Democratic Vision of a Strong, Free-Trading, Interventionist U.S.

Los Angeles Times ^ | November 3, 2003 | Ronald Brownstein:

[Willie Green]

Talk about swimming upstream.

Last week, an impressive group of centrist Democratic foreign policy thinkers released a thoughtful document urging the party to adopt a "progressive internationalism" built around a strong defense, free trade and American leadership through international alliances "to shape a world in which the values of liberal democracy increasingly hold sway."

As a long-term compass, the manifesto — "Progressive Internationalism: A Democratic National Security Strategy" — offers Democrats much sound guidance.

[Willie Green]

But, in general, the protective system of our day is conservative, while the free trade system is destructive. It breaks up old nationalities and pushes the antagonism of the proletariat and the bourgeoisie to the extreme point. In a word, the free trade system hastens the social revolution. It is in this revolutionary sense alone, gentlemen, that I vote in favor of free trade.

~Karl Marx, "On the Question of Free Trade" - January 9, 1848

[11B3]

Simple - every time you see the word "progressive" just substitute "communist". Works every time.