I just stumbled on this interesting
blog about how articulation has been a weapon of the right and what progressives need to do in order to stop it.
Essentially, the right has been so successful because not only does it effectively label itself, but it also completely defines the left. The author, Paul Weldman, wrote about the core beliefs of the right - their Four Pillars, so to speak:
"So the Four Pillars of Conservatism each imply their opposite: conservatives believe in small government, liberals believe in big government; conservatives believe in low taxes, liberals believe in high taxes; conservatives believe in a strong defense, liberals believe in a weak defense; conservatives believe in traditional values, liberals believe in moral relativism.
Yet we on the left spend almost no time talking broadly about why conservatism is harmful and conservatives are not just wrong today on a particular issue, but inherently wrong in their entire worldview. If we begin doing that consistently, Democrats will realize that saying your opponents aren't being conservative enough may win you a momentary debating point, but it loses the argument in the long run."
The power of words is absolutely amazing.
Paul Weldman is right. You can look at any right-wing pundit - from Rush Limbaugh to Sean Hannity - and the formula is the same. The right believes in morality and that the left is Godless. The President wants to protect America and John Kerry wants to protect the French. The right thinks people should take care of themselves, the left wants to give everyone a blank check.
Sean Hannity is a liar, but people like what he has to say. They don't see his long, pointed nose - because, since no one has stood up properly defending progressives and explaining just how we're different, people see no alternative to believing Sean Hannity.
People wonder how the right is so effective, but when you think about who laps up that sort of stuff, it becomes increasingly clear. In "What's the Matter with Kansas?" we quickly learn just who those people are: today's working class, struggling to pay for today's expenses on the salary of ten years ago - if they're still lucky enough to have a job. I don't want to sound elitist or arrogant in saying that most of these people aren't sophisticated - and why would I, I quickly become far more complacent myself when I'm working full time, as opposed to being at college with spare time to spend reading hours a day. It's the difference between my mother and I: she repeatedly falls for right-wing pundits, making me spend time explaining to her just why they're wrong - my mother isn't stupid, she's just too busy working and "talk radio is the only station that comes in clear."
Everyone needs to read "What's the Matter with Kansas." The people who buy into the Sean Hannities of the world don't care so much about their own plight as long as they a) know others are either sharing in it or have it worse and b) have people who they can readily blame everything on - and feel good doing so. Blame the democrats. Why? Because they're wicked and Godless. Come on, it feels good. They want to kill unborn babies, they think murderers should be set free. It's a decisive statement, it's strong - it feels right.
The writer of the initial blog I linked to - Paul Weldman - also had this to say, a response to the Conservative Pillar:
"While progressives believe were all in it together, conservatives believe were all on our own and were all out for ourselves.... the idea that were all in it together doesnt necessarily imply personal sacrifice for others sake that you have to give something up to benefit the common good. If I'm selling Americans altruistic instincts a little short in arguing that a more direct appeal to sacrifice has political limitations, so be it. But being all in it together speaks to finding solutions that benefit everyone, yourself included. It's not about setting aside our interests, its about finding where our interests and our values converge."
Could anything better describe the difference between progressives and the right? Here is our turn to recapture the working class - people we want on our side, people who we are supposed to represent. Democrats have lost many of the people who used to describe themselves as members of our base.
Weldman is right - we need to not only define who we are, but why we're better. Not only does it sell, but it's right. Progressives believe we're all in this together, the right believes we're all alone. Progressives believe that solutions can be had that benifit everyone, the right believes all must deal with life's challenges alone. Progressives believe everyone can have a slice of the pie, the right believes in social darwinism, where only the rich deserve to survive, everyone else is all alone and left to their own devices on the fringes of society - and they deserve it, those lazy bastards.
It's time we take back America. Progressives can't allow the right to be in charge any longer - be they Republicans or Republican-lites (DINOs - Democrats in Name Only - like Joe Lieberman). The only way to do that is to spell out not only what we believe in, but exactly why what we believe in is better than the alternative: we are not all alone in this world and work towards solutions that benefit everyone.