Wither the Autocratic Progressives?
INDIANAPOLIS AIRPORT - Sitting in the airport getting ready to post for the TPM Book Club while waiting for a flight to D.C., I got this email from a friend in progressive politics:
I'm reading The Uprising now and I'm wondering how you think (the new Health Care for America Now (HCAN) coalition) going to work? Is this another AAEI? Or something better that will build real grassroots support? I like the idea of targeting Blue Dogs and putting organizers on the ground.
My friend is referring to the controversial chapter in The Uprising about Americans Against Escalation in Iraq (AAEI), which was also excerpted in In These Times.
The crux of the chapter is about how the antiwar uprising was hurt by a strategy that put a massive amount of resources into a top-down, Washington insider campaign whose major outside-the-Beltway activity was astroturfing, not real grassroots organizing - and whose strategy was a purely partisan one: namely using the war as a political weapon only against Republicans, regardless of whether that would actually help end the war.
The AAEI fiasco was an example of Autocratic Progressivism - the kind where organizations acting in the name of the progressive movement structured the operation in an autocratic, undemocratic, insular fashion - a "trust the Beltway elites" model that defies Saul Alinsky's most basic principles of organizing.
Two initial tidbits of news tell me that HCAN is going to be different.
First and foremost, grassroots groups seem like they are going to play an integral role in the national campaign from the get-go. For instance, I just received word that in my home state of Colorado, the Colorado Progressive Coalition is spearheading the launch of the campaign in state. I've also heard that Connecticut Citizen Action Group is going to be launching the campaign in Connecticut. These groups are the antithesis of astroturf groups - they are real grassroots organizations.
Second, there's this story from Huffington Post about how HCAN will, in fact, operate with a movement psychology - rather than a partisan one. Specifically, it will target pressure against anyone who gets in the way of real health care reform - Republicans OR Democrats. This is different from a partisan strategy that says pressure will only be brought to bear on one party.
Movement psychology is precisely what takes uprisings and turns them into full-fledged social movements. Partisan psychology - otherwise known as Partisan War Syndrome - is what destroys uprisings. It's fantastic to see HCAN taking a confrontational, movement posture right out of the gate. It suggests an understanding of how power and movements have worked - and not worked - in American history.
If the organization can preserve this movement posture and reject the Autocratic Progressives who populate so much of D.C.'s new self-satisfied "progressive" infrastructure, there's a solid chance that today's populist uprising can be channeled into a powerful movement for universal health care. Better still, it can serve as a new model for other corners of the uprising that I describe in my book.
Good take 'em all on. I don't who are worse, people I am opposed to because of their positions or people who say they support my 'cause' only to find out that support isn't real and was only 'given' because of ulterior motives.
Right now I am probably more angry with the D's. The ones who said they would stop the war, and stop the spying being done by the government on the American people only to find out when they get in power the war continues (and many of them support attacking other countries) and when given a chance to stop it they allow domestic spying to continue.
Right now I respect my opponents much more than my so called 'friends' in DC. At least I know where my opponents stand and why...even if I vehemently disagree with them.
I think the beauty of our system is we are able to replace our political leaders until we elect ones who finally 'get it'. Too bad us citizens are reluctant to use what leverage we have.
July 8, 2008 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
HCAN is another in a series of "coalitions" (Andy Stern & SEIU HQ signs on to all of them) that offer to varying degrees variations of the same "employer-individual mandate to buy private for profit insurance" plans. This goes further in using the language of real single payer in promoting itself to Democrats and progressive while not actually promoting single payer.
