Wake Up Dems, Liberalism is Dead

With breathless euphoria liberals rejoice, reveling in the excesses and stupidities of the Bush regime. Fair enough-American voters offered a powerful rejection of Bush and his cronies, but let's be honest-the Democrats are a pathetic alternative. The Democrats didn't win this election, the Republicans lost it. The American left is still lost in the desert.

The Democrats today are little more than the anti-Bush party. In order to become a legitimate left alternative, the Democrats need to decisively reframe political discourse, rejecting the lifeless liberal framework as a rotting pile of hypocrisy and contradictions, and articulate a forcefully social democratic political ideology. This transformation is within grasp. Yet it is uncertain if pressure from within the Democratic party can effect this necessary evolution. More likely the Democrats will have to be dragged (or destroyed) kicking and screaming by third-party alternatives. Public opinion polls reveal that there is an electorally viable position for a social-democratic left. It's time to leave liberalism behind.

This is what a real political victory for the left would look like.

Let's start with the war in Iraq. The Democrat's critique of the war has been tepid at best: The manner of waging war was wrong, not the war itself. If that's true, all we need is smarter and more efficient Republicans-hello John McCain! A legitimate left would not quibble about tactics and timing, but would rather launch a broad critique of American militarism. It's time to give up the imperialist dreams of Cheney, Rumsfeld, and the jingoistic projects of ultra-nationalists. American greatness and national strength should be measured by the depth and breadth of our democracy, not our military domination overseas.

Social democracy rejects nationalistic militarism, but supports the soldier-the working men and women who defend nation. The clear enemies of our soldiers are the adventuresome militarists who would gamble the lives of our troops on foreign delusions. Supporting our troops means bringing them home, and this is what a strong majority of Americans want. In keeping with a broad critique of militarism, we need a fundamental restructuring of America's fighting force. We should cut military spending and reduce its size, but increase our support and benefits for our soldiers and veterans. As it stands today, poor people, particularly minorities, fill the ranks of the armed forces. A democracy should have a citizen army that reflects its citizenry. This could be achieved through mandatory military or civil service - no exemptions for the rich or the educated, period. Supporting our troops means discrediting the hawkish adventurers who endanger the lives of our soldiers, and democratizing the military by involving all Americans. It is incumbent upon the left to articulate how current injustices tarnish our democratic credentials.

A social democratic party would also adopt a critique of capitalism which recognizes the dignity and value of labor. Enough Americans have suffered from the trickle-down class warfare of Reaganites against the poor-Americans are angry and ready to fight back. While skyrocketing corporate profits have lined the pockets of a tiny elite, the real wages of working Americans have steadily declined. Two of three Americans think the rich are not taxed enough, while most Americans think the poor are taxed too much. Fully 70% of Americans believe corporations do not pay their fair share in taxes. Social democrats would give the people what they want: reduce taxes for working people, and raise taxes on corporations and the rich.

To complement this shift towards more progressive taxation, social democrats would empower working people at the workplace by helping promote a favorable environment for union organizing. The Nation Labor Relations Board, conceived as a way to protect workers during the New Deal, has in recent years gutted labor law, assaulted protections for workers, and made it practically impossible to organize. Democracy at the workplace is an essential part of American democracy-we need unions to help our workers get better wages, safer conditions, and decent and respectful treatment. The revitalization of the left and the labor movement are inextricably connected.

Social democracy also means a deep commitment to egalitarian principles. In a society of such abundance, no person should be without food and housing; no person should be denied access to comprehensive medical care or education. Fully three-quarters of Americans want universal health care. Social democrats would give the people what they want. All Americans should have access to good public schools; many today do not. All should be able to go to college without accumulating prohibitive debts. Racism also continues to pervert our democracy. We cannot ignore race by indulging in illusions of color-blind meritocracy. For millions of people of color, racism continues to be a tangible part of everyday life. Likewise, not only minorities, but women continue to make cents on the dollar. Social democrats would articulate a critique of American society that acknowledges the many ways in which we are still unfolding and discovering the full meaning of American democracy.

I love my country, but not unconditionally. The greatness of America is measured in the strength of our democracy and the substance of our egalitarianism. The left must embrace the ideological underpinnings of social democracy. The liberal establishment and the Democratic Party have given Americans plenty of rhetoric and false promises; the party is ideologically defunct and dominated by wealth and large corporations. Not much can be expected. Social democracy is about advancing freedom, deepening democracy, and upholding the egalitarianism requisite of a republican society. If they are to survive, the Democrats must give the people what they want.