In response to my criticisms of these calls for "left unity" I received a phone call yesterday with the angry caller concluding: Can you do better?
Quite frankly, I think I can articulate the need for unity better than what these Obama supporters posing as leftists have done.
Lots of people are talking about "left unity" and all other kinds of "unity."
I agree with the idea we need to be united. But, who are "we." What do "we" stand for? Is support for Wall Street politicians like Obama the basis of creating "left unity;" or even a contributing factor to "left unity?" Is "left unity" all that we seek?
We should be seeking the unity of all Americans "fed up" with the Democrats and Republicans which would include many of those fed up trying to work for change from within and around the Democratic Party and even a few Democratic Party politicians who are just as fed up as the rest of us.
Many of those calling for "left unity" are doing so simply to divert our attention from the fact that they supported a Wall Street imperialist war monger like Obama and this support of theirs of Obama has become detrimental to "left unity" and working class unity and unity of liberals, progressives and the left.
Unity has to be based on the fact that we are, "People united For Peace, Full Employment, Universal Health Care and Environmental Protection."
A movement is in formation and is in various stages of development and these "left" Obama supporters under the guise of saying they are for "unity" are really trying to set us up like sitting ducks for the next Democrat they intend to support under the guise: "we can't allow Republicans to take over."
We do need organized unity. Our strength is in building a united movement for real change.
I don't think it is important that we have an organization with a name at this point. But, we do need to be united around a basic agenda for real change.
Many of those calling for "left unity" are part of the "Progressives for Obama" organization now with a changed name to hide the fact they are Obama supporters that will be used to back, most likely war-monger Hillary Clinton; the organization called "Progressives Rising." These sell-outs have a name but they don't articulate a specific agenda for united action.
We can simply present ourselves as an "Ad Hoc organization in formation" welcoming anyone aboard who agrees on the need for "People uniting For Peace, Full Employment, Universal Health Care and Environmental Protection."
Organizations are in formation all the time and people who we want to reach out to. people who are fed up--- (liberals, progressives and leftists), will understand this... and so will many other people. There has been a lot of talk about all kinds of "unity" without any substance.
We should proceed with drafting a statement explaining how these four issues are related: Peace, Full Employment, Universal Health Care and Environmental Protection; this could be the gist of how we explain ourselves:
Fed up?
So are we.
We are concerned Americans joining together with the rest of the world's peoples demanding:
Peace.
Full Employment.
Universal Health Care.
A healthy people and planet.
Given the fact that it is our labor that creates all wealth we don't think we are demanding too much.
Without an end to militarism and ending these dirty wars we have no means to finance universal health care without drastically increasing taxes. Our Nation at peace with a peace budget will create millions of jobs providing the American people with no-fee/no-premium, comprehensive, all-inclusive, universal health care that is publicly financed, publicly administered and publicly delivered like FDR's Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins, envisaged--- health care delivered just like public education.
In ending militarism and wars we eliminate the largest carbon footprint of any industry on the planet--- the Military-Industrial Complex.
The "peace dividends" we reap from ending wars and militarism are many; people and the planet will benefit if our struggles in the streets, at work and at the ballot box succeed.
Uniting people is about a struggle for power against the greedy, parasitical Wall Street vultures who bribe Democrats and Republicans so these Wall Street merchants of death and destruction can continue to profit from militarism and wars the same way they profit from the present private, for-profit health care system while reaping super-profits from using large numbers of unemployed people forced into poverty to depress all wages (low wages mean higher profits) and bust unions while destroying our living environment--- the air we breath, the water we drink and the land we grow our food on.
With peace--- and without Wall Street in power--- planet earth will be able to begin recovering from global warming and climate change as the Military-Industrial Complex is finally shut down instead of our basic manufacturing industries which will be brought back to life in environmentally friendly ways putting millions of unemployed and under-employed Americans back to work as the focus of government turns from looking after Wall Street to putting people to work solving the problems of the people like the Full Employment Act of 1945 introduced by Texas liberal Congressman Wright Patman called for in making Congress and the President responsible for a peace-time full employment economy.
Through peace we create jobs providing real health care reform while keeping both people and the planet healthy.
Government budgets are a reflection of our Nation's real priorities.
Wall Street dictate through bribing politicians is not what democracy is all about.
Peace. Full Employment. Universal Health Care. For a healthy people and planet.
Only a powerful "people's lobby" can challenge the Wall Street lobbyists.
Is anyone interested? Let's talk about this. Let's respond to these idle calls of the phony "leftists" backing Obama and the Democrats who will continue to deliver what the Republicans promise: wars, unemployment, poverty.
Finding real solutions to our problems is what has the potential for real unity.
This is who we are: the "fed up"... "People uniting For Peace, Full Employment, Universal Health Care and Environmental Protection."
Does anyone disagree these are the basic points of united action and the kind of unity required at this time?
Alan L. Maki