There is No Left (new essay)

The title of this essay you’ve seen before on this blog. The title is “There is No Left.” After I wrote the last one (Feb.13), I wrote another one. This time, I sent it to the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the Guardian.

All of them rejected it.

Now, maybe it’s because I’m a nobody. Or, maybe it’s because they’re all guilty of what I am talking about here. (Maybe it’s both.) You decide.

Anyway, the good folks at CounterPunch saw fit to publish it.

I hope you enjoy it. The argument is the same, but I did write it with the New York Times in mind.



THERE IS NO LEFT

[Read time: 3:30]

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten reported recently, “When we’re talking about 42% of Democrats under the age of 35 identifying as democratic socialists and a third of all Democrats … my goodness gracious.”

Enten then concluded, “The Democrats are moving to the left, the far left is gaining power.”

This is the language Americans have become accustomed to. Talk of the far left prevails in the political discourse. But what is Enten talking about? What is any pundit talking about?

As the essay’s title indicates, there is no left. If we calibrate the center to sync with public opinion, as we should, we find two-thirds of Americans at the liberal center. Yes, you read that correctly: the liberal center.

Understanding that, one finds both major parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, well to the right of the population. In other words, all of Congress, 100 percent of it, is to the right of the mostly liberal population.

There is not one lawmaker on Capitol Hill who is one millimeter to the left of the liberal center. Yes, there are small leftist political parties, but they have meager numbers and basically receive no votes.

In the political discourse we are bombarded by talk of the far left. Included in this fictional category is Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, et al.

None of these politicians are a leftist. Bernie can call himself a socialist all he wants; I can call myself a world-renowned pastry chef, but this does not make it so. He is a 1940s liberal Democrat and nothing more. Same for AOC and the rest of the gang.

It is true; the Democrats are moving to the left, toward the center. The second part is crucial. They are not drifting into some Marxist dreamworld. They are drifting slowly toward what most working Americans want. On the other hand, the Republicans are drifting rightward away from public opinion under the banner of “conservatism.”

What free money for the ultra-wealthy, racism, anti-LGBTQ sentiment, and deficit spending have to do with conservative politics remains a mystery. What is also a mystery is why working Americans who have bills to pay support this socialism for the rich, these bigoted scare tactics, and bad economics.

The detailed public-opinion record meticulously tells us what Americans want. This is not a secret. The data are published in every top-tier paper in the country (including this one). We know well what Americans prefer, need, and reject.

When one attends to the public-opinion record, something quite surprising emerges: the reality that the country is not divided. It might be divided at the election booth; but when the conversation is removed from party politics, a remarkable level of agreement comes into view. The land of 49 percent becomes the land of 67 percent. We are not divided.

If you’ll indulge me, here’s a smattering of the data in no particular order: 70 percent of Americans favor raising the minimum wage; 55 percent desire free public college; 65 percent desire addressing “now” the rich-poor gap; 68 percent seek raising taxes on people earning more than $1 million per year; 58 percent want Medicare-for-all universal healthcare; 55 percent support a US–Iran diplomatic agreement; 85 percent feel a woman has the right to a legal abortion (including “certain circumstances”); 69 percent believe corporations pay too little in taxes; and 66 percent support loan forgiveness for students.

I should point out there does exist a division; there is a conflict that exists between the population and Washington. But when we are repeatedly told that Americans are divided, this is not quite what pundits have in mind.

Simply put, Americans are not getting what they want. For all the promises, speechifying, and ceremonies, the working class, which is most of the United States, does not live in the country it wants. Most people are law-abiding and decent. They desire and deserve a better life. In a country that boasts a $30 trillion GDP, there are plenty of resources to make people’s lives better. Is that leftist of me to point out?

It turns out that liberal Millennials have a strong sense as to the direction this country should be headed. They will be branded as leftists and Marxists, but the opinions of the liberal Millennials are merely centrist. As a cohort, what they want is practically identical to what about two-thirds of Americans want.

But CNN and other news outlets will gasp and express anxiety and horror at the Democrats actually becoming a labor party. Imagine, Capitol Hill tending to the wants and needs of the electorate. Imagine much less poverty and fear. Imagine a healthcare system that covers everyone. Imagine a drastic reduction in gun violence. Imagine an equally drastic reduction of wealth inequality. My goodness gracious.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/02/23/there-is-no-left/

Best Medicine

This series is quite charming. The premise is similar to the Michael J. Fox film Doc Hollywood from 1991; but Best Medicine is based on a book entitled Doc Martin.

The premise in both is a big-city, hotshot doctor goes to a small town. Michael J. Fox’s character just ends up there; in Best Medicine, he deliberately goes there (for reasons that are revealed).

