Re: Bush's rapid shifting of position

[Martin Hart-Landsberg <marty@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I am not sure about the tides, but in response to Chris's post below, I have
been struck by the apparent popularity and political positioning of a new radio
network in the United States, Air America.  This network has a series of radio
programs that define themselves as being on the left.  In fact a couple of the
hosts specifically call themselves leftists.  Of course, the programming is
squarely focused on attacking republicans and supporting Kerry in the election
and none of the hosts are remotely close to being on the left.  Significantly,
in the major markets that carry this programming it is out competing Rush and
other rightwing commentators for audience share.

It is interesting that people who not long ago were nervous about embracing the
so called l work, liberal, are now promoting themselves, and seemingly
successfully, as leftists in struggle against the right to defend the interests
of working Americans.  This development raises interesting questions about how
we identify ourselves and play to this trend.

Marty Hart-Landsberg



Quoting Chris Burford <cburford@xxxxxxxxxx>:

> While left wing electors in the US pose what seems to me to be the
> wrong question - whether Kerry is the lesser evil to Bush - does
> anyone notice how much the shape of the beach is shifting under the
> pressure of events?
>
> (I am referring to the consumerist model of the bourgeois two party
> system as one where on a crowded beach two ice-creamer sellers will
> maximum their take if they both set up their stall near the centre of
> the beach)
>
> But if this is a systems approach to boureois democracy, what happens
> if the centre of gravity of the system is shifting? What happens is
> the tide is coming in, or the tide is going out?
>
> If, if, he wins, a second GWBush presidency might be very different
> from the first. Of course he will disguise it, but he is shifting his
> policy fast is he not?
>
> Or has this been fully ventilated in posts that I have skimmed over?
>
> Chris Burford
>