What Is the Far Left ?

What is the Far Left ?

The growing visibility of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and victories by some DSA-backed candidates has triggered an upsurge of redbaiting by Republicans and fear-mongering by moderate Democrats. 

 

Sanders has said, “I don’t believe it is a terribly radical idea to say that someone who works 40 hours a week should not be living in poverty.” Most Americans agree with him. 

If anything, it is right-wing Republicans who are the extremists and whose views are out of sync with most Americans. In contrast, progressives and democratic socialists are in accord with the vast majority of Americans, regardless of how they define themselves. For example, according to recent polls: 

80% of Americans consider wealth inequality a serious national issue.

82% view the influence of money in politics as a threat to American democracy.

80% believe that the rich have too much political power. 

65% think the American economy is rigged to advantage the rich. 

77% support increasing taxes on billionaires and 63% (including 43% of Republicans) support higher taxes on large corporations. 

80% (and 70% of Republicans) support a tax on corporations whose CEOs make 50 times more than their median employees

73% think that members of Congress and their family members should be prohibited from owning or trading individual stocks. 

74% support requiring oil and gas companies to pay a share of climate-related costs. 

 69% (including 58% of Republicans) think that the government should do more to regulate grocery chains that raise prices to maximize profits. 

82% say that the profits made by pharmaceutical companies are a “major factor” in the high price of prescription drugs. Perhaps surprisingly, 89% of Republicans share this view, compared with 78% of independents and 84% of Democrats. 

88% want Congress to allow Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices 

62%  think it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have health care coverage. 

90% think Congress should add dental, vision, and hearing benefits to Medicare coverage

59%  support a single-payer or Medicare for All system (27% oppose the idea and 14% had no opinion). 

57% want Congress to pass legislation to codify nationwide rights to abortion, contraception, and in vitro fertilization

68% support labor unions, a significant increase since the 1960s. 

67% (including 53% of Republicans) support federal legislation to make it easier for Americans to form unions and negotiate for higher pay and better benefits

77%  (including 75% of Republicans) support raising the federal minimum wage from the current $7.25 to $15, while 70% think it should be increased to $17. 

75%  (including 64% of Republicans) think Congress should guarantee 12 weeks of annual paid family and medical leave to all employees. 

73% support government-funded universal childcare.

81% (and 74% of Republicans) support a guarantee of at least 10 days of paid vacation for full-time workers. 

70% (including 62% of Republicans) embrace the idea of making two years of community college tuition-free nationwide.

72% (including 63% of Republicans and 61% of gun owners) think that a person should be required to obtain a license from local law enforcement before they can purchase a gun. 

58% of Americans who have heard about the recent killings by ICE agents support abolishing the agency. Only 25% of Americans think that most or all of the people being deported are criminals.

57% believe that police treat people unequally based on their race and 58% don’t think that the courts treat everyone equally. 

A majority support reforms such as banning chokeholds, curtailing no-knock warrants, expanding the use of body cameras, conducting independent investigations of officer-involved shootings, launching a national database for police misconduct, and appointing civilian oversight boards as watchdogs over police departments. Many Americans support shifting some funding toward community crime-prevention and using mental health workers to deal with non-violent incidents, but very few Americans, across all races, want to “defund” or dismantle local police departments. 

 

Peter Dreier.

More.

 some of the challenges and opportunities facing DSA.  https://portside.org/2026-08-20/what-far-left 

Why Are Progressives Winning ?

 

Sisters and Brothers - 

The media pundits have written article after article desperately trying to understand why progressive candidates, despite being heavily outspent, keep defeating establishment Democrats in primaries around the country. Well, the answer is not complicated. Please read an op-ed I wrote for the Guardian on this subject. - Bernie

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Why are progressives winning across the United States? It’s not complicated
Poll after poll shows the same thing. The American people know that the current economic system is rigged

Bernie Sanders

The media pundits have written article after article desperately trying to understand why progressive candidates, despite being heavily outspent, keep defeating establishment Democrats in primaries around the country. Well, the answer is not complicated.