Best Medicine is its own thing. And I throughly enjoyed it. Is it high-art? No. Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it light, charming, and funny? Yep. Also, the cast is a winner; and anytime I get to see Annie Potts in anything, it’s a treat.

Very much worth checking out, if you’re in the mood for light, charming, and funny. And if you’re not … then I don’t know what to tell you.

Ramadan

A blessed Ramadan for my Arab and Muslim readers.

Aliens

I wrote this essay a year ago, and I suspect I will be posting it again in the future. This topic just doesn't seem to die.

https://www.gregoryharms.com/essays-20250228

There is No Left

“Around 58 percent of voters thought the party had become too liberal in 2025….” This is according to a CNN survey. The number was 48 in 2013.

CNN’s senior data analyst had this to say: “The Democrats are moving to the left, the far left is gaining power....”

The first part of that is true: the Democrats are indeed moving to the left—toward the center. The center is where most of the people reading this reside. There is no “far left.” I suppose there is a far left relative to where the Democrats stand politically. They are a right-of-center party, so yes, Sanders and Mamdani are far left—as is the population—from the Democratic vantage point.

CNN’s analyst then shared this penetrating bit of commentary:

“When we’re talking about 42% of Democrats under the age of 35 identifying as democratic socialists and a third of all Democrats, my goodness gracious.”

Yes, my goodness gracious, indeed. Your abysmal reporting is why so many Americans have no idea how politics work in this country. I assume by “my goodness gracious,” he is voicing anxiety that the party is moving toward the center—where most Americans reside. So, CNN is worried that the so-called labor party might actually begin representing the interests of working Americans. My goodness gracious.

I guess I’ll just keep repeating myself: there is no left. It does not exist on Capitol Hill. There are zero members of Congress who are one millimeter to the left of the center. Zero. Yes, there are some small leftist parties, but they basically receive no votes and therefore have no representation in Washington. Past that, the left exists in books and in the minds of people who subscribe to leftist thought—like the author of this blog, though you wouldn’t know it.

The center is the liberal center. To be a liberal is to be a centrist. Bernie can call himself a socialist all he wants. He is not. He is a 1940s liberal Democrat. That is it. Same for AOC and Mamdani and just about everyone in the Progressive Caucus. And many of these people, one could argue, are a skosh right of center.

I am quite glad the Democrats are moving toward the center. This is welcome news. And while the Democrats are moving toward the center, the Republicans are moving to the right under the banner of “conservatism.”

How trafficking in racism, anti-LGBTQ sentiment, shafting the working class, handing free money to the rich, and blowing holes in the deficit is “conservative” is a mystery. How working-class Americans with bills to pay vote for this is also a mystery.

It turns out that liberal Millennials seem to have a grip on where this country should be headed if we want to live in a more civilized, equitable place. My goodness gracious.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/democrats-too-liberal-poll-cnn-b2919693.html

Infinite Jest

So, it’s happening again. This book gets celebrated at every major anniversary. And there’s a good reason.

Many years ago, a student recommended a graduation address on YouTube delivered by David Foster Wallace. I listened to it, liked it, and decided I would road-test it for some students. They enjoyed it, too. It’s basically a meditation on Stoic philosophy. I started playing it for many of my classes. Just one problem.

I had read nothing by Wallace. I felt like a fraud. This had to be fixed. I went to a friend who is something of an authority on contemporary literature. I asked him, “What do I need to read by Wallace?” He replied, “The major work is Infinite Jest, but there are shorter works if you just want to enter the shallow end.”

I began (of course) looking into Infinite Jest. I found a bunch of articles on it. Seemingly every major periodical was doing a twentieth-anniversary review of the book. Why is that?, I wondered. Cripes, they’re all doing it! I began reading them, and I noticed something. A number of the people who penned these reviews made comments like “In 1996, your boyfriend bought this book, placed it on his coffee table to look smart, and the bookmark remained stuck at page 70.” But the reviews were soaring.

I thought to myself, “Ah, so it’s that kind of book—the big one nobody reads. Well, Wallace, looks like it’s you and me, buddy.”

I bought a first-edition hardcover and settled in. I hated it at first. The first fifty pages were nothing but postmodern bullshit. I’m not committing to over a thousand pages of this nonsense. I’ll read Sartre’s Being and Nothingness instead. Screw you, Wallace.

I did more poking around online. There are online glossaries and guides dedicated to the novel. There are entire conferences held. [sigh] I’ll read the goddamn thing.

So, I did. I will not provide here a summary of the book. I will say that Wallace downloaded his entire intellect—which was considerable; I’ve seen a number of interviews—into this book. It’s a masterpiece of modern fiction. When you finish reading it, you are now ready to read it properly. (I’ve only read it the one time.) It has over 200 pages of endnotes; some of the endnotes have footnotes. It’s a serious commitment.

