I agree with both of these arguments, with an important supplement or modification; namely, that the chief barrier to making useful demands is what has been labelled crackpot realism -- e.g., Max's response to an earlier suggestion by Sandwichman. The criteria for what demands are useful are implicit in Jim's addition. Since our aim is a mass movement, not persuasion of Congressmen or other policy wonks, our demands/suggestions/vision must be formulated as slogans, simple or complex, (a) around which people can decide to go to the streets and (b)the discussion of the content of which is educational and has an arrow as it were pointing to larger concerns. Since left goals can only be realized by mass action, and since mass action is never triggered but is in fact frustrated by complicated discussions of implementation, what I call crackpot realism is perhaps _the_ major barrier to developing a left program and hence a left movement.
Carrol Jim Devine wrote: > > Sandwichman wrote: > > Critique is necessary but not sufficient. > > right. It's action (demonstrations, lobbying, campaign contributions, > etc.) that counts. The reason why the President or whatever politician > pays attention to our opinions is that he or she hopes to get > something from us. > -- > Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own > way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante. > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
