spatter, It's beyond me how you could have read any of my columns - (including this one, of course) and then come to the conclusion that I don't "support progressive causes." I've been a left-wing activist for over forty years now. Would you like to be more specific? Ken Brociner
All 33 comments by...
kenbrociner
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Shirah, I just "tuned into" this discussion after having unplugged from it a while ago. I want to salute you for showing such intelligence, clear logic, human decency, and amazing patience in this debate. I suspect that the reason you are being so persistent is for the benefit of those who might be following along, rather than to try to open the minds of people like Imran and CCI whose hatred of Israel trumps everything else. Good for you! I myself have much more limited patience for any sort of dialogue with people like that. I have already gone back and …
Posted to To Boycott Israel…or Not?
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Very impressively "written" CCI... which anti-Semitic website did you copy that screed from? As for Imran...you are such an open-minded, generous of spirit, kind of guy. After all, you do recognize the fact that Israel exists and will continue to do so (however unfortunate that may be from your point of view).But your ideological absolutism causes you to insist that Israel was born in utter sin - and that's all there is to it! It also leads you to look down your nose (with such dogmatic certainty that it very closely resembles fanaticism) at any and all people who see shades …
Posted to To Boycott Israel…or Not?
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CCI please tell me - just how do Zionist Jews "act and smell".?..and Imran pray tell - how does a "fact based historian" like yourself - who is so far above anti-Semitism - just how is it that you are making common cause with someone like CCI? And THIS time, I mean it - no more comments from me- you two deserve each other and aren't worth 5 seconds more of my time.
Posted to To Boycott Israel…or Not?
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I'll try to reply to the various critical comments that have been made about what I wrote - in the order in which they have been posted. Epistrophy: I believe I was quite clear about who I was referring to when I said that "most sectors of the left" have taken very one-sided positions in the Israeli - Palestinian conflict. When the overwhelming majority of the 49 writers who were published by Alternet during Israel's offensive against Hamas issue dogmatic and oversimplified criticism of Israeli history and politics, I believe that this, by definition, includes most sectors of the left. Why? …
Posted to Israel, Gaza and the Left
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You also insist on advancing a history of the Jewish immigration to Palestine as if it was some sort of classic case of western imperialism - which resulted in the evil Jews "stealing" the land of the totally innocent Palestinians. But the truth is that almost all of the land that the Jews settled on before the founding of the State of Israel was legally purchased from Arab land owners. And those evil imperialists were anything but...they were mostly poor refugees fleeing brutal persecution who, in many cases, arrived in Palestine with little more than the clothes on their backs. If …
Posted to Israel, Gaza and the Left
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Imran, As I argued in my column, all too many people on the left have jumped aboard the “blame Israel for everything” bandwagon – a mindset which you have so proudly embraced. Fortunately there is also an important segment of the left that rejects this propagandistic view of the Arab-Israeli conflict. We see the world in shades of gray with all of its complexities and contradictions. People like yourself typically insist that things are always a matter of black and white. Sometimes they actually are. But in the case of this dispute, that obviously isn’t the case at all – despite …
Posted to Israel, Gaza and the Left
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No dmak, not at all. Sorry to pour some cold water on your triumphal declaration of victory. The fact is that I am a free-lance writer trying to earn a living and I simply have far more important things to do than to waste any more of my time continuing an exchange with people whose dogmatic views lead them to demonize Israel's past, present, and future, while apologizing (either explicitly or implicitly) for all of the cruelties committed by those who seek Israel's destruction. Feel free to have the last word if that will make you feel any better.