Whether it is a corrupt campaign finance system, unprecedented income and wealth inequality, a broken and wildly expensive healthcare system, the enormous threats posed by AI or an immoral and destructive foreign policy, progressives are talking about the real issues facing working families. And they are providing real solutions. Establishment Democrats are not.

Poll after poll shows the same thing. The American people know that the current economic system is rigged. The very rich get richer, while working families struggle. Today, while 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, the billionaire class has never ever had it so good.

We now have more income and wealth inequality than at any time in American history. The top 1% now own more wealth than the bottom 93% and one man, Elon Musk, owns more wealth than the bottom 50% of US households.

Not surprisingly, working families are tired of status quo politics and the same old, same old establishment policies that have failed them for years. They want change, real change – and are supporting progressive candidates who are fighting for that change.

In the richest country in the history of the world, Americans do not want to have to struggle every single day just to pay the bills. Working-class people do not want to die years younger than they should because of illnesses caused by the never-ending stress they experience just to survive. And, like past generations, they do not want their kids to have a lower standard of living than they do.

Establishment politicians and the establishment media have described the agenda that progressive candidates are winning elections on as “radical”, “far left”, “extremist” or, in the words of Donald Trump, “communist” . All that is nonsense. On major issue after major issue, the progressive agenda is reflecting exactly what a strong majority of the American people need and want.

Let me take this opportunity to share with you some of the major proposals that most progressives support. And you tell me how “extreme” they are.

Campaign finance reform
Progressives believe that our current campaign finance system is corrupt and is undermining democracy. It is absurd that one man, Mr Musk, can spend $290m to help elect Donald Trump as president and that billionaires in both parties can spend unlimited amounts of money in campaigns through their Super Pacs.

We believe that we must end the disastrous US supreme court decision on Citizens United, ban Super Pacs and move to the public funding of elections. We believe that democracy means one person one vote, not billionaires buying elections.

Healthcare
Progressives believe that our current healthcare system is broken, dysfunctional and wildly expensive. We believe that it is immoral and fiscally irresponsible for us to spend roughly twice as much per capita on healthcare as do the people of other major countries, while 85 million Americans remain uninsured or underinsured.

At the same time, we pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. Progressives believe that healthcare is a human right and that we should do what all other major countries on Earth do, guarantee healthcare to all people. We agree with the 64% of Americans who want a Medicare for all single payer system.

Protecting American workers
Progressives believe that all Americans are entitled to a decent standard of living. We regard it as outrageous that in the year 2026 millions of workers continue to earn starvation wages and that the federal minimum wage remains at a disgraceful $7.25 an hour. We believe that the federal minimum wage should be raised to a living wage of at least $20 per hour.

We also believe that employers should no longer be able to deny workers their constitutional right to join unions through illegal actions. Progressives support the passage of the Pro Act which will make it easier for workers to join unions and negotiate contracts that will provide them with better wages, benefits and working conditions.

Tax the rich
Progressives believe that, at a time of unprecedented income and wealth inequality, the wealthiest people in this country must start paying their fair share of taxes. At a time when we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major country on Earth and when one-third of our senior citizens are struggling economically, it is absurd that billionaires have an effective tax rate lower than truck drivers or nurses.

The wealthiest people in this country and large profitable corporations must start paying their fair share of taxes so that we can adequately fund the needs of working families, the children and the elderly.

Regulation of AI
Progressives believe that AI and robotics, developed and pushed by the wealthiest people on Earth, are the most transformational technologies in the history of humanity and that they will impact every man, woman and child in our country.

At a time when AI is threatening to displace millions of workers, eviscerate our privacy, harm our environment, undermine our democracy and negatively impact the mental health of our children, we believe that the government must play a decisive role in making sure that these revolutionary technologies are used to benefit all Americans, and not just make the big tech oligarchs even richer.

Climate change
Progressives believe that Trump’s assertion that climate change is a “hoax” is not only extraordinarily ignorant, but is a real danger to the planet. The last 11 years have been the hottest 11 years on record and the last three years have been the hottest three years on record.

This past year the United States and countries throughout the world have seen major heatwaves, flash floods, increased drought and horrific forest fires – and scientists tell us the worst is yet to come.

