In the constant friction of political and social movements, there is a pervasive, self-defeating impulse: to spend more energy policing and purging allies than confronting the actual opposition. This internal drama is an active political drain, sacrificing momentum and potential success on the altar of ideological purity.
Resources like time, money, and influence must be aimed squarely at the defined opponent, be it climate change, economic or social inequality, or a legislative agenda. When groups turn inward, searching for imperfections in partners who share a majority of the same goals, they fracture the power needed for success. We forget the maxim: the enemy of my enemy is my friend, at least for this fight.
Infighting is sometimes emotional, fueled by rumor and personal conflicts that damage coalitions. Other times, the damage is intentional. A destructive tendency emerges when entire allied organizations are broadly characterized by the genuine or perceived flaws of just one or two individuals. This approach punishes the many for the actions of the few, fracturing the collective mission, and turning off would-be newcomers.
Such actions severely erode the public trust necessary for collaboration, inevitably misaligning priorities and distracting from the core goals of the movement. This behavior, attacking your future base, prioritizes internal maneuvering and personal agendas over the collective cause.
A potent example of successful coalition-building comes from the early days of the environmental movement. In the 1960s and 70s, the push for cleaner water and air succeeded by forming massive, often uncomfortable alliances, not by demanding absolute uniformity. Conservationists, unions concerned about worker health, scientists, and even some industry leaders joined forces.
Their common enemy was unregulated pollution. This broad, imperfect front led directly to landmark achievements like the Clean Air Act and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency. They built a consensus too large for any single group to defeat.
Political strategy is the art of what is possible, and the possible requires numbers. A successful movement must be a magnet, not a gatekeeper. Progressives must stop the fruitless, energy-sapping internal purity wars and commit to the main fight.
Effective change demands solidarity. As civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wisely stated, “We must learn to live together as brothers [and sisters] or perish together as fools.”
Fight the real enemies.
(Kimberleigh Gonzalez is with the Texas State Democratic Executive Committee for Congressional District 19.)
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Gonzalez warns progressives against fruitless, energy-sapping internal purity wars
Reporting by By Kimberleigh Gonzalez, special for the Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kimberleigh Gonzalez, special for the Avalanche-Journal | USA TODAY Network
