Nor would I want to live in a world dominated by the unthinking animus against markets and the processes of wealth creation that so many articulated in Seattle. Legislators like me can and should be visionary and bold, willing to explore fully the realm of the possible, but we must work primarily within the confines of political realities. Radicals spark social justice movements by forcing us to deal with the fact that our social realities are often badly out of sync with, or sometimes in stark opposition to, our professed ideals. As an African American, I certainly share a similar appreciation for what our radicals have done to inspire America to try to live up to its own ideals. America is a highly capitalistic society.
Market values permeate our society.
Given that we're defining radicals as people who force us to deal with social realities, to be a bona-fide radical in America today you've got to be someone who questions the values of capitalism. If we value the function of radicals, then that means we have also to grant that the critics of capitalism play a necessary and worthwhile role in our public discourse. Fine and good. Now, let's get to the fun stuff. Radicals seek to broaden the realm of the possible.