From Envio magazine via Mirada Global:

I don’t doubt the existence of a future for the left, but their future will not be a linear continuation of their past. Defining what the lefts have in common equals answering the question: What is the left?

The left is a combination of political positions that share the ideal that all human beings are equal and are the supreme value. This ideal is questioned every time there are social relations where power is unequal, that is, when there is domination. In this case, some individuals or groups satisfy some of their needs by transforming other individuals or groups into means to satisfy their needs. Capitalism isn’t the only source of domination, although it’s an important one.

The different ways of understanding this ideal has provoked several divisions. The main ones have stemmed from opposing answers to the following questions: Can capitalism be reformed in order to improve the fate of those that are dominated, or is this only possible beyond capitalism? Must the social struggle be conducted by one class –the working class- or by different classes or social groups? Must the struggle take place within the democratic institutions, or outside these? The State, in itself, does it have a relationship of domination, or can it be mobilized to fight against relationships of domination?

Read the rest here. Also available in Spanish.

Tim Reidy

 

Tim Reidy is the deputy editor in chief of America Media.