Feminism as part of a Progressive Alliance?

I was very interested in Ken Livingstone?s article in the Guardian on May 9th in which he pointed to the good election results for Labour and Greens in London, relative to the terrible showing of the Labour party nationally and said that instead of discussing it in terms of the party going ?left? or ?right?, Labour should place itself ?at the centre of a progressive alliance that can solve the problems facing the country.? The figures he said showed that the progressive policies of London under Mayor Livingstone, were supported by Labour voters, it brought them out to vote Labour, and his defeat was by Tories, not Labour voters, an important difference.

I believe that this same strategy is necessary for the progressive social movements, if they are to succeed in challenging our deeply ingrained competitive male dominated, racist, sexist and sectarian culture. Just as progressive political movements, must plough their own furrows, they must also be able to correctly identify their common origins and enemies rather than become isolationist or compete to their mutual disadvantage. They need to see themselves as part of a progressive alliance to move forward together. In this way they can effectively avoid the time wasting and self destructive effects of internal squabbles that often result from the frustrations of campaigning against entrenched and divisive attitudes.

The enemies of this new, we should say resurgent, cooperative movement, or Progressive Alliance, of feminists (anti-sexists), anti-racists, human rights activists, secularists and the peace movement - are political and religious conservatism, sexism, racism and homophobia. These are the traditional attitudes, the tools by which ?the divine rulers? divide and rule. Assiduous culture over centuries has ensured that these often violent hatreds are deeply rooted and persistent, and they are promoted every day, by the ruling elites and structures of macho culture in the presentation of politics, economics, religion and social attitudes in the all pervading media of our age.

Progressive campaigners must see through the divisive tactics of those who think that it is natural in god?s world that women and black people should be happy with poverty and inequality, domesticated and subservient, eager to work long hours in hard or boring jobs for peanuts or no pay and not cheek their betters; that men should be the dominant decision makers, ambitious, assertive and aggressive ? and that the underclass submits to the punitive attitudes dictated by traditionally exploitative societies.

Sue