For real grass roots see:
Guaranteed Health Care which is California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee:
http://www.guaranteedhealthcare.org/
http://www.calnurses.org/nnoc/
http://calnurses.org/
Physicians for National Health Program
http://www.pnhp.org/
Health Care Now: sort of a non-physician/non-nurse spin-off organization: http://www.healthcare-now.org/
Everybody In & Nobody Out: Supports state organizations working at the grassroots for universal health care: http://www.everybodyinnobodyout.org/
Alphabetic List of State Organizations Promoting Real Universal Health Care - Find Friends Near You:
Despite the "Physician" in the name of some of these organizations, they are open to all. You may wish to hook-up with the one nearest you:
AL Health Care for Everyone: http://alabamahealthcareforeveryone.org/
CA Nurses Association: http://www.calnurses.org/
CA Physicians’ Alliance: http://capa.pnhp.org/
CA Health Care for All: http://www.healthcareforall.org/
CA One-Care-Now: http://www.onecarenow.org/index.html
CO Health Care for All: http://www.healthcareforallcolorado.org/
CT Coalition for Universal Health Care: http://cthealth.server101.com/
DE Informed Civic/Political Coalition: http://deinformedvoters.org/
FL PNHP: http://www.tbpnhp.org/
FL for Health Security: http://www.ffhs.org/
GA for a Common Sense Health Plan: http://www.commonsensehealthplan.org/
IL Health Care for All: http://www.healthcareforallillinois.org/
IN Hoosiers for Commonsense Health Plan: http://www.hchp.info/
KS Heartland Health Care for All http://healthcareforall.kumc.edu/
KY PNHP: http://www.kyhealthcare.org/
ME People's Alliance: http://www.mainepeoplesalliance.org/
MD Health Care for All Coaltion: http://www.mdsinglepayer.org
MA Campaign for Single Payer: http://www.masscare.org/
MA Affordable Health Insurance for Everyone: http://healthcareformass.org/
MA Alliance to Defend Health Care: http://www.massdefendhealthcare.org/
MI Universal Health Care Access Network: http://www.michuhcan.com/
MN Universal Health Care Coalition: http://www.muhcc.org/
MN Citizens Organized Acting Together: http://www.coact.org/
MO for Single Payer Healthcare: http://www.mosp.us/index.html
MS PNHP: http://www.pnhp-mo.org/
NH PNHP: http://www.granitestate-pnhp.org/
NY Metro Chapter of PNHP: http://www.pnhpnyc.org/
NY State Capital District PNHP: http://capitaldistrictpnhp.blogspot.com/
NC Committee to Defend Health Care: http://www.ncdefendhealthcare.org/
NC Healht Care for All North Carolina: http://www.HealthCareforAllNC.org/
OH Single-Payer Action Network: http://www.spanohio.org/
OH PNHP Ohio http://www.pnhpohio.org/
OH Health Care for All Ohio http://healthcareforallohio.org/
OR Health Care for All: http://www.healthcareforalloregon.org/
PA Philly Area Committee to Defend Health Care: http://www.phillyhealth.org/
PA http://phillyhealth.blogspot.com/
RI Everybody In-Nobody Out: http://www.everybodyinnobodyout.org/ri/
TX Health Care for All: http://www.healthcareforalltexas.org/
UT Health Alliance: http://www.utahhealthalliance.org/
VT Health Care for All: http://www.vthca.org/
WA Health Care for All: http://www.healthcareforallwa.org/
WA PNHP: http://www.pnhpwesternwashington.org/
WV Mountain State PNHP: http://mountainstatepnhp.com/
WI Coalition for Health: http://www.wisconsinhealth.org/
WY Voices Foundation: http://www.wyoming-voices.org/
For Single-Payer Actions in Your State:
http://www.pnhp.org/stateactions/
&
http://www.pnhp.org/links/state.php
More State Contacts:
http://www.healthcare-now.org/contacts.html
State-by-State Legislation in Process:
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/universalhealth2007.htm
Health and Health Care Facts in Your State:
http://www.statehealthfacts.org/
July 8, 2008 1:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks to DrSteveA for debunking Sirota's populist fantasy, but Sirota still deserves some kind of prize for "Abject Documentation."
How often do you see a link to Readers' Digest (click on "astroturfing") in a supposedly serious article about health insurance?
July 8, 2008 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Interesting how you have to be a single-payer fundamentalist to belong to the "real" grass-roots. Since when does grassroots organizing insist on everyone marching in lockstep?
July 8, 2008 5:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since about the same time we woke up and realized Health Insurance companies contribute nothing to Americans health.
July 8, 2008 7:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, "we" might all agree about that, but some of "us" don't want to wait for the insurance companies to shrivel up and blow away. Universal health care is the goal. The possible means to that end are many. I'll work with anyone who supports the goal without worrying too much about what specific policy they favor.
July 9, 2008 12:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
If the organization can preserve this movement posture and reject the Autocratic Progressives who populate so much of D.C.'s new self-satisfied "progressive" infrastructure ...
I don't know enough about grass roots activity around the country to know whether an "uprising" is occurring or not, but I like where you are going with this.
In the foreign policy realm specifically, I'm really tired of the influence of the elite "progressives" who work for various corporate consultancies advising the agents of empire abroad, trumpet a neoliberal economic line, are spectacularly tone deaf, behind the curve and contemptuous when it comes to popular concerns - but maintain nevertheless a partisan affiliation with the Democratic Party.
July 8, 2008 4:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Credible lies are todays new truth. Incredible lies are tomorrows.
Astroturfing is just commercial trolling. And note that I refer to trolling in the traditional sense, that is, riling up an audience with inflammatory remarks just to watch the resulting fireworks. When one can't trust the communications channel due to noise and intentional misrepresentations within the channel, that medium is diminished as a result. In time, people will ignore even factual and verifiable evidence presented across that channel. Because people just don't want to waste their time trying to figure out what is accurate and what is not accurate.
