On 10/24/06, Sabri Oncu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I watch such discussions and debates among the American leftists
occasionally,
not always, and every time I pay any attention to them, I reach the conclusion
that you take yourselves more seriously than you should. The American left is
so minuscule that you have no hope to influence any election result in any
direction.
So, I find all such debates a total waste of time.
Don't you have better things to do such as trying to grow your numbers or
something?
It's hard to figure out how many leftists exist in the USA, but, based
on anti-war demonstrations (or Nader's 2000 Green campaign, to take
Mark's example), it is possible that there are tens of thousands of
leftists altogether, who have local social and political connections
with hundreds of thousands who are not quite on the Left but are
willing to work with leftists. If only most of the tens of thousands
nationwide could combine themselves into one coherent force (not
necessarily a political party), they could make something out of
themselves, a modest but promising beginning that can grow bigger
later. But they just don't!
It's their perfectionism that makes American leftists either loose
canons or members of small sects, unable to organize themselves, let
alone others. By perfectionism I mean they aren't satisfied *unless
others agree with them 100%*. If others disagree with them on one or
two or a few minor issues, that's reason enough for them to huff and
puff and generally act as if they disagreed with them on most major
issues.
What is odd, American leftists bring this absurd perfectionism to
their understanding of *other* countries! And act as if they could
and should expect Iranians, Brazilians, Venezuelans, etc. and their
political leaders to agree with them 100%! But, no, Iranians,
Brazilians, Venezuelans, etc. do NOT think like them, and if they did,
they would NOT amount to anything.
What American leftists need is focus on a few major issues -- one or
two, ten at most -- and see how many can work together based on the
points of agreement.
--
Yoshie
<http://montages.blogspot.com/>
<http://mrzine.org>
<http://monthlyreview.org/>
