Michael Barone joins Roger L. Simon in noticing that the American left has become prodfoundly reactionary. Whereas once the left stood for activist government boldly moving to fill needs, today it fights a rear—guard action against change. Roger L. Simon has previously written about international relations, in which the left these days aligns itself with Islamofascists and other groups which are reactionary on good days, and the worst kind of genocide—spouting fascists on the other days.

I commend to both men my discussion of the word "progressive" and the new terms which should now be applied to those who once stood for an optimistic view of the possibilities of humanity.

Thomas Lifson  12 27 04