Progressives that see economic reform as priority one hate identity politics. They agree with all of the movements to reform racism, sexism, homophobia, environmentalism, etc., but they know that the Republican strategy is to divide and conquer. Here is my slogan for the economics first argument.

Wedge issues are the meat that Fascists throw to the angry dogs that are catching up to them. Don’t vote for a Corporate Democrat who will put economic reform on the back burner to promote a single issue that Wall Street can afford to lose and stay in power.

Republicans use wedge issues to divide the left. The only counter-argument to the economic priority argument is that the left can walk and chew gum at the same time. Can we? Is that the best strategy?

The counter-argument to walk and chew gum is that revolutionary energy is finite. If progressives volunteer time and money to separate movements that put economic reform on the back burner, there is less energy available to reform Capitalism and fight poverty.

Wedge issue campaigns attract people who are not progressive, and that weakens the movement for economic reform. You do not have to be progressive to be against racism, sexism, homophobia, environmental degradation, etc.

Think about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Basic needs should come first. We need to fix the weakest link before we move on. That is the most efficient use of finite revolutionary energy. Wedge issues jump right over basic fundamental needs. Every diverse group should have equal respect, both interpersonal and institutional, but it is even more important to feed everyone first.

For example. A strategy for 2020. CONCENTRATE reform energy and resources on universal health care. After we get it, we can concentrate all of our resources on the next most fundamental battle. Maybe fixing the tax code or getting rid of the electoral college. The left should attack one target at a time. We have more resources than the right only if we concentrate them.

Notice that Wall Street loves to fund wedge issue stealth candidates in the Democratic primary race to peel votes away from Progressives like Bernie. You get a woman who is a corporate Democrat, a gay person who is a corporate Democrat, a person of color who is a corporate Democrat, an environmentalist who is a Corporate Democrat, etc. Each stealth candidate peels 5% away from the Progressive base, even though they are not progressive.

The issue of economic justice is the Achilles heel of radical Capitalism. Radical Capitalism can survive the loss of all of these wedge issues, but it can not survive fundamental economic reform.

Conclusion. Please vote as you always do for all of these important issues, but don’t vote for a corporate Democrat just because of their sex, gender, stand on abortion, gun policy, or any other single issue that puts economic justice on the back burner. Unregulated Capitalism is the cause of all these other problems. Single issue campaigns only treat the symptoms. That’s why Republican strategists love them. Economic reform attacks the core problem. Firewall Economics is a good start. firewalleconomics.com