Submitted by Illinoisnoki1 on Thu, 10/13/2011 - 13:23

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To help build a stronger progressive movement, PDA-Chicago will promote discussion by presenting opinion pieces from our members and others.  Please feel free to offer your statements or comment below.

The Political Crisis in the US and the Fight for Independent Politics

By Lenny Brody, PDA-Chicago

The United States has entered a classic political crisis. A large section of the American people clearly believe that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans can be trusted to run the country. This has come about as a result of the handling of the financial crisis.

Many Americans believe that the financial elite in this country caused the current economic crisis and that the political elite, in both parties, have not only refused to prosecute the financial criminals, but have actually rewarded them with bailout money.

The first response to the political crisis was the Tea Party movement. Although much of this movement has been and continues to be funded by corporate money, its appeal to masses of people stems from their recognition of the unjust and unfair handling of the financial crisis and the resulting political crisis in our country.

The massive and sustained demonstrations in Madison, WI found their strength in the reaction to the growing corporate control of the U.S. and the corruption of traditional politicians. The Occupy Wall Street movement has permanently changed the political climate in our country. It has placed economic inequality (We are the 99%) and the demand for genuine democracy (This is what Democracy looks like) as the burning issues of the day.

This is the political environment that progressives find themselves in today. No discussion of strategy and tactics that ignores this environment can take place. Thus, the presidential and congressional elections in 2012 are unfolding under new and unprecedented conditions. First, the US (and the world) is mired in a fundamental, structural crisis of capitalism. The maneuvering room for those who run the country is very limited. The leaders are not in a position to make serious concessions to the American people.

Second, those who associate too closely with the Democratic Party will be rejected by the people. One of the lessons of Feingold’s loss in the last elections was his inability to separate himself from the traditional Democratic Party, and in particular the political positions of his party (many of which he disagreed with).*

Progressives should reject the concept that independent politics means trying to push Obama or other corporate Democrats to the left, or forcing them to take up some progressive issues. Corporate Democrats are responsive only to the people who fund their campaigns. They cannot be "influenced" by public opinion. And as long as "public opinion" has no alternative to the corporate Democrats, we are powerless.

The strategies and tactics of progressives must be guided by an assessment of whether or not those strategies and tactics will build an independent political movement. Any association with Obama will be deadly. Any association with “liberal” candidates who are not truly independent of the corporate Democrats will be deadly. The lesser of two evils position has been taken away. The center in politics is not only weak, it is being destroyed.

Those who advocate compromise in order to “fight the right,” only strengthen the corporate control of our country. No short term victories are possible until we build a powerful independent political movement which can lay the basis for a strong, mass based third party. This is the political context of the class struggle today.

Furthermore, it is important we recognize that the possibility of such a third party is dependent on the growth and strength of the mass movements like those that arose in Madison and that are forming as a result of the Occupy movement. Given the economic and political crisis, movements like these are certain to continue to arise.
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* Similarly many of the severe losses that Democrats suffered in the 2010 off-year elections resulted when sections of the Democratic base—feeling disappointed with or betrayed by Obama’s conservative policies--either stayed home or voted Republican.