Progressives believe that we must forcefully take on the greed of the fossil fuel industry. The truth is that we can create millions of good-paying union jobs by transforming our energy systems away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy. For the sake of our kids, future generations and the habitability of the planet that is what we must do.

Foreign policy
Progressives believe that we need to fundamentally reform our foreign and military policies. The war in Vietnam was based on a lie. The war in Iraq was based on a lie. The current war in Iran is based on a lie. We do not need to spend $1.5tn a year on the Pentagon fighting endless wars and propping up dictatorships around the world.

We certainly do not have to invest tens of billions supporting the extremist Netanyahu government in Israel, which has killed 73,000 Palestinians and wounded over 173,000 more – the vast majority of them women, children and the elderly.

Despite what the media will have you believe, progressives are winning across this country for a simple reason: the ideas they are running on are extremely popular. It’s time for the political establishment to stop telling the American people what they should believe and start listening to what they actually want.

 

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Corporate America is Killing Democracy

 https://robertreich.substack.com/p/the-last-stand-of-the-corporate-democrats?

Robert Reich 

How to win elections

 Step by step. 

Sisters and brothers - 

Apologies for not writing more frequently. Pretty crazy and busy times.

Let me begin by thanking you all for making possible the extraordinary successes that we’ve been having over the past year. As a result of your volunteer efforts and financial contributions Progressives have been taking on establishment candidates in Democratic primaries all across the country - and winning. We are changing the face of American politics. You are helping to make it happen.

It began in November with Zohran Mamdani’s incredible campaign to become Mayor of New York City. And then the wins kept on coming. Here are some of our more recent victories:

U.S. Senate Michigan - Abdul El-Sayed
U.S. Senate Minnesota- Peggy Flanagan
U.S. House OH-07 - Brian Poindexter
U.S. House PA -7 - Bob Brooks
U.S. House NJ - 11 - Analilia Mejia 
U.S. House NJ -12 - Adam Hamawy
U.S. House CA - 22 - Randy Villegas
U.S. House - MT - 01 - Sam Forstag
U.S. House - NY 10 - Brad Lander
U.S. House - NY 7 - Claire Valdez
U.S. House - CO -1 - Melat Kiros
U.S. House - AZ - 7 - Adelita Grijalva
U.S. House - MI - 13 - Donavan McKinney
U.S. House - MI - 7 - Will Lawrence
U.S. House - TN - 9 - Justin Pearson
U.S. House - WI - 3 - Rebecca Cooke 
California Insurance Commissioner- Jane Kim

Sisters and brothers. I do not need to tell you that running as a progressive in this country is never easy.

Oftentimes we are taking on the local Democratic Party establishment. We are taking on the national Democratic Party establishment. We are taking on super PACs and big money interests who have unlimited resources to elect their candidates. And if we make it past them, we are then taking on Donald Trump, the Republican Party and more super PACs with unlimited money.

In Michigan last week, we supported two candidates for the House -- Will Lawrence in Lansing and Donavan McKinney in Detroit In the case of Will Lawrence, he was outspent and the national Democratic Party establishment rallied around his opponent. In the case of Donavan McKinney, he was taking on an incumbent Congressman who had the support of the cryptocurrency industry. Both Will and Donavan were victorious.

Statewide, we endorsed Dr. Abdul El-Sayed for United States Senate. We raised more than $500,000 in small-dollar donations for his campaign. We held large rallies for him in Michigan and grassroots meetings for him online. We ran ads in the state and turned out our volunteers for phone banks and door knocks everywhere. 

Abdul was taking on everyone. Including, in a way that I had never heard of before in a Democratic primary -- $60 million in super PAC funding from AIPAC and other organizations. He was outspent by 10-1. Didn't matter. He won.

Peggy Flanagan’s victory in the Minnesota Democratic primary followed a similar course. In her case, she faced a 7 to 1 disparity in outside spending with super PACs spending a record-breaking $20 million against her. Minnesotans saw through the ugly ads. She won by 20 points.

How did Abdul and Peggy do it? How did they manage to win against all that opposition? And what lessons can be learned from their campaigns for other progressives running for office?

