whyroots

I think the essence of progressivism is contained in the simple ideal of human progress, that of moving from a society characterized by scarcity and fear toward one of sustenance and acceptance. From trust-busting, to the New Deal, to civil rights, women's rights, and now gay rights. This last issue is sadly still on the vanguard of American society, as evidenced by the pass of the gay marriage ban in California last week, no matter how dastardly the tactics of its supporters.

Note that this progress is an ideal, one that never comes automatically. Living in San Francisco, it's easy to fall prey to a sort of techno-utopianism in which the march of science and knowledge (from Graham Bell to Google) inevitably lead to more freedom and prosperity for society. This is a common enough trope (dating back at least to the Enlightenment, in the West) that remains surprisingly resilient in the face of all the 20th century's industrially-fueled terror. While this may be true for the educationally mobile and stock-holding upper middle class (all bets are off if this credit crisis really picks up steam), income inequality in America today is higher than at any time since the time of the very trusts Teddy Roosevelt notoriously busted.

One thing that the Progressive Party and their spiritual heirs have always taken to heart is the contrary warning that without a fight, power tends to beget more power, and that the increased wealth of our modern society doesn't necessarily result in material changes for the mass of Americans. Whether this makes all the competing groups vying for the title of "progressive" worthy of the charge is debatable, but the idea remains a useful, even necessary one in November of 2008.

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