Re: [Marxism] Steven Salaita on A. O-C
POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. * AOK's critics are a bunch of "out-of-work professors and writers who won't ever make the New York Times unless they buy it." Well, I'm not now nor have I ever been a professor, either in or out of work. As far as the NY Times: I didn't know that being accepted by one of the foremost journals of US capitalism was a qualification for having something valid to say as far as the working class movement is concerned. If it were, we'd never even have unions in this country! More to the point: Even the leadership of DSA admits that we need a working class party in the US, as does much of the union leadership. But they claim that we can work towards it while supporting some Democrats. Where? How? I would like those who make this claim to explain to me exactly what they are doing in the here and now to actually build towards a mass working class party. I know they're doing a lot for politicians like Ocasio-Cortez, and for causes accepted by the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, such as single payer. But what are they doing to build an alternative to the employer-controlled Democratic Party? Here in Oakland, East Bay DSA is totally consumed in helping the liberal wing of the Democrats, to the near exclusion of everything else. And here's a little incident that really says it all: Back over a year ago a small group of us went to the chapter leadership with a proposal that they organize an open discussion on EBDSA running its own candidate or candidates in the then-upcoming Oakland elections. That would have been for city council or board of ed or something similar. The chapter leadership refused on the untrue grounds that they couldn't make that sort of decision for the branch as a whole. But that wasn't what we were proposing; all we proposed is to have an open discussion on the issue. Why were they so afraid of even discussing it? I think that the reason is that there is no legitimate argument against having done so. But doing so would directly contradict the support for the liberal wing of the Democrats. By their actions, they recognized that they couldn't do both. Which returns us to the original issue - support for or criticism of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In congress (assuming she gets elected) she will have zero affect as far as what gets passed or not. She's already indicated that she wants to "learn" from her fellow Democrats as well, probably, as from Republicans. She's already said that she won't be "antagonistic" to these representatives of the class enemy. But what she will do is continue doing what she's already done: continue to "keep hope alive" that the workers movement and socialists within the workers movement don't need to break their ties with one of the two parties that represents the employers and start down the difficult, arduous task of building our own party, a mass working class party. 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
Re: [Marxism] Steven Salaita on A. O-C
POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. * her critics are an assortment of unknown activists, colonized rabble-rousers, out-of-work professors, and writers who won't ever make the New York Times unless they buy it. Sad but accurate. _ 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
[Marxism] Steven Salaita on A. O-C
POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. * (From FB) "Why don't you give Ocasio-Cortez a break until [some important point in her political future]?" Nope. Here's why: 1. "Holding their feet to the fire" after the election is a joke. Never happens. Even the sincerest expression of this sentiment sounds like bad satire. 2. She's fixing to be seated in Congress. She's not running for student body president. Once seated, she will be voting on military budgets, foreign appropriations, and policy resolutions. In other words, she will be in a direct position of authority vis-a-vis Palestinians and other victims of US depravity. 3. How about this? Maybe the Israeli state can give Palestinians a break? Maybe the Zionists pressuring Ocasio-Cortez into compliance with settler colonization can give her a break, too? Nah, it's always critique from the left that needs to stop, isn't it? 4. Ocasio-Cortez is a superstar with a national following, a huge media platform, and the backing of some influential organizations; her critics are an assortment of unknown activists, colonized rabble-rousers, out-of-work professors, and writers who won't ever make the New York Times unless they buy it. It's much easier, and perhaps more lucrative, to belittle the losers who don't understand grown-up politics, but a bit of disrepute can be plenty satisfying. Try it sometime. 5. If I'm forced to choose between a Westerner's political career and maintaining the dignity of a national liberation struggle--a choice proffered not by Palestinians but by aspiring politicians--then go ahead and douse me in the purifying waters of Lake Fuck Your Election. _ 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
