>In any case, the Left needs to put forward a positive
>program
No kidding, and it's not just about the war. I'm as guilty as anyone here, but I think this is a serious problem. The global justice movement says "No" to the WTO, but has no idea of what should take its place. People like Patrick Bond (who should be back on this list in a few days) argue that this is a strength - "one no, many yesses." That just won't do, when the ruling class has a pretty good idea of what they want, and lots of power to back it up.
Christian Parenti has a piece in the current In These Times about the influence of Hayek on the right. Fifty years ago, when it loked like the world was heading permanently to the left, he & his gang had a very distinct agenda about the revival of classical "liberalism." They were extremely marginal, but held the power of ideas in very high regard. On the left today, we're in the opposite situation - we have a movement (not just the global justice movement, but even the Dean phenom), but few ideas. After the collapse of "socialism" there's a major intellectual vacuum. Until we fill it, we'll keep losing.
Doug