It seems the Kos community is currently in the midst of Ron Paul Hunting Season. For the past week I haven't been able to scroll through the Rec List without seeing at least one diarist reminding us, in case we forgot since the last exasperated diary on the subject, that Ron Paul Is Associated With Racist Newsletters OMG!
Granted, this diary in no way is a defense of the content in said newsletters. To be sure, I find said content repugnant.
However, I find myself increasingly frustrated with the lack of common sense and, quite frankly, ability to look at the bigger picture that all too many Kossacks (and progressives in general) seem to exhibit. Allow me to explain below the Squiggle....
There seems to be a near-hysteria on the left when it comes to the name Ron Paul. So much as speak the name to a progressive and within microseconds you'll hear the words "racist", "bigoted", "anti-choice", and various offshoots thereof.
Completely lost in the rage, it seems, is the opportunity to see THE OPPORTUNITY the rise of Ron Paul presents progressives - if they can step back for a moment from their collective vapors...
Let's be completely honest for a moment - the core group of people that Ron Paul attracts are Libertarians. And as much as progressives might like to wish otherwise, the overwhelming majority of Ron Paul support comes on the three issues he does get RIGHT:
- the dismantling of the military/industrial complex (war for profit)
- the dismantling of the war on drugs
- the restoration of civil liberties eroded in the last few decades
Folks, these are as progressive as you can get as far as political positions go. So why on earth do progressives spend all of their energy being angry, shocked, and offended at Ron Paul, when they SHOULD be channeling all of that energy into pressuring THE CANDIDATES IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY to wake up and realize that THERE ARE SOME REALLY PROGRESSIVE IDEAS that the public is READY TO VOTE FOR...that are no longer "pipe dreams" or "impossible to achieve"...
Why isn't every ounce of anti-RP fervor redirected at the White House, calling for the current Democratic President to embrace the very positions that have brought Ron Paul passionate support from millions of otherwise unengaged voters? Why hasn't the left learned from Ron Paul that a candidate on the left could embrace the things he has right, and leave behind the things he has wrong?
Granted, one might conclude that the reason you haven't seen this approach from the Obama campaign yet (and won't) is because Barack Obama essentially is NOT a progressive OR a Libertarian, but rather a corporatist who knows how to talk a good populist game. This should not be an offensive statement to progressives, as I would tend to let the current President's track record when it comes to civil liberties, continuation of the Bush-era MIC, and public resistance to ending the War on Drugs speak for itself.
Perhaps at the end of the day I'm suggesting to those who do feel that the only way to bring attention to a truly progressive platform would be to primary President Obama (which I agree with on principle), but again, to that end, the lesson of Ron Paul SHOULD be "hey, find a solid, honest, progressive willing to call for the "big ticket" reforms and RUN THAT PERSON!".
Merely sitting around moping about 20 year old newsletters while rallying around a party and unopposed candidate who is openly at odds with progressive causes, seems, well, counterproductive.