. Really powerful points of view.

[deutsey]

7. kick