ABSTRACT
I began this essay by suggesting that, by the late 1980s, the American Left found itself in need of reconstruction and that in the years since it has pursued a strategy of reframing its own image, identifying a suitable opponent or enemy, constructing an alternative power structure paralleling the power elite model extant at the time, waging anti-corporate campaigns against numerous targets to advance its agenda, and gaining in the sophistication of its weaponry and in its influence. The idea is not that this is a carefully planned conspiracy of some sort-which I do not believe to be the case-but rather, that it is the collective product of a series of both isolated and integrated decisions made by like-minded activists of some considerable cleverness. The ProgressiveLeft activist community today is broadly based, highly sophisticated, well financed, highly motivated, and broadly integrated. And this network of philanthropists, foundations, advocates, and nongovernmental organizations is focused on achieving its diverse aims through a common and interactive strategy, the waging of a war of reputation, regulation, litigation, and financial pressure on the corporation, both individually and institutionally. This is today the dominant model of exchange between the activist communities and the corporate community. It is Biz-War.
