Leslie Cagan: «We must be more public and assertive"

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Socialist Action: Most of the polls before and even after the elections indicate that a large percentage of the American population is opposed to Reagan's policies on nuclear weapons, Central America, and South Africa. Even the media consider that Reagan did not receive a mandate to carry out his right-wing policies. What can be done today to involve and organize this broad spectrum of the population in protest against Reagan's policies?

Leslie Cagan: Your assumption about the Reagan victory, which is the assumption of many people, is not one that I agree with. First of all, while it may be true that many people disagree with his policies, nonetheless (a) there is a vast bulk of people who agree with his policies, and (b) those who disagree with his policies don't necessarily disagree with the basic underlying assumptions of his administration. In other words, a lot of people don't want to send troops to Central America but agree with the basic assumption that "We have to stop communism in Central America."

I think that we, the American people, are in deep trouble and that we can't simply say that people disagreed with Reagan but voted for him anyway. The question is not how do we mobilize or activate people who agree with us, but what do we do with a large percentage—perhaps the majority of the population—who don't agree with us. How do we reach them?

S.A.: So in light of your assessment of the mood of the American people, what should activists do to turn this situation around?

Cagan: One thing we have to do is to continue and redouble our most basic educational efforts. We have to not just Leslie Cagan is national co-facilitator of the New York-based Mobilization for The interview was conducted come out opposing U.S. military involvement in Central America; we also have to talk about what the real day-to-day conditions of people's lives in Central America are-why there is revolutionary movement in Central America.

We must talk about what the Nicaraguan revolution has brought to the people, what the struggle in El Salvador is really all about, and what the situation in Guatemala really is today.

At the same time, I think we have to continue to be much more assertive about our public protests. We have to be very public-be that in the media, in street demonstrations, or in lobbying efforts.

We have to say very loudly and very sharply to the policy-makers that we object to their policies. But I also think we have to understand the public protests as a way to say to other people in this country that there is an opposition force that they can take part in.

We in the movement also have to be much clearer in defining and offering real political alternatives to the American people. On the question of Central America, for instance, I think there is some real merit in using things like the Central America Peace Alternative.

Concerning domestic issues, the Jobs with Peace Campaign is another example of what can be done to offer a different vision of how things could be. This campaign specifically says, "Let's cut money from military spending and put money into creating jobs, housing, and healthcare."

These are the three major things we must do: on-going and deepening educational work, on-going and deepening protest activities, and the articulation of alternatives in foreign and domestic policy.

S.A.: You've been involved in organizing national protest actions in April. Could you tell us how this proposal (continued on page 8, in “'Big push is needed for April 20 actions,”)