Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez isn’t left enough for some progressives who think Bernie Sanders shouldn’t be supporting President Biden. How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? How small can the liberal tent get and still win?
It’s the old question in politics and public policy: Unity or purity? Are so-called “purity tests” — whether for progressivism or conservatism — worthwhile, or are they counterproductive and ultimately self-defeating?
The way I see it, as a longtime progressive in the public health space, democracy is more a tender sapling in need of constant care than an immovable oak. Currently, nations worldwide — including the United States — are learning the true fragility of democracy. From the attacks on LGBTQ people to government censorship, freedom is at risk in more ways than one. Freedom-loving people have a wide variety of interests beyond the conventional political process. Freedom haters, conversely, have the single-minded purpose of wiping out fundamental human rights, and their unity in that pursuit gives them power.
Despite often representing a minority of the population, the opponents of freedom tend to win because of their dogmatic commitment to stand as one. They are determined to unite as allies. In contrast, the lovers of freedom often dissipate their energy through infighting, which eventually breeds apathy. Purity tests create frustration, rapidly sending classical liberals running for the exits.
On the progressive side, too many believe that only the purest belong in their movement. The haters keep it simple: If you hate the same people we hate, you’re in.