If we do not build left-right coalitions on issues such as militarism, health care, a living wage and union organizing, we will be impotent in the face of corporate power and the war machine.
This column is a perfect extension of last week’s ideas about separation by identity politics. I’ve spent a lifetime on what I would call the true left. As a child I listened to my father’s Paul Robeson records, and so I learned about Joe Hill, the Auction Block, and Kevin Barry through art, and through the hard core lessons of Berkeley in the 60’s, (before the fall!)
The left then stood for freedom. I’ve never changed my views. But Chris Hedges is so correct in this column. There’s a long history of great people who have understood these messages. Fred Hampton’s attempt at solidarity with Virginia coal miners stands out. Frederick Douglass writing that every chain has two ends and both ends serve to hold down freedom. Bob Dylan’s great song: “Only A Pawn In Their Game” says all of this.
“We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
I also believe this is what we have to do to dethrone the fascist corporate masters. Bernie Sanders did a great deal to point out how the true left and the true right have many commonalities. Joining together to return the government to the citizens should be the first goal. Then we can democratically debate solutions. As it currently stands there is nothing to debate, because they do not seek solutions, only ways to increase profits to the corporate overlords.
Keep in mind that "Left" and "Right" in the current American understanding of those terms, really only makes sense, if at all, in the context of contemporary US politics.
This is why liberals and conservatives love to argue over whether German national socialism was "conservative" or "liberal" (you can do either, if you cherrypick data points and ignore others). This is also how Russia is depicted as a Stalinist dictatorship (it isn't) to sell the war to a conservative audience, and as a theocratic fascist state (it isn't) when it comes to getting goodthink liberals on side.
"Because both political parties are complicit in giving over $100 billion to Ukraine to keep this war going." With almost no debate, and no hand-wringing about deficits, unlike when any social spending that might make the lives of millions of Americans less precarious is proposed. No cries of "socialism" either.
Divide and Conquer has worked out so well for the Corporate Oligarchy. Jim Crow the most effective. Working poor blacks and whites have more in common than not. LBJ with his many faults championed civil rights which changed the Southern Democratic party to the point where Nixon targeted the racists to become Republican in his Southern Strategy. Pure divide and conquer. LBJ put it in a nut shell "tell a poor whit Texan share cropper he is better than a ni--er and you can rob his pockets forever"! The great divide lives to this day even longer than LBJ lamented after civil right laws went into effect "the Democrat's will lose the South for a generation". 4 generations later no end in sight! MAGA supporting whites continue to cut their noses off in spite. When or if they ever unite poor whites and blacks would be a power never scene before!
"War can so easily be gilt with romance and heroism and solemn national duty and patriotism and the like by persons whose superficial literary and oratorical talent covers an abyss of Godforsaken folly."
I’ve been trying to get my far right, Trump loving Christian Bible pounding friend to see how they’ve duped us BOTH. That we have more in common than not - and that the neoliberal war machine for profit, with Wall Street , big pharma and
Billionaires robbing our country (and the planet) blind -are our MUTUAL enemy ... and We need to UNITE to Fight
Yay, finally seeing a political shift with a "left-right coalition." The Democratic and Republican parties are essentially the same when it comes to war involvement. Keeping this (Dem and Rep parties) together is the Us vs Them mentality. Finding commonality outside this "split" is super promising. Reading your article though I see the "Divide and Conquer" mentality/power that can wreck a left-right coalition. I think CodePink is making a mistake in not participating (speaker-wise) and is essentially contributing to a Divide and Conquer possibility. Seems as though the Labor movement also disfunctions with divisions - race/class.
The "left" groups opposing this are not only motivated by identity politics and "woke" (I hate that word!) culture.
Nick Branna is perceived as a third party organizer and threat to the Democratic Party. Any left-right alliances are also a threat to the Democratic Party (as a threat to the monopoly on political power of what Nader calls the Duopoly).
So, these groups are effectively - and some perhaps intentionally and knowingly - are elevating Democratic Party loyalties over anti-war activism. The exact same thing happened on the Medicare for all issue.
I think that you are perhaps the best intellectual of our time but you've got this one wrong. One has only to look back to the early 1940's to the America First Committee (AFC). Amongst their leaders were Father Charles Coughlin and Charles Lindbergh both supporters of fascism. The AFC was by far the largest anti war group in the country, yet on the left the Socialist Workers Party was also anti war but refused to work with them because they didn't want to be associated with the Nazis. At the February 19 rally there will be a speaker who is a supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, thugs who physically attacked the Communist Party and the Socialist Workers Party in their "Operation Mop Up". This is not to mention Libertarians, people who may be against racism, but who would never pass a law to protect people of color. The anti war movement's way forward is to appeal to the working class and the oppressed and Libertarians and LaRouche supporters are an obstacle not an asset.
Chris made the right decision. This issue involves an existential crisis, the possible extinction of the human race, and the continuing deaths and serious injury of many tens of thousands of people that it makes sense to work with others who are for peace and are anti-war, even though you might disagree with them on other issues.
This column is a perfect extension of last week’s ideas about separation by identity politics. I’ve spent a lifetime on what I would call the true left. As a child I listened to my father’s Paul Robeson records, and so I learned about Joe Hill, the Auction Block, and Kevin Barry through art, and through the hard core lessons of Berkeley in the 60’s, (before the fall!)