First, like Mamdani did in New York City, they both ran extremely aggressive grassroots campaigns. They traveled up and down their states, holding hundreds of town meetings, talking to anyone who would attend. In other words they did effective, old fashioned people-to-people politics. But it was not just the candidates who worked hard. Abdul and Peggy mobilized thousands of volunteers who did the grunt work that every good campaign requires - knocking on doors, distributing literature, making phone calls, doing social media and making sure that voters got to the polls.

Further, Abdul and Peggy did something that too few Democrats running for office do: they gave people something to vote FOR rather than just vote AGAINST. In other words, they treated their constituents as intelligent human beings, honestly described the serious crises facing our country and outlined an agenda that addresses the pain that millions of working class families are experiencing. In their campaigns they made clear that it’s too late for tinkering around the edges. We need real change NOW.

Both of them had the courage to take on the Oligarchs who wield such enormous power over our economy and political life, and the greed of corporate America. They campaigned on raising the minimum wage to a living wage and their support for the trade union movement. They demanded an end to poverty for seniors, children and the disabled, making housing affordable and creating millions of good paying jobs by combatting the existential threat of climate change. They made clear that the time is long overdue for the billionaire class to start paying its fair share of taxes. 

Over and over again, they described our current healthcare system as broken and dysfunctional, that healthcare is a human right and that we must move to a Medicare for All single payer program which guarantees health care to every man, woman, and child in this country. 

They also spoke out forcefully against our disastrous foreign policy, the need to end “endless wars” and the cessation of all military aid to the extremist Netanyahu government in Israel.

Sisters and brothers - I look across this country at the rallies we've held and the elections we won and I believe we may very well be on the brink of the political revolution we have been fighting for over the last decade.

If I had told you eleven years ago when we launched our first campaign for president that we'd have socialist mayors in New York City, Seattle and Washington, DC; that the people of California would put a billionaire tax on the ballot this November, that progressives and democratic socialists would be defeating establishment candidates in House and Senate races everywhere... I am not sure many of you would have believed me.

But that is what is happening right now in America.

And it's not because of me...

It's because of US.

What all of us - together - have done over the years is to fight for government that works for all, and not just the few - a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial and environmental justice.

Needless to say our work is not finished. Far from it. We’re just beginning. Winning a primary is one thing. Winning a general election is something else.

During the next two and a half months I intend to do everything I can to see that progressive candidates win their elections and that Democrats gain control over the House and the Senate.

We’re in this together. Let's get it done.

In solidarity,

Bernie 

The Psychiatry of MAGA

 Here is a very interesting presentation about how to understand the MAGA mind.  Check it out

A Psychiatrist Explains Why Followers Of Trump Believe Everything He Says

A Psychiatrist Explains Why Followers Of Trump Believe Everything He Says

And then, after he says it. His several social networks and " influencers" repeat it over and over. Each message- even the lies- get repeated millions of times. 

This media network endagers our vote.   He won in 2024 with this mechanism.  The Democrats hae not yet dome up with n quivalent force.  

And, most of the "consultants" are not even looking for alternatives.  

Oppose Voter Manipulation _ Defend Democracy

 The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE America Act, passed the House of Representatives on February 11, 2026, and is currently under consideration in the United States Senate.

As of mid-July 2026, the SAVE America Act has not yet passed the Senate and is stalled after multiple failed votes. This bill is a top priority for the president (47) ahead of the 2026 midterms. He has consistently urged Congress to pass it and has even withheld his signature on other bills until the SAVE America Act is sent to him. 47 is demanding that the Senate cancel its August recess until the voting bill is approved.

Why should we oppose this legislation and protect our democracy? We must make our congressional leaders hear our voices. Please call, text, email, visit their district offices, and demand that they vote NO!

The SAVE America Act will introduce additional obstacles for eligible voters trying to register and cast ballots, disrupting the way elections are conducted nationwide just months before the midterms. Specifically, the bill would eliminate online and mail-in voter registration, impose excessive civil and criminal penalties on election officials, and disenfranchise millions of Americans by requiring documentary proof of citizenship and photo identification both when registering to vote and when voting at the polls. Currently, only 6% of voters register in person at an election office, and over 146 million Americans do not own a passport.

