Should there be more of a "special relationship" between the British and American Left?

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Yes it could, and there are a couple of those on the "left."

I use the term loosely, since the US has had a long history of persecution of the left. The reason it is all but organized is that long history.

The Center for American Progress is one of those think tanks.

Now there are groups, that would hardly self identify as left, even if technically they are, The Iraq and Afghanistan Vets, Vets for Peace, Occupy (I know shocking since they do not get it more than a few individual tea party members). Now why would none of these groups self identify as old left, new left or plainly left? This democracy has a long history of persecution, starting in the early 20th century with the Turner Raids, and damn it, we both know how successful your inauguration was as needling our Political Right, by it's celebration of the NHS. But I digress, our free society is free as long as you do not make too many waves... and those commies, and socialists (we both know they are not the same) need to be crushed.

What Americans need is lessons in effective organizing but chiefly to lose that fear of saying it, I am a social democrat, I am not afraid to say it... (and I know what it means), but that is what we need.

Go to oh an Occupier gathering, and they will use the accepted term, I am progressive... even though a few of them are down right Socialists, with all the implications of the term. I had those conversations, but they really need a backbone.

It is truly almost a century of this crap.