My assumption is that a socialist revolution will have to be made by the workers themselves--to paraphrase the principles of the First International. As most wage-slaves are not revolutionary, leadership would come from those workers who are class conscious. In short, communist workers lead non-revolutionary workers in a process whereby the soical revolution gathers momentum and finally reaches critical mass.
In the field of political-economy, this would involve critiquing the system of wage-slavery and how that system turns producers of wealth (capital) into employees of their bosses (capitalists). This critique would not only focus on the real marketplace of commodities and the struggle to wrench more and more wealth (and therefore power) out of the hands of the ruling class and into the hands/control of the producing class, but also turn its attention to the reified notions which are ideologically legitimated within the society's social, cultural, political, familial and psychological character structures. This list is a concrete example of that praxis and might potentially contribute toward the creation of that long dreamed of association, 'where the freedom of each is the condition for the freedom of all'. Best, Mike B) --- Michael Perelman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I think that there are different levels of > specificity in answers. It is > easy to say that a more equitable tax system or less > military spending > would make the economy work better. It is less easy > to say what Jamaica, > to use your example, should do, when its options are > far less open. > > Clinton knew what to do as well as anybody, but he > didn't follow through > with much of anything. We would have chosen more > grassroots mobilization > and less reliance on corporate funding, but to make > that choice would > require great courage for a conventional politician. > > > > On Mon, Aug 11, 2003 at 10:10:30PM -0400, Doug > Henwood wrote: > > Michael Perelman wrote: > > > > >I have a sense that we tend to discuss radical > economic strategy for other > > >countries -- and probably for our own -- with a > tone that sounds like > > >books that tell people how to raise children or > win the affection of > > >others. > > > > Aren't radical economists supposed to have the > expertise to do that? > > People look to us, man. I don't have a lot of > answers, and it often > > embarrasses me. We can affect a certain modesty - > it's not for us to > > prescribe, we should listen to the people - and > while there's a > > certain truth to that, it's also a lot of > buck-passing. > > > > Doug > > -- > Michael Perelman > Economics Department > California State University > Chico, CA 95929 > > Tel. 530-898-5321 > E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] ===== ***************************************************************** Cognitive dissonance is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence. http://profiles.yahoo.com/swillsqueal __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com