It's important to note that it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, and instances of such voting are extremely rare. Federal law requires voters to swear under penalty of perjury that they are citizens and eligible to vote.

Like many civil rights organizations at the national, state, and local levels, we urge Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and invest in expanding access to voting rather than restricting it. The proposed SAVE America Act conflicts with the U.S. Constitution by granting states primary authority over the timing, locations, and methods of federal elections, with only limited oversight from Congress.

Additionally, this bill emerges amid heightened tensions surrounding election administration. Recent events, such as the FBI's seizure of hundreds of boxes of 2020 election ballots in Fulton County, Georgia, and similar incidents in other battleground cities, have fueled concerns—especially as Trump continues to falsely assert that he won in 2020.

The Brennan Center for Justice highlighted that the bill would disenfranchise Americans of all ages and races, disproportionately affecting younger voters and people of color. Women, particularly those whose married names do not match their birth certificates or passports, would also face additional challenges in voicing their opinions.

We must contact California's two senators and demand that they vote NO on the SAVE America Act as written. We should write letters to the editors of local newspapers, include information about the bill in our organizational newsletters, and share it with friends, family, and colleagues. While resources may be limited, we should also support organizations fighting for justice on the front lines.

It is essential to stand in solidarity with other progressive community-based groups working to dismantle white supremacy and promote justice. If enacted, the SAVE America Act would create significant hurdles for both voters and election officials. We must take direct action, organize peaceful protests, and actively raise awareness!

 If enacted, the SAVE America Act would create hurdles for voters and election officials.   Please call California's two United States Senators:

• United States Senator Alex Padilla

501 I Street, Suite 7-800

Sacramento, CA 95814   website: https://www.padilla.senate.gov/about/

*This office is currently under renovation and is only available by appointment only

(916) 448-2787 or (202) 228-3865

posted by Duane Campbell 

Teachers Join Democracy Defenders

 

Every voter, regardless of party, should be able to trust that their ballot can be cast safely and will be counted fairly. Yet voters run into problems that shouldn’t happen: confusing rules, long lines, challenged mail ballots, polling-place disruptions and urgent questions that no one answers in time. We’re facing more challenges than ever this upcoming election, with mid-decade redistricting, challenges to vote-by-mail, and a constant assault on elections by the current occupant of the White House. Ten states have changed their congressional maps since last summer. And unfortunately politicians have used redistricting to tilt the playing field—choosing their voters instead of letting voters choose them.  These barriers should never stand between a voter, their ballot and their voice. That’s why the AFT is recruiting 5,000 Democracy Defenders nationwide. The first step is simple: Join us virtually for the Democracy Defenders kickoff, live on Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. EDT. The Supreme Court’s Callais decision this spring made things worse by gutting the Voting Rights Act, diluting Black voters’ power and limiting communities’ ability to elect representatives of their choice. And even though mail-in voting has been proven repeatedly to be safe and secure, sweeping changes have been made regarding how mail ballots are sent, tracked and tied to voter-eligibility lists. Those changes are already being fought in court, leaving voters and election officials facing even more uncertainty than usual.  That’s where we come in. Join us on Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. EDT and learn more about how you can become a Democracy Defender with the AFT. Democracy Defenders are AFT members and allies trained to protect the right to vote in their own communities—helping voters understand their options for casting a ballot early or by mail, watching for threats to voter access, connecting voters with election-protection resources, and making sure every eligible voter can vote and that every vote gets counted. You don’t need to be an elections expert to get involved. At the kickoff, we’ll walk you through the training, tools and support you need to protect the vote in your community. Whether you serve as a poll worker, drive neighbors to the polls or help voters find accurate information, every election depends on ordinary people like you stepping up to defend every voter’s right to be heard. That’s exactly what Democracy Defenders is all about. Join us on Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. EDT for the Democracy Defenders kickoff. In unity, Randi Weingarten AFT President More to come from Teachers Defending Democracy.  Follow this site.