Posted to Israel, Gaza and the Left
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As usual, Ellner's analysis of what is going on in Venezuela casually dismisses any and all criticism of Chavez's painfully obvious authoritarianism as being nothing more than opposition propaganda. But the fact is that many on the Venezuelan left have also issued strong criticisms of Chavez's governing style, constant power plays, and transparently anti-democratic maneuvering. For the left to gain greater credibility - and deepen our own understanding of contemporary politics- we need to move beyond the kind of simple -minded apologetics that Ellner offers time and time again. It should be possible to support the general thrust of Chavez's economic …
Posted to Chávez Wins Again
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First let me apologize for taking so long to reply to the thoughtful comments above. Hellendic: Perhaps my tone was a bit too harsh. But I really believe that accusing Steve Ellner of employing simple minded apologetics is an accurate description of the stance he repeatedly takes towards Hugo Chavez. You yourself listed a number of concrete examples of what I would call – even if you would not – Chavez’ authoritarian methods and style. But Ellner – in the articles I have read of his – barely even addresses any of these kinds of critiques of Chavez. Instead he artfully …
Posted to Chávez Wins Again
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That Steve Ellner has "developed a reputation for presenting a critical analysis of Chavez's rule in all its dimensions" seems to me to be a rather dubious claim. But assuming this to be the case, one can only wonder why he left out any meaningful criticism of Chavez in his current article in ITT as well as in his lengthy article that appeared in ITT in 2007. If a journalist writes two such long articles about Venezuela and Chavez without including a single serious reference to Chavez's authoritarian style of governance, then in my book, he clearly fits the bill of …
Posted to Chávez Wins Again
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I would challenge Ron Damiani to indicate where -in either of the last two articles that Ellner has written for ITT - he even comes close to pointing out Chavez's authoritarian style of governance and/or the numerous violations of human rights that have been documented by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the International Labor Organization (among many other such groups). As for my column - "What Progressives Can Learn From Obama" - to say, as Damiani does, that I called on the left "to treat conservatives with kid gloves" is a complete distortion of what I actually wrote. At the …
Posted to Chávez Wins Again
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As always, David - excellent report and a fitting tribute to Ron Carey as well. Ken Brociner
Posted to Obama's Labor Pick Is Good News for Workers
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Marcello, Sorry for not replying to your post sooner. As for citing the Jefferson Airplane, you may have a point. On the other hand, more young people may know of them than you seem to think is the case. Either way, the message contained in the quote I used applies no matter what generation a group is from. I agree with your point about "most" young people being political freelancers., but an awful lot of other people from your generation - and younger - consider themselves to be connected to either MoveOn/ the netroots - or in a more general sense …
Posted to Does a Nationwide 'Progressive Movement' Actually Exist?
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Francis, To reply to your question about what the different causes you cite may have in common - I would answer it this way: they place a greater value on fairness, empowerment, and human dignity than they do on the profit motive. As for your other question about whether or not the leaders and people involved in these different causes are in touch with each other, I would say the short answer is "yes." One of the main reasons I believe that a nationwide progressive movement has come into existence is that there is such a higher level of coordination now …
Posted to Does a Nationwide 'Progressive Movement' Actually Exist?
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My response to "Earth to Ken Brociner" can be read here. Ken Brociner
Posted to Earth to Ken Brociner
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Jon B.(the very first person to comment) has raised a number of important questions. Some of the other comments that have been posted do as well, but , on the whole, I find their tone and overly simplistic and dogmatic approach to be more than a little off-putting. Dfischman makes several good points - but I think he misunderstands what my basic position is. I urge him to read some of my other columns which are posted on the margin to the right of this column. Let me say that I completely agree with esentially everything he says in his second …
Posted to What Progressives Can Learn from Obama
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The magnitude of McGovern's loss to Nixon in 1972 was due to a wide variety of factors - many of which had nothing to do with McGovern's progressive politics. This is not to say that McGovern would have won had it not been for, say, the terrible damage his reputation suffered as a result of the fiasco that resulted from his choice of Thomas Eagleton as his running mate - to name only one of the non-ideological factors that contributed to his landslide defeat. But really, scorp, if you honestly believe that "the Democratic Party went Marxist forty years ago", I …
Posted to McGovern, Obama, and 'transformative' change
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Scorp, I really am not interested in getting into a discussion with someone who actually believes that the Democratic Party is socialist. You - as you have admitted - come from the same place as David Horowitz does - both politically and, I might add, rhetorically....Fine, more power to ya....I really consider it a waste of my valuable time to get into an ideological war with you. Not because I am afraid to do so, but because I would just rather spend my time reaching out to people who are reachable... as well as discussing how to move forward with people …
Posted to McGovern, Obama, and 'transformative' change
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You seem to relish the opportunity to bait leftists. You are a bright guy who I think is terribly misguided. May I respectfully suggest you take your hostile polemics elsewhere. I am perfectly willing to engage someone who I find to be either: open to argument (however far apart our positions might be) or someone who considers him/herself to be a progressive but who might take a different view on an issue than I do. As far as I can see, you do not come close to fitting into either category. I am sure David Horowitz would enjoy hearing from you. …
