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In the early 1980s I recall that older, most former, Communist Party members played invaluable roles in the movements I was, as a student, involved with at the time - anti-Nuke, Central America solidarity etc. - While they carried with them dreadful political baggage, of which I was then only dimly aware, the fact is that on numerous matters of practical application their advice was invaluable - how to organize demonstrations, phone banking, obtaining legal observers, organizing coalitions etc. I know that former SWP members have played and continue to play similar roles, roles that can best be termed as mentoring, in various movements throughout the country - although each year there are fewer of them. I think what Mark describes are the consequences of the destruction, decimation is too mild a word, of the organized left in the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, there is little if any institutional memory left for the newly radicalized to draw upon. SR ----- Original Message ----- . At some point, we really need to confront thefailure of the Boomers to passon the essential lessons we got had coming out of the radicalization of the1960s and 1970s. Whenever I see young people stumbling for understandingor trying to figure out how to have a demonstration, I get very flusteredwith them, but hopefully show it rarely. The real question is where thehell were the grey-haired activists who were supposed to help them learn towalk. Where were the Boomers when Occupy was being led off like lambs to theslaughter, eh? And don't get me started about BLM or the Greens. :-) ML _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
