Overall, Doug Grow is right on target in attacking the rigidity of the DFL
party machinery, exposing a great example of how it will engage in blatant
intellectual and political dishonesty in order to further its narrow end of
clinging to its ever shrinking power. Grow, however, makes applies a
grossly oversimplistic and misleading label in describing the subject of his
criticism as the "DFL left."
My general understanding and the political term "left" is the reflection of
an agenda to use government to advance social, economic and political
equality. Although many of the DFL party loyalists probably consider
themselves to be "left," the agenda that they are advancing has nothing to
to do with being left, except on a narrow range of social issues. The
endorsement of an incumbent mayoral candidate who has pushed through
corporate welfare subsidies of hundreds of millions of dollars, supported
gentrification (the displacement of lower income residents by more affluent)
wherever possible, almost completely ignored the need for affordable
housing, and supported police department policies of systematic harassment
and civil liberties violations in low income communities of color and
against political dissenters, is hardly reflective of any sort of genuine
"left" agenda. Another recent example of the "left" nature of the DFL
machinery was its rigid adherence to the presidential candidacy of the
completely corporate-oriented Democratic ticket, while bitterly attacking
anyone daring to support the genuinely left progressive Green alternative
ticket.
There may be some DFL-endorsed candidates who are more liberal or left, but
the rigidity of the party endorsement process ultimately stifles anyone who
has any goals significantly different from the status quo - a much more
accurate description of the DFL party agenda.
In order to find better terminology, it may be useful to look at New York
City, traditionally an almost exclusively Democratic town. The party
loyalists were described as "regulars." Those attempting to move the party
to more democratic process and a generally more progressive or left agenda
were called "reformers." The group that Grow is attacking would be much
more accurately described as DFL "regulars" than the DFL left.
Jordan Kushner
Powderhorn
----- Original Message -----
From: "List Manager" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Mpls list" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 7:50 PM
Subject: [Mpls] Strib columnist blasts Stonewall DFL
> Doug Grow rips Stonewallers for finding Lisa McDonald and R.T. Rybak not
> "acceptable."
>
> Read it at:
>
>
http://startribune.com/viewers/qview/cgi/qview.cgi?story=83639799&template=m
> etro_a_cache
>
> (If the link breaks, go to http://startribune.com/grow)
>
> David Brauer
> List manager, Minneapolis-issues
>
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