"The most successful far-left parties are those which have undergone significant internal ideological and strategic evolution, have overcome internal dogmatism, have pragmatic, charismatic leadership cadres, and concentrate on practical campaigns in coordination with extra-parliamentary actors and the global justice movement. The weaker parties are those still dogged with past internecine disputes and doctrinal questions, with lingering opposition to governmental participation, and ageing and conservative activists (the communists above all)."
What I wouldn't give for a charismatic lefty leader in the US.
Edit: "Far-left parties have pursued three basic strategies with varied success. The communist strategy is, with few exceptions, the least successful, and even traditional communists are now appealing to forms of democratic socialism or national populism. The democratic socialists promote an ecosocialist strategy that seeks to influence social democratic parties from the left and potentially join in a coalition. They are particularly strong where existing Green parties are weak but face problems with distinguishing themselves from social democracy and with involvement in government compromises. Populist socialist parties are the most dynamic since their position is best able to exploit discontent with mainstream social democratic parties and to address issues of contemporary disenchantment such as Euroscepticism, although they face stiff competition from the extreme right"
Edit2: Essentially, the only sure-fire way of »dealing with« the far left is to attempt to engage with it on a pragmatic case-by-case basis, approaching it as a normal political actor, cooperating with it where necessary, engaging with it in debate and dialogue, considering it as a potential coalition partner if appropriate. This is not likely to work in all cases – for example, the policies of the Greek and Portuguese communists are »beyond the pale« for most. However, exposing the far left to the oxygen of publicity deprives it of the luxury of permanent opposition and outsider status, allows it to test and potentially moderate its policies, and grants – for social democratic politicians above all – the flexibility of extra coalition options and perhaps a mutually beneficial strategic or tactical left– left the partnership.
Edit 3: In the long term, the appeal of the far left cannot be separated from wider problems both in the EU and national political systems, and within contemporary social democracy. Its root causes are: antiestablishment sentiment, socio-economic distress, the perception that mainstream political actors – above all, social democratic parties – are becoming increasingly technocratic and near-identical, and that citizens are defenceless before the forces of globalisation. It will not be easy to develop concrete policies to address these sentiments, but they might include measures to »democratise the EU« and make its institutions and decision-making more transparent and »closer to the people«. Is it time to reconsider thorny issues such as an elected EU president, or moving the EU parliament to one location? Is it time for European social democracy to rethink its – now often reflexively uncritical – attitudes towards issues such as privatisation, market regulation and progressive taxation, particularly given the contemporary traumas of unregulated, globalised capitalism? Is it time for contemporary social democracy to attempt to become more populist, engaging more directly with identity issues, the perception of distance between political elites and the population, perhaps to the degree of attempting to re-invigorate its local democratic, community and even extra-parliamentary identity? Whatever the answers to such questions, it is certain that if politicians – and social democratic ones above all – do not begin to engage with them in a systematic way, then the far left will continue to flourish.
Yes, I know it's about the EU, but also applies to the US.
Key points
1. A successful green party limits the influence of the hard left
2. Something I took from this is that the democrats first tried extreme aggressive marginalization against social democrats(progressives) and anyone to the left of social liberals, now they are trying Pragmatic cooperation. (Joe Biden) which means the democrats are out of options to counter the far-left. they can either try half, and half of the pragmatic cooperation, and aggressive marginalization, or another combination, but if they fail, and try full pragmatic cooperation, and fail again. They will be forced to co-opt the left agneda. They could try all three which in my opinion is the best solution for the corpos, but two can play at that game.