Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as people try to storm the US Capitol in Washington D.C on January 6, 2021. (Photo: Joseph PreziosoAFP via Getty Images)
Let's Be Clear: Only the Right Has Become More Extreme Over the Last 50 Years
Like in the early 1970s, the left is still against the war machine, still pushing for civil and voting rights, and still fighting the power of big corporations. But the right has moved far, far rightward.
How did we get so politically divided? Well, it's NOT because both sides have gotten more extreme.
I got my start in American politics 50 years ago. My political views then -- to grossly simplify them -- were that I was against the Vietnam War and the military-industrial complex, strongly supportive of civil and voting rights, and against the power of big corporations. That put me here: just left of the center.
Back then, the political spectrum from left to right was short. The biggest political issue was the Vietnam War. The left was demonstrating against it, sometimes violently. Since I was committed to ending the war through peaceful political means, I volunteered for George McGovern, the anti-war presidential candidate. Even Richard Nixon on the right was starting to look for ways out of Vietnam.
Twenty-five years later, I was in Bill Clinton's cabinet, and the left-to-right political spectrum stretched much longer. The biggest change was how much further right the right had moved. Ronald Reagan had opened the political floodgates to corporate and Wall Street money -- bankrolling right-wing candidates and messages that decried "big government."
Bill Clinton sought to lead from the "center," but by then the "center" had moved so far right that Clinton gutted public assistance, enacted "tough on crime" policies that unjustly burdened the poor and people of color, and deregulated Wall Street. All of which put me further to the left of the center--although my political views had barely changed.
Today, the spectrum from left to right is the longest it's been in my 50 years in and around politics. The left hasn't moved much at all. We're still against the war machine, still pushing for civil and voting rights, still fighting the power of big corporations. But the right has moved far, far rightward.
Donald Trump brought America about as close as we've ever come to fascism.He incited an attempted coup against the United States. He and most of the Republican Party continue to deny that he lost the 2020 election.And they're getting ready to suppress votes and disregard election outcomes they disagree with. So don't believe the fear-mongering that today's left is "radical." What's really radical is the right's move toward fascism.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
How did we get so politically divided? Well, it's NOT because both sides have gotten more extreme.
I got my start in American politics 50 years ago. My political views then -- to grossly simplify them -- were that I was against the Vietnam War and the military-industrial complex, strongly supportive of civil and voting rights, and against the power of big corporations. That put me here: just left of the center.
Back then, the political spectrum from left to right was short. The biggest political issue was the Vietnam War. The left was demonstrating against it, sometimes violently. Since I was committed to ending the war through peaceful political means, I volunteered for George McGovern, the anti-war presidential candidate. Even Richard Nixon on the right was starting to look for ways out of Vietnam.
Twenty-five years later, I was in Bill Clinton's cabinet, and the left-to-right political spectrum stretched much longer. The biggest change was how much further right the right had moved. Ronald Reagan had opened the political floodgates to corporate and Wall Street money -- bankrolling right-wing candidates and messages that decried "big government."
Bill Clinton sought to lead from the "center," but by then the "center" had moved so far right that Clinton gutted public assistance, enacted "tough on crime" policies that unjustly burdened the poor and people of color, and deregulated Wall Street. All of which put me further to the left of the center--although my political views had barely changed.
Today, the spectrum from left to right is the longest it's been in my 50 years in and around politics. The left hasn't moved much at all. We're still against the war machine, still pushing for civil and voting rights, still fighting the power of big corporations. But the right has moved far, far rightward.
Donald Trump brought America about as close as we've ever come to fascism.He incited an attempted coup against the United States. He and most of the Republican Party continue to deny that he lost the 2020 election.And they're getting ready to suppress votes and disregard election outcomes they disagree with. So don't believe the fear-mongering that today's left is "radical." What's really radical is the right's move toward fascism.
How did we get so politically divided? Well, it's NOT because both sides have gotten more extreme.
I got my start in American politics 50 years ago. My political views then -- to grossly simplify them -- were that I was against the Vietnam War and the military-industrial complex, strongly supportive of civil and voting rights, and against the power of big corporations. That put me here: just left of the center.
Back then, the political spectrum from left to right was short. The biggest political issue was the Vietnam War. The left was demonstrating against it, sometimes violently. Since I was committed to ending the war through peaceful political means, I volunteered for George McGovern, the anti-war presidential candidate. Even Richard Nixon on the right was starting to look for ways out of Vietnam.
Twenty-five years later, I was in Bill Clinton's cabinet, and the left-to-right political spectrum stretched much longer. The biggest change was how much further right the right had moved. Ronald Reagan had opened the political floodgates to corporate and Wall Street money -- bankrolling right-wing candidates and messages that decried "big government."
Bill Clinton sought to lead from the "center," but by then the "center" had moved so far right that Clinton gutted public assistance, enacted "tough on crime" policies that unjustly burdened the poor and people of color, and deregulated Wall Street. All of which put me further to the left of the center--although my political views had barely changed.
Today, the spectrum from left to right is the longest it's been in my 50 years in and around politics. The left hasn't moved much at all. We're still against the war machine, still pushing for civil and voting rights, still fighting the power of big corporations. But the right has moved far, far rightward.
Donald Trump brought America about as close as we've ever come to fascism.He incited an attempted coup against the United States. He and most of the Republican Party continue to deny that he lost the 2020 election.And they're getting ready to suppress votes and disregard election outcomes they disagree with. So don't believe the fear-mongering that today's left is "radical." What's really radical is the right's move toward fascism.