Democrats today are the New Left that emerged after 1965

Liberalism after 1965 attempted to remove government by consent

The political movement responsible for rejecting the Progressive understanding of “uplift” and preparing the transition to post-1960s politics was the New Left.

 

Following 1965, the dominant view of government holds that protecting the least advantaged is the primary purpose of government and using reallocation to that end.

 

New Left intellectuals believed that the new freedom brought about by the Progressives was not true freedom. The prevailing cultural norms were oppressive laws and morals.

 

According to New Left intellectuals like Paul Goodman and Norman O. Brown, sexual liberation

would usher in a new era of human happiness and well-being and bring about an end to threats like nuclear war. Earlier progressives like FDR and Wilson talked about “happiness” but did little to bring it about.

 

One of the New Left’s goals was to bring about a transformation of the moral life of the country through an attack on the traditional understanding of the family. The traditional family suppressed the natural human desires that result in true happiness e.g. Sexual Liberation versus monogamy.

 

At the heart of post-1965 politics is a conception of equality that emphasizes not only political equality, but also equality of self-esteem. Equality of opportunity was insufficient, therefore, government and to create a new “equality” that produced equal self-esteem.

 

Post-1965 immigration policy should privilege immigrants from non-European countries. Closed borders suppressed the Least Advantaged.

 

John Rawls’ “difference principle” asserts that inequality of wealth and privilege is justified if it serves the common good. That is reallocation to the least advantage was the justification.

 

Post-1965 foreign policy is primarily concerned with promoting democracy abroad than the protection of American citizens rather than. The opposite of what the Founders put into place.