Are there many real left lefties on DU? Just curious as to what you'd say would be the most critical

[qijackie]

issue these days?

[annabanana]

1. Perhaps you should give us YOUR definition of "real left lefties"

:shrug:

[qijackie]

6. Well, I'm thinking union organizers, Emma Goldman types, and so on.

[Terry in Austin]

67. Back in the old days,

the New Left referred to it as the Old Left. Go figure.

[Terry in Austin]

68. What's Left?

For me, the identifying themes of Things Left are:

1. We're all in this together
2. We all should be pretty much equal

To oversimplify, I think the Right stresses "freedom" and the Left stresses "equality."
Which, of course, carries a subtext of "privileges" and "rights," respectively. YMMV.

[zonmoy]

89. right stresses security and authority more than freedom nowadays

unless you look at the libertarians. even they are getting the authoritarians that find the repukes too authoritarian.

[shraby]

2. Winning the election in November. You can't

hold anyone's feet to the fire if they don't win.

[Stevepol]

52. Don't know how left I am, but I agree. The election's the thing

wherein we'll catch the conscience of the King (George that is).

The biggest issue is therefore fair vote counting and fair elections, no more dirty tricks like caging lists and ex-felon lists and voter intimidation and voter challenging at the polling places, etc. etc. etc.

Get rid of the electronic votng machines or demand a paper ballot and audits for EVERY ELECTION. That's the first step, then make sure the laws governing the dirty tricks are ENFORCED!

And don't concede one inch after the election, not one inch, no matter what the alleged election results indicate. The exit polls are much more likely to be correct than the vote when that vote is counted in total secrecy without verification.

[kestrel91316]

3. The term "leftie" is used as a perjorative by the RW fascists.

You wouldn't perhaps want to use the more appropriate term "progressives" now would you?

Just curious.

[qijackie]

7. No, sorry, I grew up with lefties.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[qijackie]

17. Because I'm asking DU -

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[qijackie]

21. Sorry your experiences are so limited. What is it you don't believe exactly?

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[qijackie]

33. That's absurd.

[DutchLiberal]

44. I agree; this is absurd.

I've experienced the same overly suspicion on DU over a simple innocent question. Cut him/her some slack. I think sometimes people on DU tend to be overly suspicious to anyone who doesn't think exactly like them.

(By the way, I too am a Kucinich-fan.)

[CJCRANE]

79. It's just the standard DU "vetting" of newbies.

It's part of the initiation.

[Posteritatis]

45. If you've only ever heard the term from "RW fascists" your experiences *are* limited. (nt)

[asthmaticeog]

49. You're just flat out wrong.

By most metrics, I'm pretty faaaaaaaar left for an American, and I refer to us as "lefties" all the time. You need to get out more, or at the very least get off the OP's case.

[qijackie]

53. Hey, thanks. I actually am just trying to see if the "visions" of freedom and equality and

and what we want in our hearts has really changed all that much? Even if little progress has been made toward achieving it - so it seems it gets lost these days. My family were immigrants and they fought for farmers against big business and for unions and for equality (at least as it was framed for them at the time). Jobs and food and basics for everyone. Yet we seem to be lost in space now and going farther and farther away from all that. Makes me sad.

[wvbygod]

65. you must be kidding

I think you forgot the sarcasm tag. I nearly chocked on my cheeseburger when I read that!

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Forrest Greene]

97. It Somehow Doesn't Pass The Smell Test, Secret Agent X9

"Sorry your experiences are so instructive," I think.

[Raksha]

78. I don't mind being called a lefty...I call myself that.

The righties on another forum I frequent call me that all the time, and call themselves righties. Hell, I'm even left-handed!

[femrap]

84. I like the term as well

Proud to be a Leftie...a Wellstone type, I guess. Progressive term was used back when??? Was it in Teddy Roosevelt's day? I know I should be more educated about our history.

Rather be a Leftie than a Rightie Tightie

[magellan]

4. Restoring the Constitution

...and reclaiming our government from the corporations.

[PeaceNikki]

5. There are a LOT of "most critical" issues.

The War
Poverty
Health Care
Civil Rights
The ecomomy
Education

[Forkboy]

9. Exactly. No way to pick just one.

The stove is full of many boiling pots.

