The new progressives: moving beyond left versus right
You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh hour. Now you must go back and tell the people that this is the hour.
Here in North Carolina we are in the process of choosing a senator to replace Jesse Helms, a hero to some in our state, an anachronism to many.
So those of us who support a progressive agenda should be salivating at this opportunity, right? Well, guess again. As a result of the primary election held Tuesday, North Carolinians now have a choice between Liddy Dole, the Republican candidate, and Erskine Bowles, the Democratic nominee. Can you say Tweedledum and Tweedledee?
Sure, one can argue that there are differences: Dole supports some privatization of Social Security while Bowles does not. But we’re talking retail politics here; the candidate with the biggest campaign war chest wins. What I want to know is where these candidates stand on national health insurance, campaign finance reform, civil liberties, corporate crime, and ecological sustainability? And I’m not the only one.
According to Paul Ray, Ph.D., “Today’s politics is dismal because of its rigidity, its corruption, and its inability to supply what people want.” And out of that, Ray sees a reshaping of the political landscape in the U.S., a movement beyond left versus right, conservative versus liberal.
Drawing on various surveys, Ray’s data supports the conclusion that “we are looking at a slow decline of both left and right, and of both political parties.” Cultural shifts have taken place over the past forty years that are not accounted for by traditional politics or the media. In his essay entitled “The New Political Compass,” Ray describes how these shifts have spawned four political groupings and one apolitical group.
New Progressives—36% of the people, 45% of those who actually vote
This is the domain of the Cultural Creatives, a subculture that has grown out of the social and spiritual movements of the past forty years, those who value authenticity, spiritual and psychological growth, ecological sustainability, natural foods, civil liberties, and peace. These key issues and others similar are considered “outside the box” by most politicians and media magnates and, thus, are typically ignored.
Traditional Left—12% of the people, 15% of those who actually vote
Remnants of the old New Deal coalition, including labor unions, blacks, and university intellectuals, make up this moribund group that continues to cling to the big government paradigm and programs based primarily on economic benefits and a materialistic worldview.
Cultural Conservatives—19% of the people, 22% of those who actually vote
The mainstays of this assemblage are the Religious Right and related groups, who want to reverse today’s social movement trends (social safety net, human rights, feminism, etc.) and return to the good old days. Their numbers have been declining since World War II as older members die and their youth, in large part, decline to join their ranks.
Business Conservatives—14% of the people, 19% of those who actually vote
The Establishment Right believes in economic growth and profits over all else, including the planet and the people on it. Though low in numbers they have the financial clout to buy elections (Democratic and Republican candidates alike) and credibility for pro-corporate points of view in the media. They are allies of the Cultural Conservatives on some issues, and diametrically opposed to the New Progressives.
Alienated and Ignorant—20% of the people, 0% of those who actually vote
Folks who don’t care about the political process and who refuse to participate comprise this group.
Is there an example of a New Progressive politician on the national scene? Ray identifies just one: Representative Dennis Kucinich, Democrat of Cleveland, Ohio (http://kucinich.house.gov). Kucinich was elected in 2000 with seventy-five percent of the vote by running on a platform of public financing for political campaigns, universal health care, sustainable environmental policies and the creation of a cabinet-level Department of Peace. Since the wide distribution of his “Prayer for America” over the Internet, Kucinich has attracted a nationwide following and support for a run for president in 2004.
It is obvious to all who are willing to take an honest look that our political system is not working; issues that are vitally important to the vast majority of Americans go unaddressed. And millions of folks have had enough of the greedy, self-aggrandizing, duplicitous behavior displayed by many of our elected officials. It’s time for thousands of small, issue-oriented groups of committed individuals to recognize their common interests and come together under one tent, the tent of the New Progressives, with room for all who value their children’s future, their planet’s, and their own. In the words of the Hopi elder: “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”
Visit the Political Compass website at www.politicalcompass.org to learn more about this concept. To download Paul Ray’s essay, “The New Political Compass,” visit www.culturalcreatives.org.
Saturday, September 14th, 2002No Comments »
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