one more thing... Progressives Need to Get a Clue and Be Proactive by Vincent Jones When will progressives stop whining and start proposing viable alternatives to the litany of conservative schemes quickly becoming the law of the land? For example, did anyone read anything in The Nation, The Progressive, or any other progressive publication discussing the nuances of an alternative to affirmative action programs or welfare as we knew it before 1996? Both of these political debates illustrate the failure of leftist activists to fight the New Right with cogent, politically feasible alternatives that embody progressive values. Until liberals rectify this problem, those of us fighting for social justice and truly equal opportunity will continue to lose ground to the rabid forces of the conservative army. Think back to 1994 when Democrats controlled both houses of Congress. At a time when the nation enjoyed economic prosperity for the first time since the onset of the recession which hit earlier in the decade, the party in control lost in a big way. Why? The Republican congressional candidates, under the leadership of Newt Gingrich, articulated a very clear and carefully worded blueprint to achieve their goals. This Contract "on" America gave the voting public an alternative to the status quo. More importantly, it had been well thought out, tested with focus groups, and marketed to appeal to the broadest audience possible. Unfortunately, a good number of voters bought into the Contract "on" America and ushered in what many call a conservative revolution. I expected progressives to learn from 1994, but apparently I overestimated my activist sisters and brothers. Leftists have sat idly by as conservatives push their regressive agenda through state legislatures, Congress, and the public opinion mill. Why did progressives wait until the last few months before the '96 elections to launch a campaign against California's Proposition 209? When will liberals propose a viable alternative to school vouchers to give low-income inner-city residents a reason to oppose the plan that will cause more problems than it intends to ameliorate? Why haven't progressives begun organizing against the forthcoming California proposition to eliminate bilingual education throughout the state? It's time for leftists to get out of the ivory tower, eschew theory, and get real! We have lost a significant amount of ground in the past few decades. In today's political climate, political leaders consider it a liability to be labeled a liberal despite the fact that most Americans support the progressive agenda. The longer we stay incommunicado, the more difficult our task will become. I offer the following suggestions to help us get real: 1. Get a clue! Poor people care more about putting food on the table, clothes on their backs, and a roof over their head than leading a revolution. To put it another way, I've yet to meet a poor Marxist. If we intend to effect change, we must understand where other people are coming from. We need to stop trying to mobilize a mass movement to overthrow capitalism and start using the existing system to achieve tangible improvements in the lives of people with lower incomes. 2. Be proactive, not reactive! Progressives tend to respond to conservative proposals rather than offer realistic alternatives to the status quo. In doing so, we allow people on the right to define the issues and set the agenda. 3. Learn how to communicate to the masses, not just the academy! Most of us in the ivory tower tend to possess an intimate understanding of the issues after discussing them in great detail. Unfortunately, the average person can tell you more about the trials and tribulations of Pamela Anderson Lee and her husband Tommy than the negative impact of recent welfare reform on the urban labor market. Given this fact, we must learn how to get our message out in a way that is palatable to a large audience without sacrificing our beliefs. I could go on for days with suggestions but I won't because I'm just one person committed to affecting significant change in the world-or at least my little piece of it. We, as liberals, progressives, leftists, or whatever we choose to call ourselves must come together to lay down a framework which will enable us to overcome our current shortcomings and build on our many strengths. Are you ready? Newt and crew sure are.

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