From our archives: Articles you should have read but missed the first time around
Editor’s Note: In this piece Bonnie Weinstein essentially demolishes the position held by so many left-liberals and “democratic socialists”, including some like Ehrenreich with an estimable body of progressive work.  In so doing she also exposes the limits of liberalism.

Barbara Ehrenreich

Below we reproduce in toto an article by Tom Hilton attacking left critics of Obama for supposedly using “rightwing memes”.  At TGP we regard liberals (not to mention Obamabots, a particularly virulent and idiotic strain) as a plague in the house of the left, so we rarely miss an opportunity to teach the public the stupidity (and danger) of imitating their positions. Hilton’s piece does admirably well as a textbook example of such thinking, so without further ado, here it is for your examination and edification, with some select  (and very eloquent) comments from the original thread.—PG

Adding to the confusion: A T-shirt sporting a design suggesting Obama is some sort of communist “dictator”, surely aimed at the wingnut market.  Read more…

By Jeff Mullen
PREFATORY NOTE

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• This document is meant to explain and show the weaknesses in basic Libertarian Ideology. It is not intended to show one how to convince a Libertarian that s/he is wrong–Libertarianism requires a belief in magic (the magic of the “Free Market”), and nothing can convince a believer that there is no such thing as magic–rather, it is meant to give one the tools to show those considering Libertarian Ideology how it is wrong, and to prevent others from falling into the Libertarian trap. Libertarians are VERY good at using good-sounding words to make bad things seem preferable. This will help a skeptic to cut through it, and describe Libertarian memes more accurately than the Libertarians themselves. Read more…

The American “left” and the debt ceiling deal
By David Walsh, WSWS.ORG (A socialist organization, part of SEP)

J. Nichols speaking at Wisconsin workers' rally.

The debt ceiling agreement reached between President Barack Obama and the Democrats and Republicans in Congress this week demonstrates that the two-party system is nothing but a mechanism for defending the rule and wealth of the American financial aristocracy.

Both major parties are indifferent to current and future popular suffering. Tens of millions in America already find it difficult, if not impossible, to make ends meet. What lies in store as the political establishment in Washington attempts to repeal whatever social concessions were forced out of the ruling elite over the course of the past century or more?

In the face of this devastating attack, how have the official liberal-left (the Nation magazine) and “far left” (the International Socialist Organization) in the US responded? There are no surprises here. These extremely tame and complacent political entities, speaking for affluent constituencies in the middle class, divert attention from the central lessons of the recent crisis and continue to encourage illusions in one faction or another of the Democratic Party. Read more…