Posted to McGovern, Obama, and 'transformative' change
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Part 1 of a reply by Ken Brociner: Menacing Toad” wishes I had discussed the two conferences in equal detail. But in a brief column (as opposed to a longer news report), I simply didn’t have the space to include a comprehensive analysis of the Left Forum – or such an analysis of the Take Back America Conference, for that matter. It is true that I devoted more space to the TBA conference. My primary reason for doing so is that I view the TBA gathering as being highly relevant to the real world of politics and movement building – whereas …
Posted to A Tale of Two Conferences
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Part 2 of Ken Brociner's reply: Stanley Aronowitz points out that there were some people at the Left Forum who do think it is important to actively support efforts to elect Democratic candidates to office. Of course there were. But he doesn’t at all dispute my overall observation that the Left Forum mostly ignored both the presidential campaign and the grassroots movement that has come together in support of Barack Obama’s remarkable run for the White House. I apologize for understating the number of people who attended the conference. I was facing a deadline and went with the estimates of two …
Posted to A Tale of Two Conferences
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Part 1 of Ken Brociner's reply (due to space limitations it will carry over to the section directly below this one): Nevada Ned raises several important points. I'll address them one by one. Most of the activists and organizers who attended the Take Back America Conference are not "placing all their bets on the Democratic Party" in order to end U.S. involvement in the war in Iraq. In fact, as I indicated in my column, the multi-faceted movement of activists that came together at the conference generally sees itself as being independent of the Democratic Party. What I did not mention …
Posted to A Tale of Two Conferences
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To reiterate what I said in my column and in response to some of the comments that have been posted, any conference of leftists that meets less than 8 months before a pivotal election that all but ignores both the election and a campaign as important as Obama's has turned out to be - deserves the label of " mostly irrelevant". Ken Brociner
Posted to A Tale of Two Conferences
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Todd, This is an election year. In a few short months, the American people will make a decision that will have enormous consequences for our country along with the rest of the world. All I am saying is that any conference of leftists that meets during the run-up to the election should be spending considerable time and energy trying to figure out how to have an impact on the results of the election. In this case that means - first and foremost - how to defeat John McCain in November. I see this as a no-brainer. You seem not to. As …
Posted to A Tale of Two Conferences
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Nevada Ned has got to kidding. All anyone has to do is to read the entire paragraph that he takes that quote from to see how shamelessly he distorts what the Euston Manifesto actually says. Right before the excerpt that Ned deliberately lifted out of context (see the URL in his comment to read it for yourself) the Manifesto allows for the fact that while signers of the Manifesto may have disagreed on the meriits of the US invasion (and the overwhelming majority opposed it), once Sadam's regime had been ousted, "the proper concern..." ...[ read the rest of the quote …
Posted to A Tale of Two Conferences
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Ned is right - readers should check out the Euston Manifesto - but, I would add, read it in its entirety - not only for what is says about Iraq. If they do, most readers will find it to be one of the most thoughtful documents produced in recent years.
Posted to A Tale of Two Conferences
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Stanley Aronowitz seems unaware of the fact that in 2005 all Israeli settlements in Gaza were totally dismantled - and all of the settlers moved back to Israel. As for the West Bank, he seems similarly unaware of the fact that the Geneva Iniative - the unofficial peace accord reached between moderates on both sides - allows Israel to keep the large settlement blocs that are situated near the Green Line - as long as the exact same amount of land that is now part of Israel is transferred to a new Palestinian state. It is widely known and accepted by …
Posted to A Tale of Two Conferences
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I certainly agree that the platforms that Obama and Clinton are running on are hardly up to the task of adequately addressing the huge problems that this country and the rest of the world now face. Nonetheless, it seems to me that it is absolutely essential that those of us who identify with the left do all we can to prevent McCain from continuing the ruinous policies of the Bush administration for another four years. "Analysis" is all well and good. But without a hell of a lot of activism between now and November, we will be leaving ourselves open to …
Posted to A Tale of Two Conferences
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An excellent, highly nuanced piece of reporting and analysis. Moberg is, without a doubt, one of the best writers on the left. Ken Brociner
Posted to Obamanomics
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Your point about DFA is well taken, but it is far from clear that DFA stands to the left of Obama. A quck glance at DFA's website reveals very little about where it stands on any important issues - other than it suports candidates who are "socially progressive and fiscally responsible." While there is, of course, nothing wrong with "fiscal responsibility ", it's pretty clear that the use of such rhetoric typically doesn't lend itself to the kind of expansive social programs that the left considers basic to its agenda. No surprise here - after all Howard Dean is not really …
Posted to Liberals, Progressives and the Left
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Poppophil, You have raised a number of very important points. I'll try to briefly address each one. I agree that it would be better if America Votes had more of an ideological identity. But I think you're a bit off target when you suggest that in order for activists to come identify with it, it must do something "in particular." It already does - in that it coordinates the electoral work of 42 nationwide progressive organizations - albeit very loosely. But I don't want to oversell America Votes. I am not arguing that progressives should see it as their primary organizational …
Posted to A Two-Track Strategy For 2008 And Beyond
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