[Lorien]

77. I almost never see the environment on those lists

is it because the candidates don't grasp the severity of the problem? Do they realize that we may have less than 50 years left?

[leftchick]

8. as a 'leftist chick' I would say

the key issue is the politicians beholden to corporations and the MIC. They are the "industries" that have been fucking us over for decades because of the bribes paid to congress critters an administrations. Because of that money everything has been fucked, from health care to the environment.

[AmandaRuth]

15. yes , you are correct

politicians being beholden to corps and not to the public, is the biggest problem.

[Individualist]

23. Agree

The only way to return this nation to a government of, by and for the people is to get rid of the corporatists/DLC.

[leftchick]

40. and that is why the DLC and hillary

are fighting so hard. The loss of their power is unacceptable to them.

[femrap]

85. I call that Fascism...

the gov't and corporations working hand in hand...

[panader0]

10. Ending the war in Iraq.

I've always been a pacifist. The war has caused so much death, destruction, and economic chaos. Of course, we will need Obama in office to accomplish this.

[kdmorris]

11. If by "real left lefties" you mean liberal progressives

then I would say that I am one and right now the number one issue is taking back the WH.

After that, there's so many issues, so many people dying from starvation, homelessness, lack of medical care, lack of heat(not right this minute, obviously, but in the past winter)... but they are also dying from bombs and bullets in Iraq.

We have to have a safety net for our citizens. No one should ever starve to death or freeze to death or bleed to death in a ER. There should be a basic standard of living... a point below which we do not allow out citizens to fall.

And we need to stop spending so much money on bombs and tanks and guns.

[qijackie]

16. I don't think I actually do mean liberal progressives but maybe I do - I never quite

have figured out what that means - liberal generally seems to mean left of center to some degree and progressive seems to mean wanting political reform of some sort, but I think I tend to more mean those who were/are way left into marxism and pacifism and so on.

[magellan]

19. Take the Political Compass test

http://www.politicalcompass.org

That'll show you where you are in relation to well known political figures and give you a better understanding of the landscape.

fyi several DU polls have shown that most (not all, but most) DUers who respond fall into the lower left quadrant around Gandhi, Nader and Kucinich.

[qijackie]

26. Oh yes, I've seen that - But the Dem candidates aren't in that quadrant - how do we get one that is?

[magellan]

51. Not easy.

This country won't be ready for a Kucinich until they know the truth. And getting that truth to them will be a HUGE uphill battle. The Repubs have decimated public education and the media over the last few decades in their frenzy to privatize and control as much as possible, making powerful friends for themselves in the mega-corporations through deregulation. The corporatists control our government, and the message. That won't change just because a Dem is elected in November. The Dems are moving to the right to win elections too.

Perhaps it will take the economic devastation that's coming to finally wake this country up to the scam the neocons and "free market" pols who infest both parties have worked on us. The lies and propaganda we've been subjected to would make Goebbels envious. But...the truth is on the way.

If you're truly interested in workers' rights -- heck, PEOPLE'S rights -- then talk to as many people as you can about the blight of corporate control in our government and how it screws everyone but the wealthiest. I guarantee you'll find more and more willing listeners as few will escape the bad times ahead.

[qijackie]

54. You know the idea that all we need is an informed, an educated, an aware public

has been around for a long time. Ain't working as far as I can see. I really used to think that it was a possible goal - to get people to see, to understand, to learn about the rest of the world and about others and so on - but maybe that is just another con job - its very frustrating especially as our educational system keeps sliding down the greased slope instead of getting better.

[magellan]

69. No, a lot of it is down to our media

I knew more about what was really going on in the US when I lived in the UK!

Our cable and network news stations and radio stations are all owned by just a few corporations. Their relationship with our government from the CEOs down to the actual reporters and pundits is incestuous to put it mildly. There is war profiteering and WH access control involved. This has been facilitated and encouraged by three decades of Repub rule and increasingly by the Dems as well, since Clinton.

