Final On Culture War Etc...
First, a prescription for a tonic to any last feelings of anger and cultural resentment towards Red State America. Get your hands on a copy of Selected Prejudices by H. L. Mencken, and read the essay "On Being An American". It's a funny as hell description of the America we just might be living in now. Go ahead, chuckle along with Henry. You know you secretly feel that way too. It might also give a clue as to why Red Staters feel the way they do about those horrible ol' liberal elites. They probably know we secretly feel that way about them. Actually, Ted Rall says it's not such a secret.
(--and now we get pretentious. plz excuse the intrusion--)
Second, it's time to ditch triangulation, electoral strategy and talk of which direction to "move the party". Being on the left isn't about winning elections. It's about being right about important things and then convincing people we're right about them. After that, winning's easy. Liberty and justice for everyone is a pretty damn simple message. It should be a straightforward matter to show how issues like civil liberties, racial and gender equality, the environment, health care and the social safety net - hell, even national security - fall under that rubric. So if we're going to attempt a new direction, it ought to be simple, and it ought to be consistent with our values, because that's where real political movement starts.
(--we apologize for the pretension, now we'll get back to the important issue of how much we hate things--)
Finally, as will be repeated many times over on this here blog (and you won't hear it anywhere else), it's time for America - and especially main stream leftists - to talk frankly and openly about class. One of the favorite themes of the Republican Party is they claim they don't engage in class war, but liberals do. ARE YOU EFFIN' KIDDING ME? Every single economic (and let's not forget foreign) policy of this administration is a giant round of mortar fire in the name of class warfare. It needs to be talked about frankly, openly, and with the word CLASS bold and in all caps. So yeah, Thomas Frank was right. Asshole.
(--and now we get pretentious. plz excuse the intrusion--)
Second, it's time to ditch triangulation, electoral strategy and talk of which direction to "move the party". Being on the left isn't about winning elections. It's about being right about important things and then convincing people we're right about them. After that, winning's easy. Liberty and justice for everyone is a pretty damn simple message. It should be a straightforward matter to show how issues like civil liberties, racial and gender equality, the environment, health care and the social safety net - hell, even national security - fall under that rubric. So if we're going to attempt a new direction, it ought to be simple, and it ought to be consistent with our values, because that's where real political movement starts.
(--we apologize for the pretension, now we'll get back to the important issue of how much we hate things--)
Finally, as will be repeated many times over on this here blog (and you won't hear it anywhere else), it's time for America - and especially main stream leftists - to talk frankly and openly about class. One of the favorite themes of the Republican Party is they claim they don't engage in class war, but liberals do. ARE YOU EFFIN' KIDDING ME? Every single economic (and let's not forget foreign) policy of this administration is a giant round of mortar fire in the name of class warfare. It needs to be talked about frankly, openly, and with the word CLASS bold and in all caps. So yeah, Thomas Frank was right. Asshole.
posted by jayinbmore at 4:46 PM
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