The Resurrected Radical Left Schism: Love Me, I'm A Liberal
Phil Ochs's early warning song for generations to come
Certain words in politics are often messy. And their definitions offer even more confusion.
Such is the situation with liberals and the left.
The most dangerous liberal isn't the one with extreme views—it's the one who abandons ship when justice gets inconvenient.
In the 1960s, civil rights and the antiwar movement peaked to define liberal politics and the issues on the left. But even a dominant ideology undergoes contradictions and divides along moderate and radical camps.
As a protest singer with witty political commentary, Phil Ochs, who wrote over 200 songs and released eight albums, was destined to shine without a single hit record.
"Love Me, I'm a Liberal" is a scathing reflection of the difference between ideals and actions. This is the dilemma of every activist, for every movement and for real change to occur.
In the song, Ochs skewered allies who talked a good game about critical issues until it required actual personal sacrifices. It’s a timeless critique to unpack what it means to be engaged in genuine acts in a world full of distractions.
Today, as we navigate our own divided landscape, his lyrics might as well have been written yesterday.
Whether you’re on the left or right, there are lessons to be learned here.
Either way, get ready to feel a little called out.
Conditional Compassion
Phil Ochs was a political activist as much as a songwriter.
He performed at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, multiple mass demonstrations, civil rights rallies, student events, and organized labor events—and was known to perform at benefits for free.
He did not hold back on his opinions. Here is his on-stage introduction to "Love Me, I'm a Liberal:"
In every American community there are varying shades of political opinion. One of the shadiest of these is the liberals. An outspoken group on many subjects, ten degrees to the left of center in good times, ten degrees to the right of center if it affects them personally. Here, then, is a lesson in safe logic. (Source)
Let’s dive into the lyrics to understand how Ochs was calling out his own kind.
I cried when they shot Medgar Evers;
Tears ran down my spine.
I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy,
As though I'd lost a father of mine.
But Malcolm X got what was coming,
He got what he asked for this time.
A little history is required to grasp the full context of this first verse.
Mr. Kennedy, of course, is the 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963. Medgar Evers was an African-American civil rights activist, who was murdered by a white supremacist in the driveway outside his home in Jackson, Mississippi. Also in 1963.
Malcolm X was a Muslim minister and human rights activists, who was gunned down in 1965. He spoke out on race, religion and the ailments of society. He even wrote about the plight of Palestine:
We need a free Palestine... We don't need a divided Palestine. We need a whole Palestine.
For Ochs, there was no conflict of interest in defending political stalwarts, community organizers or radical views trying to address the failures of the system.
For him, the song was a leftist indictment of the conditional compassion exhibited by mainstream liberals.
In Theory, Yes … In Practice, No
Politics and political movements are always susceptible to hypocrisy.
It is easy to demonstrate for a cause if the effect is thousands of miles away or even in another part of town.
I love Puerto Ricans and Negros,
as long as they don't move next door.
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal.
I grew up in the South when school busing and integration was sending the “black kids” to the predominantly “white schools.” But it took a court mandate to transport these kids to new schools.
The New Left Troubadour
Phil Ochs is a contemporary of the more famous Bob Dylan.
While Dylan was a prolific poet, Ochs remained an provocateur to raise consciousness. Here is a sample of his works from the 1960s:
“Too Many Martyrs” and “Here’s To The State Of Mississippi” - a focus on the racist violence in the South.
“In The Heat Of The Summer” - a song about the Harlem riots of 1964.
“White Boots Marching In A Yellow Land,” “We Seek No Wider War,” and “Draft Dodger Rag” - criticisms of the Viet Nam War.
“Bracero” - a song about migrant farm labor.
“Santo Domingo” and “Cops Of The World” - the role of US imperialism.
While Ochs was leading the charge on the New Left, some protest songs started to get commercial radio play. This capitalist move upset the radicals; however, Ochs’s music was far too political for the radio waves.
Ochs never left the left, but his social change message turned into a focus on American decadence.
Now you know why you’ve heard decades of Bob Dylan songs, but never Phil Ochs.
Coda
In 2024, the Democratic Party suffered a political debacle, thus shifting the energy of the American pendulum to the right.
What remains of the left, whether moderate or radical? And what is the resurrection story to be told?
The entire liberal ideology is now exposed.
Is the support for progressive causes genuine or conditional?
The consequences are significant. How do you justify the massive influx of immigrants across the southern border and take care of working class voters too?
Why are the warmongers now on the liberal side, a traditional peace party?
Does the election of Donald Trump, as president for the next four years, provide a convenient scapegoat and rallying point for the discombobulated left?
Again the left is at a crossroads.
But the right is also at risk. The populist MAGA movement is already at odds with the implementation of the “America First” agenda.
Maybe the problem is that many consider Democrats and Republicans to represent a “uniparty.” That means the majority are stepping “ten degrees to the left of center … ten degrees to the right of center.”
Left wing or right wing, both sides have to deal with their identities, their commitments and their actions going forward.
And you thought the 1960s were radical.
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