If you haven't noticed, we are NOT being informed by the very people whose responsibility it is to keep us informed. For example, all three major cable news networks (I choke at even calling them news) -- CNN, MSNBC and FOX -- presented retired generals as neutral commentators about the Iraq war and occupation. But they were not neutral; they were being paid by the Pentagon. And the networks KNEW this.

A handful of outlets still practice true journalism, but they've mostly been marginalized and aren't mainstream. They aren't the talking heads people listen to while eating dinner and getting the kids ready for school the next day.

This is why, in answer to your initial question, I said we need to restore the Constitution -- FULLY -- and take back control of our government from the corporations.

We really need to decide whether we're a democratic republic or a fascist state.

[qijackie]

73. I see propaganda gaining a huge foothold in the US with the invention and

rise of television. It just has become more centralized and obvious with the abolishment of independent news media. But I also see a sad decrease in our educational system as well. With the combination, I think we have long ago left the realm of democratic republics.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[qijackie]

30. No, are you?

[DutchLiberal]

46. Because being 'leftist' doesn't mean you are a Marxist.

Just like being 'leftist' doesn't mean you're a progressive, either.

[Name removed]

62. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cloudythescribbler]

82. There are OODLES of different kinds of leftists (such as myself) who are not Marxists

You have greens, all kinds of anarchists, independent non-Marxist leftists, syndicalists, etc.

[kdmorris]

24. Well, I self-identify as both a liberal and a progressive

Liberal (despite the definition the media has imposed on me) means TO ME, someone who is (borrowing from dictionary.com):

1. favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.
2. favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression
3. of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies
4. free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant
5. characterized by generosity and willingness to give
6. favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties

In America, it's far left of center, in my opinion.

Progressive, well, that just means willing to want progress, I guess.

[qijackie]

47. Just saw your answer - thanks .

[AmandaRuth]

12. public funding of elections

getting corp money out of politics. I think i am in the minority when it comes to issues. I just think it is tied to everything else, including the war and the economy.

[Gabi Hayes]

25. that and this go hand in hand:

[qijackie]

14. So do you think some of the old words/rallying cries still apply? Like

put production in the hands of the workers, redistribute the wealth (seriously redistribute the wealth), pacifism, solidarity, equality for women, ?? Have things changed that much so you all would use different words or are things pretty much the same?

[kestrel91316]

28. You'll probably find that most DUers are feminists. But

none of us ever burned any bras, if you're wondering. You are aware that NO feminists ever burned any bras in the 70s and that is just an urban myth/slander by the Right, right?

[Deja Q]

18. Jobs.

[nashville_brook]

27. reigning in the oligarchy -- by definition, this would be the "lefty-left" issue.

also, the idea is to do with it with sticks rather than carrots. they've been very bad, and they don't deserve any slack, nor do we have any to give.

[qijackie]

37. Yes. So how do we do that? It seems that this has been a central issue

for more than a century - maybe even longer - how do we ever make it different? Hard to imagine a real revolution taking place in the US. But then what? Or is that actually possible?

[nashville_brook]

102. i studied poly sci theory in college, which kinda helps this discussion...

there's "revolution" and there's "reform."

"revolution" is the overturning of a system lock, stock and barrel. it's done from "the outside," as in an opposition movement.

"reform" is making a broken system work better. "reform" is done "inside the system" and doesn't require wholesale transferral of power.

Because our current situation is the result of a broken election system (i.e. corporate finance, etc), reform is quite adequate to do the job.

When we talk about "revolution" in the American system, I think we are generally talking about "social revolution," where the goal is to get a critical mass of lawmakers on the side of reform. The "revolution" part is like when Johnson told MLK that he would do his job as long as MLK did his (i.e. keep the people on the side of reform -- asking for it en masse). This is something Obama has predicated his campaign on -- change that comes from the bottom up, rather than the top down. It's not the whole of his message, but it's part of it -- that "the people" have to keep the pressure up in order for "Washington" to respond.

[Greyhound]

31. Many large issues, but the single largest that is the root cause of so many others

is, IMO, the withdrawal from, and abolition of, the central banking system. Just about every major issue we face today goes back to this abomination.