There is a however: Wallace was cancelled for being a violent misogynist. Another great artist turns out to be a vile human being.

I know well what to do in these instances. I like Picasso, Heidegger, and even J. K. Rowling. Say what you want about David Foster Wallace—or Picasso or Rowling—but Heidegger was a Nazi. Card carrying. Should we still read Heidegger? Sure. Just remember you’re reading the work of a disgusting human being. It’s not hard.

Now, some people argue that we shouldn’t buy Harry Potter books. They want to hurt J. K. Rowling. They are not going to; she’s a billionaire. Furthermore, should that be the motive? Pitchforks and torches? I think discussing these issues would be far more constructive. Read the books and discuss their racial failings. Put them to use.

And who knows, you might get Rowling to realize what she has been saying about trans folk is hurtful and stupid. Wouldn’t that be better than her making a million fewer dollars this year?

If you’re looking for a major work of contemporary fiction, something to really sink your teeth into, I would recommend Infinite Jest. It’s brilliant. The structure alone is a wonder. And much of it is laugh-out-loud funny. And you can take solace that you’ll be embarrassing all those dopey erstwhile bohemian boyfriends.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/feb/07/never-mind-the-lit-bros-infinite-jest-is-a-true-classic-at-30

Ten Points about Islam (revised, repost)

The points below are basically as they appeared in my 2014 post. I have, however, updated a few figures as well as slightly expanded/edited some of the points for greater clarity. (Also, beneath the points, I include a short list of useful sources on Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.)

A few details to keep in mind before proceeding:

A Muslim is someone who adheres to the faith of Islam. An Arab is essentially someone who speaks Arabic and grew up in and/or identifies with Arab culture—and who may or may not be a Muslim. Most of the Middle East is Arab, including much of North Africa, called the Maghreb. Though not regionally Middle Eastern, the Maghreb is considered culturally Arab.

An Arab (noun) is a person. People, places, and things can be Arab (adjective), such as populations and cuisines. Arabic is a language. THERE ARE NO ARABIC PEOPLE. And Arabian, a mostly outmoded term, can refer to the Saudi Arabian nation-state, or the Arabian peninsula (on which Saudi Arabia is located), or a breed of horse.


Ten Points about Islam

1. There are almost 2 billion Muslims in the world, almost one in four people worldwide. Of the 2 billion, 20 percent are Arab (though 95 percent of Arabs are Muslim).

2. Most Muslims live in South and Southeast Asia. The countries with the most Muslims are, in order: Indonesia, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

3. There are 49 countries with Muslim majorities. The Arab League has 22 member states.

4. Muslims worship the same God as Jews and Christians. Allah is Arabic for "God."

5. Jews and Christians are esteemed in Islam as "People of the Book." (Jesus is considered a prophet in Islam and appears throughout Islam's holy book, the Quran, as does Mary.)

6. The concept of jihad refers to one's "struggle" as a Muslim, namely, to be a better Muslim. Reducing jihad to "holy war" is a distortion. Moreover, a common Western misunderstanding is that "holy war" is a general Islamic mandate to kill nonbelievers, which does not exist. “There is no compulsion in religion,” says the Quran (2:256).

7. Sharia, or Islamic law, is a broad category that addresses and governs many, if not all, aspects of Muslim life, including food, dress, marriage and divorce, contracts, and so on. Sharia includes punishment for crimes, but the specifics vary and are open to interpretation.

8. The two major Islamic denominations are Sunni Islam and Shiite (Shia) Islam. Though there are certain theological differences between the two, they have not been in perpetual confrontation. Intermarriage between Sunnis and Shiites is not uncommon in the Middle East. While sectarian conflict does exist, much of the Sunni-Shiite tensions one sees in the news are the product of regional politics and foreign intervention.

9. Women's rights is a serious issue in many Middle Eastern countries. However, this is a cultural and political phenomenon, not a religious one. (Oh, by the way, the first Muslim was a woman—Khadija.)

10. The Prophet Muhammad (570-632 AD) founded Islam. While considered by Muslims to be the Seal of the Prophets (that is, the last of them), he is not viewed as divine. Muhammad was a reformer and endeavored to promote better treatment of women, orphans, and the poor.


SOURCES

Two short biographies on the Prophet Muhammad I recommend:

• W. Montgomery Watt, Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman (Oxford, 1974). Watt also coauthored the "Muhammad" entry of the online Encyclopedia Britannica.

• Karen Armstrong, Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time (HarperOne, 2007). Armstrong's work in general is dependable, carefully researched, and humane.

Two documentaries on Islam and Muhammad I recommend:

• Islam: Empire of Faith (2000), produced by PBS and narrated by actor Ben Kingsley

• The Life of Muhammad (2011), a three-part miniseries by the BBC