"We're the good guys! We don't do mean things!"
Geekysteven recently declared this statement in his diary "What the Republicans Taught Us", and it got me to thinking. We on the left don't do mean things, do we?
Well, we sometimes do because liberals and progressives are human too, but the perception is that we don't... and that's a big problem.
... more below the fold.
Geekysteven's diary includes an embedded video of a Johnathan Haidt speech at TED, wherein he describes the psychology of morality and what elements would indicate a tendancy towards liberalism or towards conservatism. The speech is very insightful, and I do recommend you watch it if you have the time.
In one specific element of his speech, Prof. Haidt illustrates a very important point: people are more cooperative when there's a threat of retribution against those who DON'T cooperate... and punishment is a concept that liberals tend to shy away from. In my opinion, far too long have we and our representatives been passive, meek, and disdainful of the 'dirtiness' of laying metaphoric hands on those who sorely need taking a hand to.
On The Turning Away
Now, I'm an incorrigible lefty in many ways, but one thing I disagree with many lefties on is the philosophy of conflict avoidance. Some conflict shouldn't be avoided. Some conflicts should be tackled head on, with strength and determination and knowing that it's right to punish bad behaviour.
Now, before you think I'm a "war hawk" or anything like that, let me quickly point out that conflict doesn't, and shouldn't, mean ARMED conflict. I'm talking about the sort of scenario when some random right-wing ideologue tries to stuff an abhorrent policy down our throats, and we rise up en masse and say "HELL NO". That sort of conflict. The war of words and ideas and willpower.
Let's go down a quick list of issues that should have invited swift confrontational reaction, but on which the left failed in its duties:
- We didn't immediately savage the bush junta for lying about Iraq the moment proof was shown that their reasons for war were bullshit.
- We didn't immediately call for criminal prosecution of ALL those involved in torturing civilians, and settled for a handful of grunts falling on their metaphorical swords.
- We didn't immediately counter the brutalization of people like Kerry and Cleland.
- We didn't immediately de-caucus Joe Lieberman for any one of this thousand slights.
The list is near endless, and I'm sure you all have your personal favorites. Such meek, conflict-avoiding behaviour has given rise to the term Capitulation Democrats, and that perception will only continue to cause more problems.
When the cat's away the mice will play, and the left's kitty has been dozing in the sunny spot on the carpet for too long now.
So What's the Solution
The solution will probably be distasteful to many: we need to be more aggressive in our stance towards conservatives and the conservative ideology. Kos indicated his desire to that end himself, when talking about crushing the conservative movement utterly. I believe we absolutely must not only be willing and ready to vigorously counter attacks they launch at us, but to be on the offensive about the causes we care about. This will have a dual effect:
- A group on defense has less energy to be on offense. Rocking them back on their heels serves our purposes well, and
- It embeds in their minds that we are not a group of wimpy pushovers that can be cowed into backing down whenever they threaten.
If you've confronted some blowhard rightie at any point, you'll recognize the surprise and FEAR they have of being called on their bullshit. Conservatives worst fear is that the left will grow a spine and call them on their shit consistantly.
Anyone with children knows that in order to set boundaries, you need two essential elements: Strong, clear definitions of what's acceptable, and a willingness to follow through on punishments when those boundaries have been breached. Until recently, the left has been inconsistant in both of those areas, and Obama's frustrating Tao of Serenity campaigning style has left us oft times wishing he was more pugnacious... still, his pick of scrappers like Rahm Emmanuel show that he knows we need a "big stick" to lay the smack down on conservatives when they get out of line, so there is yet again a reason to "hope". ;)
Of course, this doesn't extend only to how we vote. We individually must shed reluctance to confront inequity in our daily lives as well. It may seem, in the short term, easier to "go along to get along", but as the last 8 years have clearly demonstrated when you avoid conflict it only grows to become a larger problem later.
To What End
I don't advocate this position just to be an agitant. While there is certainly a form pleasure in "seeing your enemies driven before you and hearing the lamentation of the women", that's not the goal.
Right now, there's a egregious lack of respect of policies from the left by those on the right. That disrespect was writ large in every action the bush junta took through its entire duration of power, and even now continues (witness the flurry of deregulation in these last days). For there to be a balance restored to the system, the left must be willing to follow the simple but bold steps of
- Warning of the consequences of bad behaviour, and
- Following through on retribution if that behaviour continues.
We must work to take back that respect, both in the eyes of the public and the eyes of the opposition. The public's respect we earn by fair and just governance. The opposition's respect we earn by our ready willingness to go to toe to toe on any issue, at any time, with no capitulation.
Staring Into the Abyss
At the end, Nietzsche's admonition against becoming the monster we fight is something we need to be aware of. I suspect we've all felt the rage, the hunger for vengeance that goes beyond vigorous opposition to the bad policies and moral dilettantes that comprise the right.
I like to think of it somewhat in terms of a particular eastern philosophical construct, that of Yin-Yang.
For us to be in effective balance, we need to take into ourselves a small amount of the understanding and perspective and motivation of the other. In our case, I believe we need adopt a more bold stance in asserting and defending our positions without going too far and becoming tyrants. Conversely, conservatives need to be more willing to embrace change and compassion for the less fortunate. We may not be able to force conservatives to become more compassionate, but we can change the way we act in order to be more effective advocates.
We Won, Didn't We
Yes, we did... and a great victory it was.
Yet it is but a single battle in a wider conflict. It's not enough to think "our guy got elected, it's happily ever after". The left has a way of affecting change in huge, righteously indignant waves of social revolution, in grand gestures. I assert that in order to keep the gains we've made, and to hasten the adoption of a more progressive world, that we must also be willing to work studiously on the day-to-day where there isn't great principles being defended or great wrongs being righted. Standing up for whats right in those little ways every day, assailing the hypocrisy and never backing down to bully tactics from the right.
Lest we go back to the last 8 years.