[Occulus]

32. Corporate personhood is at the root of many, if not most, of this country's problems

If corporate entities didn't have rights as persons, we very may never have gotten into this mess in the first place. The damage done by the legal doctrine of corporate personhood goes back decades, and we will not be able to take our country back untless and until we end the personhood of the modern corporation.

[qijackie]

36. I sure agree with this. That was an evil evil day.

[zonmoy]

90. More like all our countries problems.

ever since our country forgot the founding fathers limitations on the power of corporations we have been going into hell in a hand-basket.

[Mojambo]

35. Full public financing of all elections. That has to come first. n/t

[angrycarpenter]

38. maybe, maybe not

I think you are looking for the late 60s, early 70s movie version of a Marxist guerilla.

None here that I know of.

The left has grown up. We are responsible people who believe in legal, non violent change in the prevailing greed-ocracy that is running our beloved country into the ground.

Go back to the board where you usually post and tell Rush that his operation chaos has failed along with your republican party.

[lxlxlxl]

39. Got quite a few...

Going to stick to bullet points

*NEVER HAVING ANOTHER BUSH OR DUMB REPUB IN THE WHITE HOUSE

*Removing money from campaigns definitely!

*Addressing the necessity of unions and promoting local manufacturing

*Being honest about financial markets and their ability to move commodity prices and influence the viability of social programs

*Seeing ability for totalitarian governments to derail international politics, and building INTERNATIONAL approaches to dealing with them...also Rebuilding Failed States has to be an academic priorty

*Not being afraid of complexity and recognizing simplifaction as a tactic of the right.

*Thinking about dialogue in politics not just as "us vs. them" but understanding the ways in which our dialogue sometimes promote shock and inactivity (see conspiracy theories, and also theories that give
far too much credit to things/people who do not deserve them i.e. Rove)

*History...History...History...

[qijackie]

41. I like your answers, particularly about building international approaches.

[DutchLiberal]

42. I consider myself a 'real left leftie'. And by American standards, I think I'm almost Marx himself!

;)

The most critical issue these days? The world-wide food crisis. Millions of people will starve to death just because they can't afford to buy FOOD anymore! Rice, corn and other essential nutrition are becoming unattainable for the poorest of the poorest. And what does the West do? The World Bank is offering a miserably 1,2 billion. That's peanuts compared to what's needed. And as long as the WTO and the West keep shutting out the Third World from the global market, the situation will get worse and worse. I think this is the most severe crisis I've ever heard about. We have even seen on the news food riots. And we've seen how in South-Africa poor Africans are violently fighting against 'foreigners' from neighboring Zimbabwe (refugees from Mugabe's regime) because 'they steal their jobs'. Meanwhile, the rich in power laugh...

(Somehow, I feel I really butchered this post grammatically- speaking. I'll have to play my "English is not my native language-card" here, although I know better than this...)

[zonmoy]

91. food crisis is merely a symptom of corporate greed and overpopulation

you might want to read a bit of malthus.

[blondeatlast]

43. If my only concern was a sound bite, I'd be one of THEM. Since by my own definition,

I'm way to the left of center, they all matter.

You tell me.

[qijackie]

48. I'm thinking over-population has to be a big one - at least for me.

The strain on the planet is incredible. The food supply can't keep up. Remember the crowded rat experiments where when there were over a certain number in a space they just went nuts and went on killing sprees.

[KG]

50. as one of th few real leftists left on DU - the most critical issue for me is the stranglehold of

the 2-party electoral system. until this is broken, america is totally screwed.

because, let's face it, the dem party is not, and never will be, the vehicle for progessive politics.

[qijackie]

57. So - imagine we have real choices and that (by some insane miracle) we

actually could and did elect a "real leftie" (or whatever we want to call him or her) - would we then be able to save ourselves? is it too late? could we help the rest of the world?
and do you think S. America is on a better path?

