The disheartening defeats of Sanders and Corbyn were also extremely instructive, but many people aren't learning the right lesson.

1) It was always a rigged game, so blaming Sanders and Corbyn is pointless victim-blaming. It's missing the big picture.

Even if they ran perfect campaigns (which they didn't), they always had the odds against them. In what other instance do you blame someone for losing a rigged game?

2) The moderates in the U.S. and U.K. would rather lose to a right-wing fascist than win with a leftist.

This is the biggest favor that Sanders and Corbyn did for us. It's now undeniable that they are as much our enemies as the right-wing is.

3) The moderates in the U.S. and U.K. have weaponized charges of racism and sexism against the left, with obvious cynical double-standards.

However the big lesson here, the most important one, is HOW the establishment beat the Left.

This is big because the debate on the Left is always a) take over the Democratic Party (which never works), or b) jump to another party (which never works).

Both sides of the debate are doomed unless we address the method of the establishment's source of its power.

4) The Left has grassroots organization work to do.

Let's face it. The Democratic Party establishment and the media will always be against us.

However, that isn't even the most important parts of the establishment, and it's something that the Left absolutely must fix regardless of whether the strategy is to take over the Democratic Party or jump to another party.

For starters, let's look at the one place where the Left should dominate - Labor Unions.

Endorsed Sanders:



Endorsed Biden:



Biden is no friend of labor.



At no point in his career has Biden proven willing to take the slightest political risk on behalf of workers. His appearances in union halls occur when he needs something from labor... In fact, I can find reports of only two instances of Biden appearing on a picket line or otherwise supporting embattled workers at any point in his very long public life: once in Iowa, during his 1987 presidential campaign, and just this month in Boston. Now, his first major presidential fundraiser is being hosted by the founder of one of the country’s leading anti-union law firms. The man running to be labor’s champion is sponsored by someone who has made millions choking the life out of the labor movement.

No left-wing movement worth a damn fails to have labor behind it.

The same goes for civil rights and enviromentalist groups.

This is true whether you want to take over the Democratic Party or jump to another party.

There is no shortcut.