How does the left grow itself new members?

I ask partly to get new ideas, and partly as a response. That is, young hungry lefties become older well-fed lefties who are anxious to protect the table at which they sit. Without bringing in new hungry people, the left will always shrink and atrophy, no?

Yeah. Very good question. The 20th century left is dead, if that left had as goal socialism of one kind or another.

But is the "left" as an historical impulse dead? Of course not. Its goal just change. It just depends how you think of the left.

If you define the left as those who believe in humanity, in the fundamental equality of people, that people will more often than not do the right thing, the moral thing, then there will always be a left, in opposition to the right. The issues change, but fundamental beliefs remain.

The problem for the left in much of the world is that it failed to realize this change in time.

As such, I don't see the SPD/Green coalition change as necessarily representing a move right, if by this you mean changing its attitude towards its mid-20th century goals.

Certainly in its current form the left is having trouble. But how about this for a scenario.

The Far East and South Asia continue to improve their ability to design, manufacture, and service the goods that the rest of the world needs. A huge population finds itself in a horrible sweat-shop working environment: The same environment that triggered the union movement in the first place.

The result: A new socialist movement driven by the billions of Chinese, Indian, and nearby workers. Their aim? To reduce the income disparity between themselves and the rich Americans and Europeans.

They want 35 hour work weeks, insurance, retirement, and vacations. They want central heating, air conditioning, cars, and fresh vegetables. They want TVs and iPods and cell phones and computers.

It will be tough on us rich Americans and Europeans when our tax rates jump to 90%, as they did for rich folks in response to the socialist movement of the 1930s.