No Reforming Democrats: Leftist Dogma or Scientific Fact?

[eridani]

http://www.nationofchange.org/news/2016/02/21/no-reforming-democrats-leftist-dogma-or-scientific-fact/

But beyond bad will, leftists’ unwillingness to put their dogma of Democrats’ incapacity for reform to an empirical, voter-convincing test reveals the Left’s loss of any instinct for political organizing. For Sanders supporters, especially young ones (many, veterans of the Occupy movement), have poured immense energy and enthusiasm into his campaign. And beyond that energy and enthusiasm, what makes Sanders supporters such ripe subjects for leftist organizing, is that Sanders places strong emphasis on the need for political revolution.

Granted, Sanders’ view of revolution may be a laughably tame one; but frankly, the only fault I find with it is his persistent unwillingness to identify Clinton and the Democratic Party establishment as outright enemies of the needed revolution. Given the increasing nastiness and dishonesty of the pro-Clinton party establishment’s attacks on Sanders, along with the undemocratic measures they’ve taken from the get-go to sabotage his campaign and thwart his nomination, convincing Sanders supporters that Clinton’s the foremost enemy of his revolution should not be terribly hard. Yet failure to do so, should Clinton win the nomination and Sanders then endorses her (as he’s virtually certain to do), will cause his supposed revolution to disappear without a trace once she’s nominated; one can’t simultaneously endorse a candidate and make that candidate a target of revolution. The sad truth about Bernie is that of his conflicting beliefs in lesser-evilism and revolution, revolution is the one he’s willing to sacrifice. But the Left, like Revolt Against Plutocracy, should have seen the immense opportunity to organize the undoubtedly large number of his supporters who feel Bernie should have sacrificed lesser-evilism instead. What, after all, is the point of invoking political revolution you intend to call off within months if you’re not nominated? Yet the Left still has the prospect of organizing Bernie’s revolution-minded supporters—by putting its resources behind the Bernie or Bust pledge.

Whether the Left exploits this unique organizing opportunity—to build a movement that could endure and grow no matter who gets elected—is ultimately a choice between science and religion. As philosopher Daniel Dennett notes in his book Breaking the Spell, a chief function of the concept of “the sacred” is to forbid empirical investigation of religious beliefs. In leftists’ refusal to support demands that put the Democratic Party to the test—even though Democrats failing that test could reward the Left (and the Green Party) richly—I see an equally dogmatic defense of leftists’ sacred, identity-giving belief that Democrats are beyond reform. And the related dogmatic belief that any candidate running as a Democrat must be denied support—even if he’s attempting a hostile takeover of the party. Yet only by putting their religious dogma to an empirical test—whether the Democratic establishment still embraces Clinton despite organized voter rejection—can leftists hope to exploit the unique organizing opportunity Sanders’ candidacy offers.

[Mbrow]

1. k&R Thank for posting

You're working hard this morning.

[tk2kewl]

2. k/r