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I read the article that Dennis posted. (Louis did too.) It's typical of ISO; it "navigates between... sectarian abstentionism and... opportunism"... by actually *combining *the two! Quite a feat in one relatively short article, but then the ISO is well experienced in this sort of thing. The way it does so is being general and abstract - making general comments are in the abstract are unanswerably right, but have no real meaning as far as actions. "*The tactics we choose will have to be responsive to the trajectory of events as it unfolds from here..... Simply asserting that socialists must build an independent party, an argument which is absolutely correct, does not give us a complete answer to the question."* Tell me, what exactly does this mean in the concrete; what exactly are they proposing? I learned to develop a good bullshit-meter from my days in the carpenters union. There, at times, some of the union officials would respond to a mood in the union with all kinds of militant-sounding statements, but what did it mean in practice? There's a corollary to this: The real sign of leadership is being able to map out a general perspective - a general course upon which the workers' movement can and must develop and then propose the very next concrete steps that can and should be taken. That's what real leadership of the working class movement is all about. It's what's really necessary. However, it's also what really angers the sectarians, opportunists and reformists because it's exactly there that they cannot hide behind fine sounding phrases and abstractions. I have made my view completely clear on the overall longer term trajectory and what concrete steps can and should be taken in the here and now. The ISO is typically vague about it. It helps them avoid pissing people off, but it also means they have nothing real to offer. John Reimann -- *“In politics, abstract terms conceal treachery.” *from "The Black Jacobins" by C. L. R. James Check out:https:http://oaklandsocialist.com also on Facebook _________________________________________________________ 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
