Far Left Politics?

Recently, a number of right wing bloggers and pundits have been arguing that Pelosi, Reid and President Obama are pushing American politics to the far left. Reading them, you might think that America is developing an European-style social state.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

First things first - America is not Europe. The labor protection laws that exist on the continent, and to some extend in the UK, simply don't exist here. It's all that strangely worded 'work at will' (this was coined, as you might expect, by a right wing pundit in the late 1940's or early 1950's, when American unions were fighting for labor protection laws. What happened was that 'right to fire' laws became known as 'work at will' laws - something that implies the exact opposite of what these laws actually are!) You can be fired for any reason in the US. There are some protections, but they're being eroded or removed quite rapidly. Right to work [sic] laws are a state concern, and as such the Feds have very little capacity to pass any labor protection laws.

Secondly, there's no national health system. It might be possible to implement one, but I don't think anyone - except perhaps a few diehards who don't look at the financial state of European health systems - wants a national, tax-payer funded system. European health systems, and the granddaddy of them all - Britain's - are all in dire straits. Administrative costs keep climbing, while the care provided is worsening. And no one knows exactly how much goes into these systems because no government in Europe is very open about such things. The British government is actually the worst - the secrecy of official budgets is both heinous and ridiculous.

Health care over here is going to be a mix of government regulation (particularly in the cost of care), private insurance - hopefully more fairly regulated - and publicly funded options of last resort.

What is needed is an incentive to move away from the current system that discourages preventive care, excessive testing to avoid lawsuits, and the ridiculous insurance system that rewards dramatic operations and cuts off life simply because the insurance company bureaucrat decides you're too expensive. Health care is going to be a battle-royale!

Thirdly, welfare and unemployment are administered at the State level. Each state sets its own rates, conditions (often confusing, and many are designed to ensure you can't collect, even as you're required to pay into the system) and then there are the Governors who are willing to trade unemployment benefits for national political pandering. This system has to change, but getting it to European style payments and conditions (Britain's measly and mediocre efforts notwithstanding) is simply not going to happen, over here. The Feds can't interfere too much with the State systems, despite being the biggest contributor!

Closing Guantanamo Bay is not a left-wing issue; it seems to be, because so few on the right are demanding it. Human rights are not a left or right wing issue; the treatment of prisoners is a human rights issue. Iraq is not a left-wing issue; no one has managed to articulate why America and Britain (and a few others) are fighting there, so that becomes more of a "stop fighting while we can" issue. I don't America will be leaving Iraq any time soon; the borders were arbitrarily drawn, and with no regard to political realities of the time. As such, America needs to be there - they bought the responsibility, whether they (or anyone else, for that matter) wanted it, or not.

Lastly, there's no evidence America is moving to the far left, politically. It's not the "right of center" nation these pundits claimed when Obama wasn't yet President, but it's certainly not the far-left horror they tell us it is. I think what is happening is that common-sense laws are being proposed, and in contrast to the past 8 or 10 years of fiscal and regulatory irresponsibility, anything that is politically centered seems to be far left. It's one of those contrast thingies!

The truth of the matter is that you can't rely on industries to act either their own best interest, or the best interests of their communities. You can rely on, for instance, strip mining owners to want to get rid of their waste in the most economical way possible. Even if that includes increasing mercury levels in the drinking water sources, or blocking Appalachian streams. You can rely on the auto industry to fight tooth and nail any real effort to improve the products. (I don't count new radios and vaguely more efficient engines as "real progress".) Heck, the auto-industry didn't want to include tire pressure monitors, seat belts or air bags.

Sure, there will be some swinging to the left - that's inevitable after the shoddy treatment the GOP dished out to the Democrats up to 2006. It's also inevitable that some over-correction of the neocon swing to the far, far right will happen. Once America is prosperous and growing, again, the unfairness of today will be forgotten; it's as likely to be revered as anything! (After all, many on the right still think the days of the Robber Barons as perfectly fair!) It's one reason why Obama has to move fast - his window of opportunity to make America a better place will all but vanish once people have money in their pockets, and fewer worries about their future. He has to get certain programs in so they become fait-accompli, and are dismantled by the right at their peril. His proposed changes do seem to be far reaching, and this is what has the right worried - they're more interested in tax cuts and maintaining the status quo. Change, even for the better, is not something they want to see. (Really!)

No, America is not moving to the far left. It's centering, and if that has the right wing upset, all I can say is: Good! :-)

Carolyn Ann