We are in a time when propaganda is the only purpose of official communication. Why bother listening if you know they're lying?
July 8, 2008 4:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
And anyway, everything's so complicated, so hard to understand. It makes my brain hurt.
July 8, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
In the Golden Era of Activism (GEA) we use to call it co-optation.
The problem has always been framed--wrongly-- as one of who do you trust? Frankly you trust nobody blindly or as Ronald Reagan said "trust but verify"
Grass Roots sound nice and friendly, but it is not a panacea. There is no organizing without leadership as Marx implied with his prescription of a "dictatorship of the proletariat". “Autocratic Progressive” is a watered down version of Marx's ( hopelessly politically incorrect) way of presenting what these guys are calling "astroturfing by the elites".
The notion that "Grass Roots" is some magic method that will crystallize the mythical "Will of the People" without any kind of leadership is confused.
No wonder Ellen's head is hurting!!
What makes you think that fragmenting movements into a loose assembly of local groups each with its little "leaders" is any better a way than Autocratic Top down diktat? I might be wrong but I went through the 60's--70's and there was no shortage of drama queens at the "grass root"
This vision of unpolluted grass root leadership is the myth that keeps the left weak--
the weakness that the right exploits by practicing top-down diktat ueber alles with a vengeance. They really don't have an agenda for mankind but they sure have the method of getting there down pat.
Tragic really.
The solution is not fragmentation but the substitution of the organizational problem by a solid agenda that we can all understand and fall behind.
I don't care who implements the agenda.
Could not care less. Grass Root Tom Hayden or (God forbid) a Unitary President are different ways to achieve an end. The End is the important concept to keep in mind.
The issue is one of getting behind concrete agendas and not looking for “saviours” to lead us into some promised land. Holding politicians accountable to the agenda is the goal. That's what we should be teaching our students in civic classes.
Take Obama's caving in on FISA tomorrow. He needs to pay for it; one way or another. He needs to feel the pain and that and only that will clear his mind.
Politicians are used to toying with people because people let themselves be toyed with.
Nothing wrong with grass root activism but activism that seeks to reinvent the whole governing structure is doomed to failure.
July 8, 2008 10:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
That last sentence is an overstatement. What I should say is that unless the governig structure is completely rotten, don't try to reinvent it...
July 8, 2008 10:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama . . . needs to pay for . . . caving in on FISA.
"What's the point of having a constituency if you can't sell it out?" Harold Wilson(?)
July 8, 2008 10:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Be careful Andrew. I have been perusing the reader blogs and a good deal of people there are convinced that if any person criticizes Obama over FISA it means that person is actually a repug troll.
Besides, it is only the 4th amendment being gutted. Why should anyone get worked up over something as silly/trivial as that?
I wish there was a grassroots 'draft Feingold' movement. Sirota knows Bernie Sanders. Any chance in talking him into a run? On second thought that probably wouldn't fly...Bernie doesn't have a (D) after his name. Never mind...
July 8, 2008 11:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
yeah I see your point. Especially throwing in Ronald Reagan and Karl Marx all in one post.
In trying to establish what "we" want government to do, populism surely must play some role, otherwise what does the "we" refer to? Surely not merely the left wing elites. That would be--God forbid-paternalism.
vox populi what does it include? homophobia? universal health care? Is there such a think as the univocal voice of the people? And even if there was, must it always be the voice of reason and justice? I don't think so.
July 9, 2008 12:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
too many people confuse the voice of the people with that voice in their head.
July 9, 2008 12:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
I wasn't criticizing you Andrew. Just people who believe in nothing more than the support of the 'party orthodoxy' and bash you if they feel you have 'deviated' from it.
Vox populi? What does it entail exactly? That is up for debate. But I really believe the vast majority of the American people are reasonable and judicious. And there is always the constitution in place to protect the country's core values if they aren't so on some issues.
July 9, 2008 12:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
it seems to me that the constitution is now in an undisclosed secret place due to matters of national security, or the security of our nation's leaders, perhaps ... and we cannot gain access to it or its protections of our country's 'core values' ...
July 9, 2008 2:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
my point was that single payer, while we may not have 40 or 60 million to throw around in an organized roll-out campaign (and where does that money come from? And why is it going to this? now?) does have boots and scrubs on the ground all over the place. Not lock step. But true grass roots. Which HCAN is not.
July 9, 2008 7:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Your point is well taken--at least by me.
You are an issue oriented person and that's my two cents in this whole debate. Let's stick to the issues we want to advance and not get too bogged down with personalities with issues.
July 9, 2008 10:52 PM | Reply | Permalink