Which Way For The Left?

The US left spends an incredible amount of time and energy debating its future and does so even as its fortunes wane and its practical influence recedes. Watching this you have to think that writing about and sharing the angst sometimes becomes a substitute for action and organizing.

Now we have two documents circulating which capture two of the many tendencies on the left regarding the present political moment.

The first is the Open Letter To The Left Establishment which is gathering a remarkable number of signatures across the political spectrum of the left. Its broad support makes it difficult to describe the politics behind it and it's clear that there are contradictions among the signers and the efforts they represent which will make practical action on the letter especially difficult. It speaks from impatience and a lack of sustained organizing. Still, it may mark a new point of political clarification, or at least a step in that direction.

The second piece comes from Jarvis Tyner and represents the thinking of the Communist Party leadership. It's entitled "Which way forward for the left" and may have been written in response to the Open Letter. Tyner's piece serves as a cautionary warning or reminder of several key points parts of the left seem to be blowing right past. On the other hand, it raises many more questions than it answers and leaves the key questions of leadership and left identity unresolved. Moreover, its practical application back-burners these questions.

Bear in mind that these are only two of many, many points of view now defining the US left. No one should feel at this point that they have to choose between only two points of view in order to remain on the left or that more nuanced positions are not possible, consistent and practical.