[galledgoblin]

55. shifting to a sustainable way of life, economically and environmentally (n/t)

[Stinky The Clown]

56. My most critical issue is to see assholes run out of town on a rail

[pitohui]

58. i hope i am considered to be a leftie

to my mind the critical issue is universal health care

angry as i am about falling wages, if we had universal health care and didn't have to die for doing real work and thus having rotten health insurance or maybe no insurance instead of being MBAs with solid gold health plans, then it wouldn't be quite so bad -- to me the health care crisis is just WAY out of hand -- it's also stopping us from being able to compete in the global market and it's a global world now

obv. jobs/the economy/worker's rights is way up there too

the environment/global warming/search for alternative sources that won't impact the atmosphere -- i feel that funding of these areas is also, guess what, a good way to generate jobs

[MedleyMisty]

59. About your last sentence

Why don't more people get that? I see people saying that caring about the ability of the planet to continue to support life is just for rich pricks who want to control others and that you can't care about the future of all life and about social issues at the same time.

I make $10 an hour and can not in any way, shape, or form be called a rich privileged elitist, and guess what, I think that the planet having a future is rather important. And researching and developing new technology and new infrastructure would generate a hell of a lot of jobs - it'd be like FDR's infrastructure programs in the Depression.

And that's why I can't pick a single issue - everything is connected. Everything effects everything else.

But if you trace the problems back to their source - yeah, I'd have to agree that our enemy is the global corporations.

[qijackie]

60. My aunt died this year after being a mess for about 5 - needed lots

of meds and so on - a shot that was 400 each month - she had lots of health care woes. She owned a house in So. Calif - a relatively modest one - and maybe 30K in savings - a car - not much else really. She had worked as a Sp. Ed teacher all her life. I asked her one time if she could be sure to have all the medical care she needed, all the food she needed, all the shelter and clothes and transportation and education she needed.... plus if also the rest of the country could have all they needed... would she be willing to give up any of her extras? I mean, hell they weren't much so I assumed she would say of course. I was stunned when she said no... that maybe she might want something sometime and she wouldn't want to not be able to have it. I honestly couldn't believe it. But she meant it.

[Hannah Bell]

63. why would she have to give up her "extras"?

i don't get it.

a house, a car & 30K? "extras"?

give them up to get medical, food, & shelter? huh?

i don't get the point of your story.

[qijackie]

61. Going to work now. Thanks alot for your thoughtful answers. Hope to discuss this more another day.

[fed_up_mother]

64. The war.

followed by healthcare - as part of a whole new era of social justice policies.

Although reigning in corporations is a close second. Heck, maybe first since we probably wouldn't be at war without the likes of Halliburton and Exxon.

[Fearless]

66. Rebuild inroads into key areas...

Since Reagan many traditionally liberal institutions have been infiltrated and in many places taken over by rightwingers. Possibly the only "liberal" institution I can think of that was not successfully taken over was education.

We need to retake the MSM, particularly on a national level. TV, newsprint, and internet sources must be purged.

We need to retake the judicial system. Since Reagan a massive number of conservative appointed judges have been appointed on federal and state levels. As they are beginning to retire themselves, we need to replace them. Therefore we need a Democratic president and Congressional Majority to do so.

More so, we NEED to appoint 2-4 new SJC justices to replace retiring ones. WE DO NOT HAVE MUCH TIME. THEY ARE OLDER EACH YEAR AND TERM WE FAIL TO ELECT A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT. (Surprising I know.)

Then we need to assemble a stronger majority in Congress, and even if it costs us that majority, we MUST pass an ERA before same-sex marriage returns to the national stage.

And of course, we must constantly ensure our future. Youth must replace the aged members of our party. Not quickly, but not too slowly either.

Issues like the war and the economy are not as important as these. The war can be tackled by ANY Democratic president. It needs no special attention. JUST LEAVE. And the economy is not approachable by it self. It must be a concerted effort in Congress to push for tighter regulation of mortgage firms, funding for alternative energy, and the aforementioned ending of the war that will fix the economy. Ironically though, the problem isn't NAFTA or the WTO. If it weren't for leaches on the system from the other aforementioned areas, they wouldn't pose a problem, as in the end they will promote competition, which will benefit us in the long run.

