The progressive movement sorely needs a leader to inspire human rights and social justice. Our various national addictions and obsessions cannot be healed with politics or prideful, defiant and impotent individualism. There is the problem of other people.
The only antidote to the outside unelected establishment forces that cause elected lawmakers to abandon compromise and accommodate to these forces is to compete with them and show people that a progressive sector can provide them a sustainable life style.
Right now, it is too much to expect a nation of addicts that are nowhere close to hitting bottom that ideas can trump a job. Even a shitty job will help them feed their addictions. At least with an alternative way of life, they can exercise their humanity and make a choice.
Let's see, what would you choose; life or money? Life or oil? Life or politics? Life or supermarkets? Life or consumer slavery? Life or credit cards?
If You Read One Article Today...
This article is about 1 the unelected power establishment that can be left or rightplus 2 the corporate oligarchy that reigns ex-officio, depending on their payout plus 3 conservative ideology (among its many negative qualities are the spread of cynicism that has infected every corner of world civilization)
Progressivism is a state of mind, like conservatism. Its power lies in influencing politics.
The worst effect of conservatism is the spread of cynicism, not the rise of the Republican Party. The phony war between the Democratic Party and The Republican Party is only a fundraising show. They may hate each other but that is not enough for them to directly aid voters instead of themselves. Party strategists, party officials and party apparatchiks comprise a self-serving culture that ignores the noble purpose of politics to act as an interface between legislators and the electorate. That is lost.
It is the reason why progressive initiatives are needed in the first place.
There are more social justice organizations, big and small than there are cities or houses of worship in The United States. There are more people working for social justice in some way or another than there are Republicans and Democrats. There are more people working for social justice than there are Progressives. All are potential progressive voters but make no mistake; progressivism like conservatism, is a state of mind, not a political party.
The nonprofit sector is 1.5 million organizations. They are well motivated, they know what they are doing, they are local grassroots organizations in most cases; they are protected by law and regulated by the IRS. In 2006, they accounted for a little over 8% of wages and salaries in the U.S. They already align with private enterprises for mutual promotion. Sometimes they serve to dispense care that is financed by government.
Those relationships have to be nurtured by lobbying for them, advocating, volunteering and funding them. As they grow into these roles, necessity will impose structure on them.
They have the potential to insulate government against the conservative onslaught on government. The potential of political parties in this society is limited to bureaucratic growth.
For the last thirty years, conservatives have maintained that government does not work; to lend credence to that theme, they have sought to dismantle and cripple government with dilatory parliamentary procedures, legislation, inept political appointees and denial of senatorial confirmations.
Perpetuating the phony political war that only produces divisiveness will never achieve justice or even favored political outcomes. It will however support the culture of political pundit, political pollsters, and impotent pit bulls for candidates and party apparatchiks.
Political parties, the pit bulls of the establishment are one example of the unelected establishment; they provide income for the culture of politicking and are a net drain on society. Why progressive Democrats fall for their bullshit is more of a mystery to me than right wing rhetoric.
The parties are constantly seeking money and time only for it to benefit party pundits, party pollsters, party strategists and party apparatchiks. Even candidates are hostage to their own parties.