I share most of Chris Hedges’ concerns about the One Nation Working Together rally... however, it does have to be pointed out that Hedges and his grouping on the left, refused to participate in trying to change the focus of the rally.
Hedges and this particular left grouping has yet to bring... forward a solid and coherent left agenda that can be placed on the plate of liberals and progressives. We all know that it is the left that bears all responsibility in bringing forward such an agenda--- liberals generally always have the right ideas when understanding what is wrong, but, they are liberals because their thinking does not lead them to action in solving the problems they usually articulate so well using statistics and figures but they have a very difficult time understanding that behind each and every number there is a living, breathing human being suffering to one degree or another.
Hedges appears to be content writing off liberals and even progressives and those on the left working inside of the Democratic Party at a time most of these liberals, progressives and leftists are in fact working outside of the Democratic Party, too.
I think the thing most noteworthy from this One Nation Rally is that when looking at the signs people were carrying, they were signs signifying the fact that Obama and the Democrats are not sincere in their talk of wanting to solve their problems. Hedges hasn't considered this.
The other problem is this that none of the left wants to face up to... in my opinion, almost all blame for the lack of direction and the false direction lies squarely in the lap of the Communist Party USA which has been hijacked by a leadership that has completely withdrawn from the struggles of working people.
It is unheard of in this country, that we have had such huge assemblies of people, during the Obama campaign, and now with this huge rally, and the Communist Party USA has never so much as distributed a leaflet articulating a progressive agenda as an alternative to Wall Street's wars abroad and austerity at home.
This is where the real problem lies.
People need to understand that it was a fight and a struggle just to get Harry Belafonte on the list of speakers... In this battle, I did not come across Chris Hedges or any of those who go way out in the opposite direction from the Richard Trumkas. Chris Hedges and many of these people were aware that this battle was being fought out among those supporting this rally--- I know for a fact that they were informed months ago because I sent them all e-mails which each and everyone of them ignored--- while I might add they denied us a voice in any of the publications they control and have influence over just because of their own very selfish anti-communist motivations.
Common sense dictates that the left on its own is nowhere near powerful enough to do anything on its own except become a catalyst for change through advancing a program and agenda that will bring together the three largest ideological groupings in the working class and in the working class movement: liberals being the largest with progressives and leftists... seeing as how the Communist Party USA is beset by severe problems that won't be resolved anytime soon, "the left" is going to have to find a way to work together more cooperatively and with some give and take without exclusions if we are going to make some headway. Getting Harry Belafonte on that speaker's platform was no small feat and accomplishment... it took a lot of people who don't normally even talk to each other to agree who that speaker would be... and it is just this kind of effort on a much larger scale that will be required by those on the left if we are going to move forward.
The left could have had a program and agenda to distribute at this rally had a small grouping not gone off on their own to "seize the initiative" for their own selfish interests under the guise of some kind of "socialist alternative." Their statement was obviously wholly inadequate which could have been corrected had they been willing to work in a friendly and open way with others rather than intentionally excluding so many on the left... the pretended they were the left knowing full well they had excluded most of the left.
We need an explanation why it is that those on the left like Hedges (and I don't mean to single out Hedges, it is just that his essay is being discussed) but, where is the link between war and unemployment and how solving the problems of the people are interconnected?
In fact, much of the left is trapped in the exact same hole that George Lakoff dug for liberals and progressives... you talk about policy directives but you never bring forward specific solutions to well defined problems. Hedges has fallen into this trap--- at least in my opinion. It was the same trap this group of "socialists" fell into.
I would encourage everyone to read the 90 page or so book by George Lakoff, "Don't Think of an Elephant!" if they want to understand the trap he has set. Obama uses this trap brilliantly and masterfully; his trap-tenders are Richard Trumka who is so easily manipulated and controlled by the likes of Leah Daughtry who the Democratic Party put in control of the One Nation Working Together rally which included some "marches."
As far as I am aware... Chris Hedges and others have never sought to inform people and educate people as to how this manipulation and control takes place through people like Leah Daughtry and her connections with Brownstein/Hyatt/Farber/Schreck. Why is this? Most people who participated in this rally were not even aware of the machinations used by these people to manipulate them... by the way, it was the same machinations--- and very same players--- used to subvert the single-payer universal health care movement at the Democratic Party National Convention.
We cannot blame people for being used and manipulated when we don't explain how this is all taking place.
In fact, I find most liberals completely appalled when I explain how they they have been sucked and and used by these people.
I have found Alternet and Truthdig to often contain a number of intentional inaccuracies based on anti-communism and even when the truth is pointed out, the corrections are not made. What kind of "left" is an anti-communist left?
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