[Thickasabrick]

70. I'm a lefty, sometimes called dirty, fucking hippy. I answer to both.

[El Pinko]

71. I consider myself a real left lefty, IE *NOT* a liberal.

I think that people who think of "liberal" as meaning "left" are not lefties at all and are rather ignorant of the history of leftism, liberalism and socialism in this country, and the fact that only 70 years or so ago, there was a viable socialist political movement in this country that actually was starting to threaten the democratic party (thus FDR's co-opting of socialist ideas into the New Deal).

The fact that liberalism is a mainstream, establishment, bourgeoise, pro-capitalist political movement seems to be all but forgotten. That's not to bash liberalism, but it should be put in its proper place. Liberalism is a CENTRIST political position of suing government to help alleviate poverty and other social ills while still protecting the moneyed elites that control the means of production.

Traditional republican values (paleo-con) values are conservative while the more popular types of conservatism and libertarian conservatism today are quite extremist in their aims (in favor of all but dismantling all government assistance and wealth redistribution from the rich to the poor, while increasing government welfare programs for the rich)

There is also a great deal of ignorance of the kind of political values that prevail in western democracies around the world. What is considered "centrist" here (someone like Chris Matthews for example) would be seen as fairly reactionary and right-wing in most European countries, while someone like a Ted Kennedy would be smack in the center.

So because America has been tilted so far right for so long, it's only natural that a lot of right-wing memes and assumptions have taken hold in both the democratic party and on DU.

For instance, although sexism, racism, gay-bashing, etc. are super-taboo here, the place is absolutely rife with classism, with people of lower educational or socieconomic status being ridiculed on a regular basis.

[qijackie]

74. Yes, El Pinko, you're right. Thank you so much!

[El Pinko]

75. Please note my spelling error in that post.

I wrote "suing government" - I meant to say "using government".

Apologies - too late to edit.

[KG]

80. well said.

[mdmc]

72. collaboration

we either need to unify within the democratic party or take the act to a third party. I would like to see health, education, and housing in our social net. I think that the democratic party is the best vehicle to accomplish improvements in our social network. We already provide is social net today, to a certain degree, under Bush. We always have since fdr started it up.
But it can, and must be improved.
Solidarity.
Collaboration.
Lefties,
labor,
greens,
feminists,
reagan dems
dlc
gays
blacks
environmentalist

[Lorien]

76. Climate change. None of the other issues matter if the planet can no longer

sustain our species. You haven't BEGUN to see war, starvation, and a collapsed economy. If left unchecked these times will be some that we remember with great fondness.

[bean fidhleir]

87. Bingo! Bingo! "None of the other issues matter" if we don't have a planet to live on.

Bingo!

Jeez, were we separated at birth or something? :evilgrin:

[Echo In Light]

81. Corporatism/"friendly" fascism, media reform

[femrap]

83. The demise of our Democracy and

Constitution and the advancement of Fascism...which I guess is part and parcel of the destruction of our Economy and the value of our Dollar.

[cloudythescribbler]

86. First, to define "Lefty". Then critical issue(s): imperialism, along w/ eco-industrial revolution

First off, a Leftist is NOT a liberal, even if, like myself, they believe in certain kinds of "liberal" principles such as due process, separation of powers, individual liberty unless it TRULY infringes upon others', etc. I don't know of a single true leftist that would also call themselves a liberal.

Leftists might not necessarily be socialist per se, as there are many anarchists who look to some alternative to socialism and capitalism. But a leftist surely is NOT supportive of capitalism as a system, especially the CORPORATE capitalism we have now.

Yet, in rejecting liberalism (which generally embraces capitalism at least in practice, with Social Democrats espousing liberalism and socialism, and in the final analysis, supporting both nationalism and capitalism), and in rejecting capitalism, leftists do not favor some kind of social darwinist or feudal alternative. Rejecting the McGlobalization and world-market corporate capitalism that has been thus far the institutional heritage of modernity, leftists still insist on preserving the enlightenment ideals -- in particular of equality. Some who are leftists (eg Stalinists) are genuinely Leftist, but in my view not genuinely progressive as they do not support liberty, nor authentic democracy. There are also many ostensible leftists who are creeps or what I call "red headed league" type pseudo progressives, and they don't believe in genuine equality and in fact are less progressive than most authentic liberals.

