We Need More Socialism

New found blogging comrade Mike Schafer at thinksocialist.blogspot.com brought to my attention this somewhat surprising opinion piece in the Nation by Ronald Aronson titled "The Left Needs More Socialism."

Aronson starts with:

It's time to break a taboo and place the word "socialism" across the top of the page in a major American progressive magazine. Time for the left to stop repressing the side of ourselves that the right finds most objectionable. Until we thumb our noses at the Democratic pols who have been calling the shots and reassert the very ideas they say are unthinkable, we will keep stumbling around in the dark corners of American politics, wondering how we lost our souls--and how to find them again.

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I cannot agree more. The liberal plays into the hands of the right wing by operating on the terrain of fear that is the domain of reactionary politics. Only by embracing a hopeful future, one of economic, social, racial and gender equality where all people are treated with dignity and respect can we hope to offer a coherent vision of the future for our world.

It is time to stop accepting the oppresive commercial/police state governed by mass media fearmongering which makes us too scared to even let our children walk a block alone, afraid to speak up on labor issues in the workplace, afraid to protest against what we know is wrong -- while giving business interests carte blanc to do as they please.

A famous quote from the 1968 Paris Revolt is: "Be Reasonable, Demand the Impossible!"

I say be even more reasonable, demand and fight for the possible, a socialist world governed by peace and cooperation, not war and profit!