The left then stood for freedom. I’ve never changed my views. But Chris Hedges is so correct in this column. There’s a long history of great people who have understood these messages. Fred Hampton’s attempt at solidarity with Virginia coal miners stands out. Frederick Douglass writing that every chain has two ends and both ends serve to hold down freedom. Bob Dylan’s great song: “Only A Pawn In Their Game” says all of this.
“We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
I also believe this is what we have to do to dethrone the fascist corporate masters. Bernie Sanders did a great deal to point out how the true left and the true right have many commonalities. Joining together to return the government to the citizens should be the first goal. Then we can democratically debate solutions. As it currently stands there is nothing to debate, because they do not seek solutions, only ways to increase profits to the corporate overlords.
Yea, verily.
Keep in mind that "Left" and "Right" in the current American understanding of those terms, really only makes sense, if at all, in the context of contemporary US politics.
This is why liberals and conservatives love to argue over whether German national socialism was "conservative" or "liberal" (you can do either, if you cherrypick data points and ignore others). This is also how Russia is depicted as a Stalinist dictatorship (it isn't) to sell the war to a conservative audience, and as a theocratic fascist state (it isn't) when it comes to getting goodthink liberals on side.
"Because both political parties are complicit in giving over $100 billion to Ukraine to keep this war going." With almost no debate, and no hand-wringing about deficits, unlike when any social spending that might make the lives of millions of Americans less precarious is proposed. No cries of "socialism" either.
Divide and Conquer has worked out so well for the Corporate Oligarchy. Jim Crow the most effective. Working poor blacks and whites have more in common than not. LBJ with his many faults championed civil rights which changed the Southern Democratic party to the point where Nixon targeted the racists to become Republican in his Southern Strategy. Pure divide and conquer. LBJ put it in a nut shell "tell a poor whit Texan share cropper he is better than a ni--er and you can rob his pockets forever"! The great divide lives to this day even longer than LBJ lamented after civil right laws went into effect "the Democrat's will lose the South for a generation". 4 generations later no end in sight! MAGA supporting whites continue to cut their noses off in spite. When or if they ever unite poor whites and blacks would be a power never scene before!
Those speaking at the rally speak for me.
Good luck and Godspeed.
"War can so easily be gilt with romance and heroism and solemn national duty and patriotism and the like by persons whose superficial literary and oratorical talent covers an abyss of Godforsaken folly."
George Bernard Shaw
"...the last war that was declared by Congress was World War II"
Wow! I did not know that. It speaks volumes on what has become of our political system and its respect for the constitution on which it is founded.
I’ve been trying to get my far right, Trump loving Christian Bible pounding friend to see how they’ve duped us BOTH. That we have more in common than not - and that the neoliberal war machine for profit, with Wall Street , big pharma and
Billionaires robbing our country (and the planet) blind -are our MUTUAL enemy ... and We need to UNITE to Fight
Or
Go up in flames as they are hoping
Good news... she’s starting to get it!
Yay, finally seeing a political shift with a "left-right coalition." The Democratic and Republican parties are essentially the same when it comes to war involvement. Keeping this (Dem and Rep parties) together is the Us vs Them mentality. Finding commonality outside this "split" is super promising. Reading your article though I see the "Divide and Conquer" mentality/power that can wreck a left-right coalition. I think CodePink is making a mistake in not participating (speaker-wise) and is essentially contributing to a Divide and Conquer possibility. Seems as though the Labor movement also disfunctions with divisions - race/class.
Awesome article. Would Chris really not go to an anti war rally if it included the Proud Boys? I feel that’s an issue I disagree with Chris on.
The "left" groups opposing this are not only motivated by identity politics and "woke" (I hate that word!) culture.
Nick Branna is perceived as a third party organizer and threat to the Democratic Party. Any left-right alliances are also a threat to the Democratic Party (as a threat to the monopoly on political power of what Nader calls the Duopoly).
So, these groups are effectively - and some perhaps intentionally and knowingly - are elevating Democratic Party loyalties over anti-war activism. The exact same thing happened on the Medicare for all issue.
I think that you are perhaps the best intellectual of our time but you've got this one wrong. One has only to look back to the early 1940's to the America First Committee (AFC). Amongst their leaders were Father Charles Coughlin and Charles Lindbergh both supporters of fascism. The AFC was by far the largest anti war group in the country, yet on the left the Socialist Workers Party was also anti war but refused to work with them because they didn't want to be associated with the Nazis. At the February 19 rally there will be a speaker who is a supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, thugs who physically attacked the Communist Party and the Socialist Workers Party in their "Operation Mop Up". This is not to mention Libertarians, people who may be against racism, but who would never pass a law to protect people of color. The anti war movement's way forward is to appeal to the working class and the oppressed and Libertarians and LaRouche supporters are an obstacle not an asset.
Big and loud Bravo!
Chris made the right decision. This issue involves an existential crisis, the possible extinction of the human race, and the continuing deaths and serious injury of many tens of thousands of people that it makes sense to work with others who are for peace and are anti-war, even though you might disagree with them on other issues.
Surprised G. Greenwald isn't involved. Even if he can't be there in person, could send a statement. Left/Right coalitions are a big part of his niche.