America's New Opposition

While many European countries have had strong left-wing political movements, the United States historically has not. Traditionally, Americans (if they voted) would choose between a centrist party (Democrats) and a centre-right party (Republicans). But like elsewhere in the world, US political norms are undergoing a monumental shift.

On the right, this has been signaled by the rise of conservative populism – first the Tea Party movement and then the rise to power of Donald Trump. On the left, this shift has been less noticeable, hidden beneath the widespread (if reluctant) support for Barack Obama's presidency.

Now with Trump in the White House, things are different. The left wing in US politics is now in opposition, and while centrists like Clinton and Obama are playing the defensive, more radical voices have come to the fore.

Duke professor Jedediah Purdy throughout his article details the way in which the left has grown in the background over the last decade. From Occupy Wall Street to Black Lives Matter, he shows how this movement was born and then grew, learning in many ways from its past mistakes. He also looks into how this played into the hands of Bernie Sanders' campaign for the Democrat nomination, despite its eventual failure.

This article is an interesting read as it shows that the same set of conditions that gave birth to Trump and his 'America First' movement have also created a left-wing populist backlash. It also shows that the political scene in the US is not as 'dead' as many had thought and that the old ideological battles of the past seemed to have returned once more with a vengeance.