The Fight Against the Right —— Break from the Democrats!

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The Democratic Party has continued to drift to the right with the “Blue Dog” Democrats in Congress setting the pace in trying to please their corporate masters, and Obama has betrayed even the most feeble promises of change, trying to be a “bipartisan” corporate politician. People demanded real change by electing Obama, but he has been beholden to both big business and the unnecessary “reaching across the aisle” to Republicans. This is due to the big business nature of the Democratic Party.

Recent polls reveal what type of change people want. There is mass support for a living wage, major social programs including Social Security and Medicare, single payer healthcare, deep concern about the environment, suspicion and anger at Wall Street and big business. In fact, Obama would have a tremendous base of support had he decided to challenge Wall Street and the establishment over healthcare or any other issues.

The potential is there to build a powerful movement that can challenge the demagogues and right-wing populists of the Tea Party and the Republicans. Large sections of the population would eagerly respond to demands like taxing the rich, public ownership of energy, a huge jobs program to rebuild the collapsing infrastructure, reducing military spending, provide decent benefits for those who need them.

Unless a working class political alternative is built that could cut across the lies and propaganda of the mass media, the danger will continue to exist that the demagogues and right-wing populists will make gains and then launch new attacks against immigrants, unions, minorities, women and even the limited democratic rights that continue to exist.

The Tea Party becomes emboldened by the lack of struggle to defend public education and to extend social programs. We can cut across the Tea Party’s shallow appeal with real struggle to improve people’s daily lives. Fighting coalitions need to be built in every city across the country involving union activists and community organizers. The coalitions need to be armed with an analysis of the system and demands for living wage jobs, environmental cleanup, workers’ rights and affordable quality education.

These coalitions need to call for an end to the unequal tax burden on working people by ending the wars, reversing the bailouts, and putting the taxes where they belong: on the top 1% richest people. We also need to understand that our economic struggles are tied to the need to fight politically as well. We need independent candidates, connected to real struggles in our workplaces and communities, to emerge for the 2010 elections.

The Democrats and Republicans represent corporate greed, not human needs. Capitalism is the root cause of unemployment, environmental destruction, racism and poverty. We need a program for struggle combined with a vision of a society without corporate domination; we need a political party that represents workers, young people and the poor to fight against this system and for a democratic socialist society.

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