Paul Krugman delivers a needed reality check to the "there's no difference between the 2 political parties" nonsense. On the social safety net:
[A]ny Democrat would, if elected, seek to maintain the basic U.S. social insurance programs — Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid — in essentially their current form, while also preserving and extending the Affordable Care Act. Any Republican would seek to destroy Obamacare, make deep cuts in Medicaid, and probably try to convert Medicare into a voucher system.
On tax policy:
Any Democrat would retain the tax hikes on high-income Americans that went into effect in 2013, and possibly seek more. Any Republican would try to cut taxes on the wealthy — House Republicans plan to vote next week to repeal the estate tax — while slashing programs that aid low-income families.
On financial regulation:
Any Democrat would try to preserve the 2010 financial reform, which has recently been looking much more effective than critics suggested. Any Republican would seek to roll it back, eliminating both consumer protection and the extra regulation applied to large, “systemically important” financial institutions
On climate change:
And any Democrat would try to move forward on climate policy, through executive action if necessary, while any Republican — whether or not he is an outright climate-science denialist — would block efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
These differences are stark. And very important. But that's not the end of the story. Too much of our political discourse takes place on conservative turf. The Overton Window has been moved far to the Right.
Krugman outlines a lot of policies to defend, but does not speak to things that need to be fought for.
While acknowledging the truth of Krugman's statements, we also need to look at what we're not talking about.
That's why I always welcome the agitation from the Left FLank.
Frederick Douglas understood this. As Eric Foner wrote:
In his celebrated 1919 essay, Max Weber defended the social utility of the politician's calling and identified three qualities as a politician. Yet Weber concluded by noting the symbiotic relationship between political action and moral agitation. "What is possible, [Weber] wrote, "would not have been achieved , if, in this world, people had not repeatedly reached for the impossible."
There is much to achieve beyond defending past achievements. A Left Flank is vital to that.