Greetings Economists,
On Nov 5, 2008, at 1:25 PM, Sandwichman wrote:
It is up to the left (if they're up to it) to make
something of this opening, rather than to snooze through it with the
usual armchair-vanguardist grumbles of disdain.
Doyle;
Exactly right though the left as we know it is not necessarily going
to make things work. I suspect a combination of new people moving
leftward and people who identify with socialist or Marxist traditions
joining and influencing a movement. The fundamental fact of the
nation wide reaction to the election and upwelling provides proof of a
potential mass movement.
A genuine mass movement depends upon how well the reformist efforts of
Obama and others around the democratic party come into being. That
would forestall a mass movement. On the other hand real reform seems
to me addresses the war options for imperial power. For example Obama
seems to think Afghanistan ought to be fought for in a way that Iraq
didn't seem to matter to him. This line of reasoning means to me they
can't address the war machine.
The bad economy gives Obama the excuse to use austerity instead of
comprehensive economic re-building. Austerity would lead to a mass
movement. The left can organize around that and make an effort to put
on the agenda any of these items Obama fails to address; Health Care,
Infrastructure, Education, Global Warming/Energy.
thanks,
Doyle Saylor
_______________________________________________
pen-l mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
