Confessions from the Left: On the Pain, Necessity, and Joys of Political Renewal

The crisis of the left is an historic rethinking and renewal project, not an end of history. All political value systems (liberalism, conservatism, socialism) have in the past been forced to undergo painful criticism and re-evaluation of their politics, and they have revitalized themselves, because their values speak to core problems of the human condition. Seeming confusion and loss of certainty are necessary parts of the renewal process, now underway with the collapse of communism and the decline of the social democratic welfare state. Confession indicates both willingness to confront past error, and confirmation of the commitment to renewal. John Nagle’s work sets the context for left rethinking, identifies crucial positions for reworking, and offers tentative ideas about an emergent new synthesis. A renewed left politics is essential for building a progressive counterbalance to a dominant global liberalism.