<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Max wrote:</FONT></DIV> <DIV>> He organized a listserv with exactly that name after leaving<BR>> LBO.  </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Yes, I'm a member of it, but that doesn't make me a self-proclaimed member of some "Democratic Left" anymore than my membership on this listserv makes me a self-proclaimed left business observer.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>>  The real distinction is one's position vis-a-vis U.S. foreign policy.  The DLs are just<BR>> not all that radical in their criticism of it. </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Agreed on both counts.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I wrote, "Who else besides Leo identifies himself as being on some entity called the<BR>democratic left (not that I mind the label)?"</DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Justin wrote:</FONT></DIV> <DIV>> A common expression of self-congratulation.</DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Democratic socialist is fairly common.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I wrote, "</FONT>Well, he is constrained in a way Castro obviously isn't: I'm sure Aschcroft<BR>doesn't feel free to send me or the writer of this article or anyone else to<BR>jail because of their political speech."</DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Justin wrote:</FONT></DIV> <DIV>> I am sure it has nothing to do with reverence or even respect for law, </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I didn't say it did.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>> but only with power. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>That's why I noted that he's constrained.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>> He'd do if he thought he could get away with it. </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Perhaps.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>> Cuba has done a fabuloous job of improving people's life chances </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Has it?  I used to believe that Cuba's amazing regional leads in various social indicators were due to socialism, but I think I read on this very list that they were already way out in front before Castro came to power.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>-- Luke</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>