Need for Countervailing Power in US

link here to article

This article does a good job of describing the differences between Europe and the US. Labor unions in most European countries provide a voice and countervailing power in politics. Consequently, there is less income inequality and a greater share of tax revenue is directed towards social programs that increase well-being in Europe than there is in the US. Europe looks more like the US did before the revival of conservatism and the arrival of the post-industrial society. Its not perfect, but the average person has more security and social support than the average person in the US.

Its not likely that the labor movement will be revived in the US. In the absence of countervailing power we can expect that living standards for the average American will continue to decline and what remains of the social support programs will continue to erode. Government will continue to become less democratic as well. The high cost of running for political office in the US makes political candidates dependent upon those with the means to fund the campaigns. So whats to be done?

There are several recommendations in this article for organizing the various progressive elements that are splintered today in the US. There are lots of progressives but they are fragmented. The problem is to bring them together. Labor organizations may be part of the solution but they have been so weakened that they cannot provide sufficient leadership. The Green Party in some European countries has become an important force for progressive ideas that go beyond environmentalism. They understand that environmentalism cannot stand alone against the anti democratic forces that they have to contend with. We need something like the Green Party in the US.

In addition to organization there are several other suggestions in this article on tactics. Conservatives has shown how public opinion and the political debate can be shifted in their favor. It can be done by progressives in the US.

It is important to remember that competition in the world of ideas is a good thing. We need more competition rather than less, but it has to have a common goal of providing countervailing power against the anti democratic forces that are turning the US into a plutocracy. As Lord Acton said "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely". We can't continue to let freedom in the US be redefined as the freedom of corporations from democratically elected government that serves the public interest.