It would be great if this obvious dynamic would be much more universally acknowledged by the extra-Democratic left. When Republicans win, the next election is all about defeating Republicans. There's virtually zero audience then for saying that Democrats offer an insufficient alternative; the overwhelming majority of progressive people are easily convinced at that juncture that the top priority is getting rid of Republicans. When Democrats win, when the next election comes around, everybody can see what Democrats didn't accomplish. If you want an audience for the idea that what Democrats have done is not sufficient, the ideal time to find that audience is after Democrats win.
In addition, Democrats get better when they're in opposition, because marginal Democrats in Congress who substantially vote like Republicans get picked off by "real" Republicans, and because the incentives for Democrats change when they are in opposition. Corporations are less interested in funding them, so they have to go elsewhere for support; they're shut out of deal-making, so they have more time for and interest in agitation. So they start articulating progressive interests more. So, after a period of Republican rule is absolutely the worst time to try to organize against Democrats in the court of majority progressive opinion. At that point in the cycle, in the minds and recent experience of the overwhelming majority of progressive opinion, Republicans are the main enemy and Democrats are the main force opposing them. I would guess that the main reason that people on the extra-Democratic left have difficulty acknowledging these obvious dynamics is the fear that it might interfere with the politics of contamination. Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org [email protected] (202) 448-2898 x1 On Wed, Jan 27, 2016 at 11:38 AM, Maxim Linchits <[email protected]> wrote: > And besides Democratic victories are much better for those who cling to > the hope a third party emerging someday. I look forward to the day when > the Democrats will cease being the “lesser” evil – to those who are > terrified of Republicans – and become just plain evil. > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] *On Behalf Of *raghu > *Sent:* Wednesday, January 27, 2016 7:46 PM > *To:* Progressive Economics <[email protected]> > *Subject:* Re: [Pen-l] Noam Chomsky Says GOP Is 'Literally A Serious > Danger To Human Survival’ > > > > On Wed, Jan 27, 2016 at 8:44 AM, Carrol Cox <[email protected]> wrote: > > Noam Chomsky Says GOP Is 'Literally A Serious Danger To Human Survival’ < > https://portside.org/2016-01-26/noam-chomsky-says-gop-literally-serious-danger-human-survival > ’> > > The GOP in power might or might not be as immediately destructive as (say) > Sanders. But if the measure is "human survival," i.e. a long-term standard, > then the differences between Sanders and Trump narrow to zero. > > > > In the long run, every species is extinct, then the differences between > capitalism and socialism narrow to zero. > > > > Is this what intellectual discourse on PEN-L has come to? > > -raghu. > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > >
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