In the 50's and 60's, when the head of the FBI and the US government was targeting and actively undermining leftists, anyone who was not a committed Soviet ally but was sympathetic with left-wing ideas was referred to as a "Fellow Traveler." These people — not strict partisans, but believers in freedom, equality, and social justice — included among their ranks people like Martin Luther King, Jr., Kurt Vonnegut, and Pete Seeger.

The 21st century is chaos — especially when it comes to politics — so it would be easy for us to sink into a world of comforting dogma and rigidity. What we need now, especially in politics, is curiosity and thoughtfulness. Not in a “Hey, let’s hear this Nazi out,” kinda way, because fuck Nazis, but in a way where we’re open to any ideas that prioritize liberation, equality, tolerance, humanism, and sustainability. In this pursuit, we can draw on the wisdom of the fellow travelers of the past and of today.