April 24, 2006

The Start of Something?

A new "progressive alliance" has begun with the start-up of a website and a statement of principles, both known as The Euston Manifesto. In its Preamble, the founders state:

We are democrats and progressives. We propose here a fresh political alignment. Many of us belong to the Left, but the principles that we set out are not exclusive. We reach out, rather, beyond the socialist Left towards egalitarian liberals and others of unambiguous democratic commitment. Indeed, the reconfiguration of progressive opinion that we aim for involves drawing a line between the forces of the Left that remain true to its authentic values, and currents that have lately shown themselves rather too flexible about these values. It involves making common cause with genuine democrats, whether socialist or not.

There are plenty of differences in priorities and outlook with conservatives, but this group speaks for and advocates a principled Left that returns to admirable liberal values, and their manifesto contains much with which conservatives can find common ground.

The founding group includes Norm Geras, Professor Emeritus of Politics at Manchester University, author of Normblog, a wonderful writer and friend of this blog, our political disagreements notwithstanding. I wish Norm and his movement all the best. I suspect they'll be looking to their left for most of the incoming fire. Here are the first three items of the manifesto, but please go read it all:

1) For democracy.

We are committed to democratic norms, procedures and structures — freedom of opinion and assembly, free elections, the separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers, and the separation of state and religion. We value the traditions and institutions, the legacy of good governance, of those countries in which liberal, pluralist democracies have taken hold.

2) No apology for tyranny.

We decline to make excuses for, to indulgently "understand", reactionary regimes and movements for which democracy is a hated enemy — regimes that oppress their own peoples and movements that aspire to do so. We draw a firm line between ourselves and those left-liberal voices today quick to offer an apologetic explanation for such political forces.

3) Human rights for all.

We hold the fundamental human rights codified in the Universal Declaration to be precisely universal, and binding on all states and political movements, indeed on everyone. Violations of these rights are equally to be condemned whoever is responsible for them and regardless of cultural context. We reject the double standards with which much self-proclaimed progressive opinion now operates, finding lesser (though all too real) violations of human rights which are closer to home, or are the responsibility of certain disfavoured governments, more deplorable than other violations that are flagrantly worse. We reject, also, the cultural relativist view according to which these basic human rights are not appropriate for certain nations or peoples.

They reject anti-Americanism, favor a two state solution for Israel and Palestine, and renounce terrorism in the strongest terms, including refusing to blame America and its policies as terrorism's cause. The flavor is a bit too internationalist for me, although we agree international institutions like the IMF and the WTO require "radical reform". Most conservatives I know, and most of the center-right bloggers and pundits I read and admire would applaud a return to first liberal principles by a majority segment of American Democrats, and would welcome an infusion of these values into today's Democratic Party.

Bill Kristol hopes for "...a rebirth of political courage and moral clarity on the American left..."

Reaction from Will Hutton in The Guardian

Posted by dan at April 24, 2006 10:57 PM