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I think you are just promoting a rightwing myth with that kind of logic.

You can truthfully say there is not a large, organized US left with a coherent economic ideology critical of the status-quo giving a practical alternative to the status-quo, but there is a US left.  And you're doing them no favors by playing the Establishment "if I can't see you from my womblike existence then you don't exist" card.  The fact that you don't see them doesn't mean they do not exist.  It simply reflects the fact that a leftist economic ideology doesn't lend itself to buying lots and lots of media and politicians in order to promote their agenda.  Bit of a problem that.  I was in a bar with 100 people and our State Treasurer the other night, and he said that the supporters of the public option don't want put private insurers out of business.  Someone in the room said, "Yes we do," and was met with a thunderous applause.  

There is a large, organized US left with a coherent social ideology critical of the status-quo giving a practical alternative to the status-quo.

Actually - nix that.  "Coherent" is a strawman.  

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.

by poemless on Mon Jul 6th, 2009 at 11:53:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I don't see it either if you mean some "left" that is outside of the coalition that elected Obama: the trade unions, move-on, OFA, ACORN, and so on.
by rootless2 on Mon Jul 6th, 2009 at 12:04:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
And they are so affective on policy:

Detainees, Even if Acquitted, Might Not Go Free

The Obama administration said Tuesday it could continue to imprison non-U.S. citizens indefinitely even if they have been acquitted of terrorism charges by a U.S. military commission.
by ATinNM on Wed Jul 8th, 2009 at 10:26:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]
poemless:
The fact that you don't see them doesn't mean they do not exist.
I'm willing to bet you that ATinNM does see them.

We're talking 5% of the population, just about, aren't we?

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Jul 6th, 2009 at 12:04:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I have no clue what percentage of the population it is.  How would anyone know?  Half of the public doesn't even vote.  Still, even if they only comprise 5% of the population, so what?  Only 1% of the population holds about half of all American assets, and we don't really question their existence, now do we?  

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Mon Jul 6th, 2009 at 12:41:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It depends on what the meaning of "large" is...

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Jul 6th, 2009 at 01:01:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
What depends on that?  

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Mon Jul 6th, 2009 at 01:04:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
We're debating whether "there is a large" US Left. Or at least I thought so.

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Jul 6th, 2009 at 01:07:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I wasn't debating the size.  I was simply responding to the bogus assertion that, "For all intents and purposes there isn't a US Left."

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Mon Jul 6th, 2009 at 01:15:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Please provide evidence I ever stated there are no US leftists.

Please provide evidence I ever stated there are no US Left organizations.  

Speaking of that ...

The most effective¹ Left Organization is the Democratic Socialists of America a splinter (Harrington's faction, mostly) of the old Socialist Party.  But they are tactically and strategically an externally organized pressure group to function within the Democratic Party.  I'm sure they wouldn't mind if they had millions of members; not on their To Do list, tho'.

¹  In terms of affecting government policy

by ATinNM on Wed Jul 8th, 2009 at 10:52:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Fine.

Give me three accomplishments the US Left has pushed through in the last 20 years to roll back concentration of political and economic power of the Ruling Elites.

by ATinNM on Wed Jul 8th, 2009 at 10:10:52 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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