Let's Mobilize Around a Progressive Agenda
Harry Targ
1.A systematic progressive economic and political program that prioritizes the fulfillment of human needs.
2.A unified political movement that organizes around this program or at least builds an alliance of Left groups that share a common humane peace and justice vision even as groups work on particular issues.
3.A grassroots organizing strategy that in word and deed does not prematurely identify critics with pejorative labels. Certain sectors of the population already embrace a progressive agenda, others are not yet decided, and a smaller percentage have embraced rightwing fascism.
The task of the left should include mobilizing those who agree, convincing the unconvinced, and finally respectfully seeking to change the minds and actions of the minority who are reactionary (including those who believe only violence will protect them).
From the War Resisters League
4.A progressive movement that reaches out to, participates with, and learns from the literally millions of people that are rising up all across the globe. At this stage in human history the campaigns of people of color and various nationalities in the Global South matter. And these movements parallel those of the poor and oppressed in the United States as well.
5.Finally prioritizing in this progressive project an anti-militarist, anti-war agenda. It is clear that the “permanent war economy” constructed after World War II robbed the world’s citizens of resources and hopes for a better future. A just world is a disarmed world, a world of peace.
Addendum from Senator Bernie Sanders:
In a recent speech in Detroit, President Biden laid out an agenda for the first 100 days of his second term. (It should be embraced now by Kamala Harris and Tim Walz) including:
· Restoring Roe v. Wade
· Signing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act
· Expanding Social Security and Medicare
· Ending all medical debt
· Raising the minimum wage to a living wage
· Passing the PRO Act to enable workers to organize
· Banning assault weapons
· Leading the world on clean energy
· Lowering childhood poverty by restoring the child tax credit
· $35 insulin cap for all and lowering prescription drug costs
· Building more affordable housing
· Investing in childcare and elder care
