In April and May in 1920, Lenin, the head of the new Soviet state and Bolshevik Party, wrote “Left Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder.” 15 years later, another communist Bulgarian Georgi Dimitrov, presented to a worldwide meeting of Communist Parties, a speech in a similar vein titled “The United Front against War and Fascism.” Both speeches persuasively and forcefully addressed the dangers and problems of political sectarianism and narrowness of parties across the world. As a result, the communist movement worldwide and in its respective countries substituted its previous sectarian strategic and tactical policies and practices for policies and practices that accented the politics of broad unity and sustained action against the rising fascist threat.

It needs no saying that conditions are different today. And yet the rise of fascism and right wing extremist authoritarian rule here — Trump and Trumpism — and on a global level should be a sufficient prod for the democratic, progressive and left movements/coalitions to revise and re-calibrate their politics, much like what was done in the 1930s, to accent peaceable protest and broad unity in every arena of struggle, and especially the electoral arena.

Much will depend on their willingness

People on the left speak of the overarching importance of participating in “mass movements.” I hope that is the case this year, this fall especially. After all, between now and election day, the broadest, deepest, and best resourced “mass movement” will soon be the “movement” to elect Joe Biden to a second term and a Democratic majority to the Senate and House. Even now, there is no shortage of things to do.

I wish I could say that the left, or, at least parts of it, will do the out of the spotlight, but absolutely critical work — voter registration, phone banking, door to door work, delivering and collecting absentee ballots, etc. — that wins elections. But for now the jury is out.

To make matters worse, the left (or more accurately a part of it) seems to be gravitating in a sectarian direction. And the genocidal war in Gaza only accelerates this process. What might change this dynamic to a degree is if President Biden demands a permanent ceasefire and a weapons freeze. It’s long overdue. Even Jill, reportedly, thinks so.

The sounds of silence coming from the White House in the midst of a national debate over student encampments and the legitimacy of protest are deafening. It’s a messy debate for sure, but one that the president should join immediately as well as declare his support for a permanent ceasefire. A President should lead in moments of conflict and crisis.

Hanging on the belief that Netanyahu and the IDF will invade Rafa in a “measured way” is worse than self deception. It is to become an accessory to a crime.

Watching Morning Joe. It’s coverage of the protesting students at Columbia and elsewhere is awful. So one sided. So distorted. So dishonest. So sanctimonious. The worst is Joe Scarborough. And close behind him — maybe ahead — is Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League.