Doug wrote:
> But I am worried that many of us are getting lazy. Yeah Bush is a dolt
and a liar, but suppose he's gone come November. What then?
I think we will be energized to challenge Kerry.
In the best of all possible worlds, Kerry wins (big up to ABB faction) and Nader/Cobb gets % of vote, not enough to be spoilers, but enough to be noticed with seriousness (big up to "My-Vote-is-a-Message" faction).
Each side gets something -- a sense of victory (if only partial).
Then when Kerry does something that smacks of center-rightism (which ALL factions know he will) the MVIAM faction can say "I told you so" and the ABB faction can respond "But it is not as bad as it would have been under Bush." (I think if we designate a shorthand abbreviation for this exchange now, we can save a lot of bandwidth in the future).
As small/minor/(non-existent for some) this victory is, it is something that the left can build on. A series of successive small victories can amount to a great deal, especially to people who have endured setbacks for so long.
I do not believe that the left can make up for what has been lost in one fell swoop (or even two or three fell swoops), but a slow, successful slog will work.
I think there also has to be a better mix of things the left are for combined with what they are against. Three areas I would concentrate on if I were King (or Queen) of the leftists would be:
1) (as was already posted) universal healthcare -- affects a large swath of population and has very tangible economic impact.
2) gender/sexual equality -- with a new emphasis on the right of sexual self-determination which is an issue that concerns everyone (also helps to shore up the right to privacy). Also, it is an area where the left can demonstrate that it does not want government interference -- we are opposed to the Overseer State.
Also, the right is vulnerable here since I think younger conservatives can be convinced to support the right of sexual self-determination. While they may want to be seen as conservative, I do not think they want to be seen as prudish and unhip. Of course, the left itself would have to deal with its own prudish tendencies/hang-ups.
3) race -- I think the left must clearly and unambiguously embrace the fight against racism. It will increase the difficulty of the slog, but it will also set us apart from our adversaries. If slavery was our "peculiar institution," then racism is our "peculiar inheritance." Even if capitalism was transformed tomorrow, racism would still pervade the country.
Brian Dauth Queer Buddhist Resister