These leftist debates look like subcultural masturbation to me. Excessive inbreeding is another way to put it. It's important not to be fooled but it's not so important to always have to prove that you're not being fooled.
At 04:04 PM 4/1/2008, Charles Brown wrote: >http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/marxism/2008-April/026157.html >The relentless and obsessive opposition to Mike >Friedman This idea that Obama is "coopting the >left" is totally meaningless. And the idea that >âprogramâ â at least as a laundry list of >issues -- will forever be the dividing line, I >find to be fetishistic. Even at other historic >moments, "we" would argue that the Democratic >Party, not this or that particular candidate is >"coopting" the left. Moreover, it isn't that >they "coopted" the left, but that sections of >that "left" (ephemeral term) were grafting >themselves to the Democrats and constituting a >pole of attraction for the âmassesâ >(although surely not the 60% of African >Americans that preferred to say âno >thanksâ). Supposedly, we denounced the >Democratic Party program as a way of disabusing >"the masses" of their illusions in the DP. A >sectarian few (well, the entire left is few, to >be honest...) carried out this knee-jerk >condemnation of DP program just to hear >themselves and to assure their place in >Sparticist (or whatever) heaven. But this, as >Joaquin, Walter, and others, with whom I have >not always agreed, is not "other moments" and >the Obama campaign is not another DP campaign. >To clarify, Obama is another DLC Democrat (as >per the NYT article I posted yesterday). His >program falls squarely within the ruling class >consensus. His stated policy would continue to >support Israeli apartheid, troops in Iraq, etc., >etc. The DP hasn't changed its stripes. What has >changed is the concrete context we are living. >As I've argued before, the bourgeoisie faces a >crisis of legitimacy on a scale not seen since >the great depression and Black candidate has >opened discussion of the race question in one of >the major bourgeois parties, in a way that >hasnât been seen since the Civil War. The >former has engendered a nascent movement which >has found expression for the moment in the >campaign of the latter. I would say those >salient facts point to a new context and, >potentially, a new historic moment. And the >controversy shouldnât be reduced to whether or >not to vote for Obama. In passing, I just want >to point out that the fetishism of issues can >itself become a reformist trap. Under our form >of bourgeois democracy, NO politician -- not >Obama, not McCain, not Clinton, not Nader or >McKinney -- would be able to implement the kinds >of policies we want. We've long recognized that >the president doesn't "make" policy: ruling >class foundations, think tanks, corporate bodies >do. We know that the only way such policies >would be implemented is if there exists a mass >movement to demand them and fight for them. If >youâll notice, none of the historic >revolutionary leaders made shibboleths of >programmatic issues when it came to engaging >with the masses. If you look at Malcolm, Chavez, >Carlos Fonseca, Fidel, none of these leaders >pulled out their program as a dividing line >between the righteous and the sinners. Yes, >program was important, particular issues at >particular times could be important. But the >key, strategic goal was building a mass, >politically independent, movement of the >oppressed and exploited. The key medial strategy >was, to use Maoâs analogy, to be among the >masses as fish in the sea. To put it another >way, you donât âwin the massesâ to a >better program: you are either part of the >movement , as a way of engaging people in >discussion around issues, which can possibly, >maybe, then be posed as program by a mass >movement, or you are a sectarian. Even the >paradigmatic (for many) Bolsheviks did this, in >practice. Thatâs what the discussions around >the April Theses were about: an adjustment to >the animus of the mass base. Given the altered >context and the motion around the Obama campaign >and what he represents in the context of our >society, we need to ask ourselves, is labeling >Obama âa Cintonite with a Black faceâ the >best way to do this? In the context of the >racist under (and over) tones of the campaign >against Obama, how would this sound to millions >of people desirous of change and expressing this >through the Obama campaign? Is dismissing the >movement currently focused on Obama as >âcooptedâ the best way to do this? Iâm not >convinced this business-as-usual approach is >anything more than self-flagellation. I would >suggest that folks read Cynthia McKinneyâs >speech following Obamaâs talk as, perhaps, >indicative of a more productive way of >approaching the campaign. I would also suggest >reading the majority of the commentaries that >appeared in the same issue of the Black >Commentator as the piece Dennis cited. > > >Message: 13 > Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:27:30 >EDT > From: Dbachmozart at aol.com > Subject: >Re: [Marxism] The relentless and obsessive >opposition to > Obama > > So to criticize >Obama and his Clintonesque program is ultra >left? > Obamaism, > not McCain or Hillary >Clinton is co-opting the left, that is why we > >oppose > it, as we have with every Democrat >"lesser evil". Was Walter > "relentless > and > >obsessive" when he opposed McGovern in 1972, >Kennedy in 1980, Gore in > 2000, > Kerry in >2004?? That's what the liberal Democrats would >have accused > him > of. > Once again, it is >mind blowing that this ABC of Marxism has to be >repeated - on > a Marxist discussion list! > >_______________________________________________ >Marxism-Thaxis mailing list >Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change >your options or unsubscribe go to: >http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG. >Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.3/1354 >- Release Date: 4/1/2008 5:38 AM _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
