European, American and global liberals should unite

While I would argue that the left is right and the right is wrong, and national Republicans are throwing the right out of the leadership of the GOP, the next sound you hear will be the roar of the far-right European parties who may do well in the upcoming elections for the European parliament.

{mosads}Europe has its Tea Party too, its angry and jingoistic right, its anti-Europe and anti-immigrant right, and they probably will do fairly well in the European parliament elections. Remember, the Tea Party did well, too, once upon a time in America in 2010, but now the Tea Party is highly unpopular and widely disliked by a large majority of American voters. Once voters experience the taste of right-wingers gaining strength, the taste becomes unappetizing and voters ultimately reject them.

What American politics, European politics and global politics need is greater cooperation, coordination and collaboration among progressives of many languages. When President Clinton was president, he began moving in this direction with Europe, and Hillary Clinton as president would probably do the same, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a leader of American progressives, might do well to visit her (our) progressive compatriots abroad.

Today the French government is held by progressives who have a particularly good relationship with Secretary of State John Kerry. The British Labour Party, German Social Democrats, Green parties and green voters across Europe at a time of climate change emerging as a transcendent issue have much in common with liberal Democrats in America.

Indeed, there are alliances that can be made with the Labor Party in Israel that seeks security for Israel alongside justice for Palestinians, with reformers in Egypt who believe in the original version of Egyptian democracy that made its first stand at Tahrir Square, and reformers and progressives across the continents and around the world who seek freedom, democracy, human rights and a planet free from pollution.

What is needed is a strong progressive agenda, bold progressive action, and a more united political voice and media presence for those who believe the left is right and the right is wrong. On a long list of issues, this progressive viewpoint is the majority viewpoint, in America and globally, and the voice of this movement should be stronger, louder and more global.

Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.), who was then chief deputy majority whip of the House. He holds an LL.M. degree in international financial law from the London School of Economics. Contact him at brentbbi@webtv.net.