I was wondering if we could take a break from the Obama for-or-against pie fights to begin plotting a strategy for achieving the goals of this site: more and better democrats. Such a discussion requires that we take the lessons of the last two years seriously. I would argue that there are at least three such lessons:
- While having sympathetic leadership in Washington helps (fair pay, SCHIP, DADT), it seems insufficient to make the bold changes we need to prosper as a fair, free, and properous society.
- The major obstacles to change may seem to reside in Washington (Republicans and Blue Dogs: I'm looking at you), but these forces rely on a number of enablers including think tanks and shady campaign finance sources. These in turn are funded by many of America's largest corporations.
- The inability to deliver a reality-based progressive agenda is ultimately toxic to the Democratic party.
I believe we need to widen the sphere of the political. This will mean new targets and, of course, new tactics. I have no idea what these will look like, but I think it would be useful to start the conversation.
What's the Obstacle?
The immediate problem is clear: the Republicans and certain Dems have repeatedly proved so intransigent that many Democrats no longer blame Obama for compromising. I don't want to make this a diary about that, though. There are plenty of other places to have that argument. What I want to point out is that the obstructionists rely on outside support. It may be that the outside support is more vulnerable than these entrenched incumbents. In fact, I would argue that most of these congresscritters are largely beholden to corporations that fund them and ensure cushy positions to them and their staffs after they leave public "service" (the revolving door).
I could talk about the Koch brothers, Fox News, climate change denial, and Citizens United, but you know this already. To accept these facts means to accept a broadening of the definition of the political in ways that many Americans have been trained to avoid. Namely, we've been taught that there is a "public sector" and a "private sector." The Republicans, clever bastards that they are, have learned that privatization and deregulation is a great way to take away the political power of "we the people." I'd like to call this phenomenon the anti-politics machine. It's time to fight back. Corporations are created by the government and, as such, they are part of the state. Let's call them the "deep state": that murky realm of decision-making that is most unaccountable and prone to oligarchical control. These corporations seem to be concentrated in a small number of industries that rely on the government to provide a business environment in which they can profit handsomely. I'm not some Naderite here. There's nothing wrong with corporations per se. However, when they manipulate politics in ways that go against my interests, I take umbrage. Here's a quick list of the top offenders as I see it. Feel free to add more in the comments:
-Defense
-Finance
-Dirty Energy
-Health Care
-Agribusiness
-Communications and Media
What kinds of vulnerabilities do they have? How could we exploit these vulnerabilities to weaken the forces obstructing progress in Washington? How could we target these industries to make an end-run around Washington?
Why Is this about More and Better Democrats?
The fact is that, if we reduce this to our own pet issues, we're weak. However, as we start to see these industries as common enemies, our power grows. Maybe your main issue is gay rights and you think, "how does this affect my issue?" Well, there are companies that support politicians and a party that spews the kind of homophobic venom that leads to hate crimes and prevents progress on issues of non-discrimination. This is just one example of how grass-roots politics can teach us that all of our struggles are intertwined. As long as we keep this in mind, we can strengthen our broad-based progressive movement by avoiding in-fighting.
What is to be Done?
It should be clear by now that focusing our efforts in Washington, while important, is not sufficient. Think about Washington as an "obligatory passage point." In war, you want to use the topography to find a narrow spot where you can array your forces effectively against your enemy. Then you dig in. Our corporatocracy did this long ago, so let's try to make new obligatory passage points in unexpected places. At the very least, to continue the military metaphors (problematic as they are for an instinctive pacifist like myself): how can we cut the bastards' supply lines?
Here are some modest suggestions:
- Focus on the worst offenders. There's always one. In any industry, there's the company that acts like more of an asshole than the rest. This lets the rest get away with (sometimes literally) murder by muttering about competition and "industry standards." Of course, when the worst offender finally folds, the whole industry starts to move.
- Find alternatives. If there are companies people can feel good about doing business with, they'll be more enthusiastic about boycotts. In fact, it's a way to starve the real beasts without it seeming like a hardship at all.
- Disrupt their businesses more directly. This can take many forms. I think death by a thousand cuts is the best way to go. Forms of sabotage that are either legal or semi-legal but rely on broad-based support are ideal because they highlight the democratic nature of the movement and still negatively effect the bottom line: the ultimate concern of managers everywhere.
This is an essay: an attempt. I'm more looking for advice and conversation than making an argument. Hope to hear from you.
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