Unity and Coalition Building

Our country and the world are going through an exceedingly dangerous period. I suppose one could imagine a more ominous time, but I can’t think of one. We have fought two wars in the space of six months and two bloody, costly, and coercive occupations have followed. No exit strategy is under consideration in either Afghanistan or Iraq.

A closer look at unity and conflict on the Left.

Coalitions burst forth in a new way at the end of the century, and in many ways coalition building is defining the strides of progress in the 21st century. In Seattle, when Teamsters walked with turtles against the WTO, a whole new level of coalition appeared with global potential.

The last election created a center-left electoral majority. The majority of the left worked to defeat Bush. This majority is likely to grow in the future. At the same time, unity of action has to be built with that section of the left that voted for Nader. The imperative of all-peoples unity and creating the broadest possible anti-Bush front demands this as the election fiasco clearly demonstrated.