There has been a lot of talk recently about this election being an opportunity to build a new movement. But when I ask people here in Berkeley what they mean by "the movement," they either answer that the movement is the particular cause for which they have the most passion, or they say that there is no movement because the left is hopelessly fragmented.

In These Times is dedicated to supporting "popular movements for social, environmental and economic justice." But can there be a larger movement that incorporates all three? If so, what is it? What is the unifying theme?

They say fools rush in where angels fear to tread, but there are no angels here in the Berkeley office, so here are my thoughts on the major sectors that a new unified movement would encompass.

The struggle for social justice includes the issues of so-called identity politics: women, gays and lesbians, and groups defined by race or ethnicity. The social justice movement also coalesces around specific issues such as human rights, the decriminalization of drugs, keeping abortion legal and the struggle to preserve civil liberties.

This issue of the magazine examines who has been left behind in the feminist movement--and how we must extend economic equality and equal rights to poor women and women of color. At their heart, the issues raised here impact all of us regardless of gender. I believe that a revitalized, unifying movement on the left must wholeheartedly embrace the women's movement.

The movement for economic justice has three focal points: the widening economic divide as the wealthy get wealthier at the expense of everybody else; the growing power of multinational corporations in an era of undemocratic international organizations; the absence of a social safety net to guarantee the basic amenities of normal life--a job at a living wage, housing, health care, childcare, transportation and a good education.

The movement for environmental justice concerns itself with the well-being of the entire planet: the preservation of species and natural habitats and clean air, water and soil.

Besides these feminists, environmentalists and crusaders for economic justice, any new movement must also include peace activists. Historically focused on reducing the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, today the peace movement insists that the U.S. military budget be reduced. (Remember the "peace dividend"?) More recently it has targeted the role of U.S. corporations as the world's leading arms merchants.

Do these groups have enough in common that we can conceive of one movement that encompasses all four? They certainly are united in what they oppose. Typically, the "enemy" includes multinational corporations, where marketplace values dominate human values, and highly paid corporate lobbyists and political consultants who subvert the democratic process. Aligned with these corporate interests is a conservative culture whose stormtroopers are the religious right. Whether in the area of a woman's right to choose, protection of the environment or growth of the military budget, the transnational corporations and this conservative culture count on each other for uncritical support. (Though their focus is somewhat different, corporate and religious conservatives tend to support each other as a sort of "quid pro quo." Both groups share a culture of patriarchy and autocratic process.)

But to generate new energy, a unifying movement on the left must offer more than a common enemy. A successful movement that spans all these diverse interests needs to have a common, positive philosophy.

Is it possible to define this positive vision? I believe it is. In the next issue, I'll further explore such a vision. In the meantime, please send me your thoughts. (bburnett@inthesetimes.com).