Australia - Save the Left from itself?

The Australian says why bother.

Here's there take on the Euston Manifesto.

The result - a manifesto that calls on the Left to support universal human rights, to abandon anti-American prejudice, to see all forms of totalitarianism as being essentially the same, to be willing to support military intervention against oppressive regimes if necessary, to promote democracy and women's rights and free speech all over the world. And so on. Read it yourself on (www.eustonmanifesto.org/joomla/). [Sounds like Bush or Rove wrote it. No. ...ed]

The authors believe they are reclaiming these principles for the Left, principles that originated with Left thinkers and were fought for by Left agitators, principles that commend themselves to any Left thinker on domestic issues but somehow do not when those same people consider foreign policy. And in this, the signatories of the Euston Manifesto have a good point, of course they do.

What do they see as the chances of success?

The principles outlined by the authors of the Euston Manifesto may draw on the great history of the Left, but they are not its present or its future. The group supporting it has impressive quality. But quantity? No. All the hours spent drafting such a clear statement of principles have been wasted on people who do not agree and never will.

The task of persuading the Left is also unnecessary. For if the Euston Manifesto had been published by a group of right-wingers it might attract some right-wing opposition, but support would be overwhelming on the Right. This may not be a very attractive fact for a group of left-liberal authors to come to terms with, but it is the truth nevertheless. I know how hard this is. I had to come to terms with it myself, after years of thinking myself part of the Left, and it was difficult to do and took me a long time. But it is now more than 15 years since I realised that the Left's failure to treat all forms of totalitarianism as if they were the same was not going to change.

The Right has its failings, lord knows it does. But it is a better ally in the cause that the Euston Manifesto champions. It is as simple as that.

Still, I'm glad they put the manifesto out there. If, as this article suggests, there are few on the Left who will support its goals, they will have to say so and explain why.

One of the biggest problems for the Left today, is that in their blind opposition to the Right, they've sided with Communists and Islamists - both oppose the goals of the manifesto. Taken to extreme, you wind up with both in someone like George Galloway and his Respect party. Which is why the Left repeatedly wind up on the wrong side of history.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------