<< labor will start winning public support if it links itself to "common
sense" issues, such as quality of life, living wage, right to work,
harassment-free workplace, equal pay for equal work, workplace democracy
and self-management, social safety net for working people, health care,
education, healthy and safe environment - that once defined the left's
agenda, and stay clear of crankiness propagated by some leftish sects and
cults, lit-crit ideologies that hold sway of the campus, and
over-moralizing, over-intellectualizing in general. >>
Fair enough, and your concern about linking one less than popular cause (labor) to another (the death penalty) is an important consideration, whether or not it's decisive. But what makes you think that abolishing the dealth penalty is a crank cause linked to the sectarian left or pomo? After all, the death penalty has been abolished in every other first world country, and even here it is deeply problematic. Here in Illinois the guv--no left wing crank or pomoista! (in fact, a Republican)--has imposed a de facto moratorium because of the concern that the state has been excuting innocent people. --jks