Now -- the most important issue in the election. The problem with this formulation is that a real LEFTIST seeks the kinds of changes, by definition of being a leftist, that this election cannot possibly attain. I oppose imperialism, which at its heart embraces both US military interventionism, and what is called "globalization" (or what I would call McGlobalization -- corporate globalization -- as progressives such as myself favor global ecological and human rights standards, etc). But imperialism speaks to the larger system that this type of world-capitalist system entails, including domestically (class rule, lack of corporate responsibility, etc). Even within imperialism, however, there is much variation. Neither Obama nor McCain seek to abolish either imperialism or capitalism, as I have been using the terms, but Obama's is a more progressive vision of both -- a less aggressive, less "stupid" (as in the Iraq War) imperialism, one that he would probably not call imperialism even while supporting the Kosovo War, for example.

Further, there is the issue of the environment. Obviously, if the world-capitalist system is not on the verge of complete collapse (which I don't think it is, especially if we elect Obama -- and yes there ARE leftists who prefer the most idiotic possible leadership, like Eugene Genovese, who BECAUSE Bush was a stupider imperialist than Kerry, favored Bush in 04 and said so) then we have to do what is the best possible under global capitalism for the environment. That would be nothing less than another industrial revolution, an ECO-industrial revolution, in particular to avert the catastrophe of global warming, which requires much MORE than liberals are talking about, let alone the RW complacent folk and the denialists.
But of course, there are a myriad of ecological and resource crisis OTHER than the Greenhouse and fossil fuels, and we must address them all.

[blindpig]

88. Capitalism

It is the source of what ails us, be it war, poverty, environmental disaster, racism. Deal with it and all other problems will be much more tractable.

If ya don't believe that then ya ain't much of a 'leftist'.

[xartlu]

95. agreed

There's a huge difference between Liberals who accept the economic system and merely want to tweak it... and Progressives/Leftists who still want to reform it.

[blindpig]

101. Reform

Reforming capitalism is futile, as long as they control the means of production, the money and power implied, they will not go away quietly and leave us poor earthlings be. The New Deal is in the final stage of dismantling precisely because it was a half measure. I realize it was not meant to dismantle capitalism, but see, there is no comprimise with the philosophy of unlimited accumulation.
They will brook no opposition, they must be entirely removed from the levers of power.

[JanMichael]

92. I suppose I'm about as far Left as most here.

So what is the most critical issue?

Well energy (peak-oil) and climate change are the two global main issues. In the USA my main issue would be health-care (single payer) followed by wages (living and taxation) then affordable housing. EDIT: Corporations must be held accountable.

Of course there's also a giant water and food availability problem emerging.

Good luck Capitalist lapdogs!

[LucyParsons]

93. Stopping the influence of money in politics

That's the root of all the other problems and the main obstacle to us having a real democracy, followed close behind by the failure of American public education.

[xartlu]

94. Most Important?

For me that should be serioulsy rethinking... not just tweaking, our dysfunctional economic and political systems. Sadly this is outside the ideology of the Democratic Party

[leftofthedial]

96. the class war

all others are either part of it, directly caused by it, or can not be solved until the super-wealthy and the capitalist system they've built to protect themselves and enslave the rest of us is overthrown

[defendandprotect]

98. Global Warming . . .

which is, of course, also connected to overpopulation, pollution ---

underpinned by patriarchy, organized patriarchal religions, the war on nature given license by
these systems -- i.e., "Manifest Destiny" and "Man's Dominion Over Nature" ---
exploitation of natural resources, animal-life -- even other human beings according to various
myths of inferiority.

MALE VIOLENCE is our next biggest problem ---

Our political system is being held hostage to political violence ---

We could straighten out most of this -- intelligence vs ignorance --- but I don't think we have
the time now.

Water/Food --- once we have problems there, we're gonners and it looks like we're taking the planet
with it --- there is every reason to question whether it will keep turning.

[Fox Mulder]

99. Probably the most crucial issue for me...

is how corporations own and run everything in this country.

[originalpckelly]

100. Why would anyone fake being a lefty?

I always smear my ink/pencil/etc. and it fucking pisses me off!

Who would want to be a lefty?