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- From: cd619@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Hank Roth)
- Subject: Letter to the Left: HAVE WE WON?
- Message-ID: <1992Nov20.224644.15523@mont.cs.missouri.edu>
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- Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
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- Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 22:46:44 GMT
- Approved: map@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Lines: 68
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- <<< via P_news/p.news >>>
-
- HAVE WE WON?
- An Open Letter To The Democratic Left
-
- We are facing the worst economic decline since the Great
- Depression; a sense of glabal unrest not seen since the Second
- World War. Six months ago, Lost Angeles erupted in the worst
- urban violence in its history. And Americans have elected a
- conservative Democrat from a low wage, right to work state, who
- proposes halfway health care and a suicidal trade agreement.
-
- Where do those of us committed to socialist democracy go from
- here?
-
- A Clinton administration will open up space for the left in the
- next four years. But after a campaign targeted at "Reagan
- Democrats" and the middle class, while ignoring people of color
- and urban issues, what will happen to unions and the working poor
- in Bill Clinton's America?
-
- In a year when a billionaire has bought up national television
- time in order to cast himself in the role of the "voice of
- change", where is the voice of the left, of economic democracy?
- It seems that our issues are the only ones that have not been
- heard in this election. We need to stop depending on others to
- speak for us, and begin to speak for ourselves.
-
- It's time that we drop the divisions of the past, and make a
- commitment to building a party of the democratic left in this
- country. And this time we're not the only ones telling you this.
-
- The call for a labor party, a party of women, working people,
- people of color, students, the unemployed, and those on the
- margins of our society has gone up loudly in this past year. We
- need a new framework upon which to build a voice for social,
- political, and economic democracy in our time.
-
- New parties and exciting ideas for parties have popped up, and
- it's possible that one of these coud blossom into the big
- umbrella we've been looking for.
-
- But you should know that there is a political party ready to
- address this fundamental issue of democracy, and to do so in
- coalition with others who are raising that banner; for ninety
- years we have held to the belief that socialism cannot exist
- without it, and now we're setting our sights on furthering the
- socialist vision to meet the challenges of a new century. WE
- NEED YOUR HELP TO DO THIS.
-
- This is a time of crisis for the world, but a time of opportunity
- for those of us who seek to change it. The Socialist Party offers
- a voice to all of us who are looking for a change to a more
- responsible society.
-
- The need has never been more urgent. We invite you to join us,
- and help build that society.
-
- For more information about the Socialist Party, write Socialist
- Party, USA, 516 W 25th St. $404, NY, NY 10001.
-
- ------------------------------------------
- COMMENTS to: odin@world.std.com (for posting to both conferences).
- E-mail your organizational information (or news & views). Summarize
- and use excerpts for brevity.
-
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