Historically left-leaning political views are no longer in fashion with people on the left, or even the center left. The ideas that formed on college campuses and defined the ‘60s and ‘70s have been left behind. Not only has the left abandoned the idea of free speech, people on the left have abandoned some of their core values, including distrust of big government, distrust of the military industrial complex, and distrust of big pharma. With political lines continuing to shift, many more Americans, including conservatives on the right, can see that the left was correct to be wary of those entities.
Today we have college students as well as faculty members not allowing judges, journalists, and politicians to speak on campus. The divide between the left and right appears to be growing. Perhaps it is the influence from pop culture, entertainment, and the media that makes it so the political left and right never seem to agree?... at least not at the same time. But I believe that we can coexist, and we can find common ground. If the left can come back home and return to their core beliefs, we can come together, because the historic beliefs of the traditional American political left and the current beliefs of the political right greatly overlap.
This article will focus on a few examples that illustrate how the left was correct. The right was more hesitant to take action long ago, but today is different. The country is still mired in endless wars. We still have big businesses preying on innocent Americans. We still have government encroaching on our freedom. The left has historically brought attention to these issues, and the right was not ready to believe the problems they identified were as bad as portrayed. Today is different. If we join together, we can direct our combined energy at the true cause of these lingering issues and make the changes to America that will bring about the prosperity and liberty that’s been swindled from us.
Example One: War
In 1965, the anti-war movement began with the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), which was a leftist organization that formed out of a democratic socialist organization called the League for Industrial Democracy. Musicians, hippies, and celebrities, all on the left of the political spectrum, protested the Vietnam war. The Vietnam War was a proxy war with the Soviet Union, and the left saw it as an unwinnable war half the world away. They were skeptical of fueling the military industrial complex, and advocated for peace with slogans such as “make love, not war.” During the Vietnam War, the left was the driving force behind the anti-war movement.
At the time, many viewed it as noble and justified to protest, and refuse to serve in a war that they believed America had no business being involved in. In current times, America is involved in another proxy war with post-Soviet Russia over a different foreign country. Yet this time, the left is in full support. The left demands Americans denounce Russia and show unwavering support for Ukraine, a country which has consistently ranked among the most corrupt in the world. With no questions asked and no audit trails of the funds, our government officials — both democrat and liberal republican — are unwittingly sending billions of taxpayer dollars to Ukrainian oligarchs.
For those on the left, you were right to question the endless wars, and the motivations of interventionist politicians, and their cozy relationships with the defense industry. The imperialist war machine is not beneficial for anyone except world leaders and those who control them through lobbying efforts. Conservatives are here to meet you where you were, they just need you to come home.
Example Two: Big Pharma
The left has argued for years that for-profit healthcare is immoral and works against the best interests of people’s health. Democrats have screamed for single-payer or government-run healthcare for years. Obamacare was ushered in as a solution to the so-called evils of for-profit healthcare, but its inefficiencies and burdensome regulations have only exploded healthcare costs. To make matters worse, since 2000 one of the biggest components of healthcare — Big Pharma — is second place on the list of most-fined industry sectors ($113 billion). When I consider the levels of dishonesty it takes to amass $113 billion in fines, I definitely understand the left’s historical opposition to a profit motive that can run off the rails.
Despite a historic distrust in the medical industrial complex, beginning in 2021, something strange happened. Democrats everywhere were proudly touting their allegiances to big pharma. The COVID vaccines were the work of newfound altruistic big pharmaceutical companies, with recipients proudly boasting of being on “Team Pfizer” or “Team Moderna” or “Team J&J .”
Somehow, seemingly overnight, those evil big pharma companies became heroes saving lives. News media, social media and pop culture portrayed them as saviors. But these pharmaceutical companies were actually exerting influence on public policy makers for their gain. The left ignored the billions in record profits big pharma received, and the efficacy of the new vaccines, while vaccine makers used the nation’s COVID experience to push their products over more affordable and more effective treatments.
In addition to COVID vaccines, large pharmaceutical companies are finding new and creative ways to profit. Transgender procedures are “huge money makers” due to extensive surgeries and follow up procedures that last a lifetime. Rather than treating gender dysphoria, the medical industrial complex is pushing “gender affirming care.” After all, natural solutions to illnesses do not produce major money-making opportunities.
The right can again look to the left and admit, you were right. Although the left and right may not agree on the solution to the “medical-industrial complex,” conservatives certainly see the perspective of the left’s original point of view, and now just need the left to come home.
Example Three: Government Agencies and Civil Liberties
After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the Federal Government leapt into action implementing new regulations and creating new agencies in the name of national security. TSA, NSA, and the Patriot Act all brought more surveillance and more government control. It was the left that saw the government overreach and its dangers.
When the Patriot Act was passed, only one senator voted against it; Russ Feingold (D). In the House, the Patriot Act passed by a vote of 357 Yes to 66 No. Of the 66 No’s, 62 were Democrats and only three were Republicans. The left saw the dangers of government agencies that could one day turn their attentions to American citizens and run amok. They were very prescient in sounding the alarm. In fact, the far-left leaning American Civil Liberties Union warned that the bill could, and likely would, be used against US citizens.
In 2002, having already passed the Patriot Act, Congress passed legislation establishing the Department of Homeland Security. It passed in the House by a vote of 295 Yes to 132 No. Of the 132 No’s, 120 were Democrats. Only 11 were Republicans. In the Senate, it passed 90-9, with the 9 No’s being comprised of eight Democrats and zero Republicans. How would these votes look now in today’s political climate?
Since 9/11, the surveillance state has only grown. Given the choice between curtailing the government’s ability to monitor every citizen or increase the power of Federal agencies to turn their attention to domestic targets, politicians have consistently chosen to increase agency power. Once again, the ACLU sounded the alarm.
“In 2008, Congress enacted Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, authorizing the warrantless surveillance of Americans’ private international communications — including our phone calls, emails, chats, and web browsing.
In 2013, Edward Snowden’s revelations about the breadth of U.S. government surveillance shocked the world. The public learned about the NSA’s “PRISM” and “Upstream” programs, which involve the NSA working closely with companies like Google, Facebook, AT&T, and Verizon to conduct warrantless surveillance of Americans’ international communications on a massive scale.
In the face of these disclosures, intelligence officials also admitted that the NSA had for years been secretly collecting records about virtually every American’s phone calls — who’s calling whom, when those calls are made, and how long they last. This kind of information, when amassed by the NSA day after day, can reveal incredibly sensitive details about people’s lives and associations, such as whether they have called a pastor, an abortion provider, an addiction counselor, or a suicide hotline.”
Those who have been a target the last several years, whether it be moms speaking at school board meetings, the FBI targeting the Catholic Church, or presidential candidates, members of the right now see the problem with these government organizations. Unfortunately, abuse of power by these government agencies is benefitting the far left, and therefore the left is silent. The right can now meet the left where they were, they just need the left to come back home.
We must find common ground if we are to have freedom in our future. Perhaps we can enter into discussions with each other with the understanding that we aren’t always at complete odds, perhaps it’s just a matter of degree? Can we seek out alliances on issues we truly do have in common? One surprising alliance occurred recently. Matt Gaetz and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez are teaming up to ban members of Congress from trading in stocks. Maybe our views are closer than we realize. Maybe we are all very close to coming home?