I rarely post on this list, yet I read along daily--mostly to enhance my own understanding of the various issues that come up. I find the expulsion thread very revealing, and very similar to what I see a great deal of in my own day- to-day activism. (I’m a member of the ISO, Brooklyn Branch)
There’s a tremendous level of mixed-consciousness out there right now. People are certainly fed up with struggling along through this boom economy, and are starting to fight back in their workplaces—especially now, in this new labor up-tick, with confidence of workers growing (finally) and strikes actually ending in success. Yet, the problem for the left in generalizing these struggles to larger issues of capitalism and its realities is certainly not becoming any easier. If anything, this level of mixed consciousness reveals to all of us the tremendous need to make the arguments, to engage in discussion, and to use these days to our advantage and advance the larger issues.
A few weeks ago, while attending a CWA rally in solidarity, I found myself having conversations with many workers that I probably never would have had the opportunity only a few years ago. Just one example—I had a really wonderful conversation with one man who early on in the conversation told me he was a member of the NRA. My initial reaction was just to stop talking and walk away. Nevertheless, I was amazed just a few minutes later when he turned the conversation to immigration, saying how the problems on the Mexican border were actually labor problems that could only be solved by workers linking-up across borders everywhere to fight for their common interests, regardless of their language barriers or cultural differences. He went on to say that he thought most of the ideas of socialism were very good, and much more humane than capitalism. His only basis of rejecting socialism was that humans would never stop competing with each other and see their need for solidarity. When I reminded him that he was surrounded by 1500 other BA workers doing just that, the conversation really got interesting and many more standard assumptions came into question.
My point is, that as we enter what appears to be a period of increased labor militancy in the US, we’re going to see more and more of this mixed consciousness. And how we react to it is crucial to rebuilding a militant left. Simply by expelling those who we may have serious disagreements with on key issues, right off the bat, we not only turn away the very people we need to connect with, but we also show an underconfidence in our own abilities to relate to the working class on those larger issues.
Now granted, I see no posting at the door of LBO that this discussion is for building a revolutionary cadre, but nevertheless, rejecting someone straight away for being "wrong", is foolish and worse self-defeating. Revolutionaries aren’t born. I’m sure just about everyone on this list may have, at some point in their lives, held opinions that have changed radically over the years. They most-likely changed by a mixture of personal experience and engaging in argument & discussion.
I have know James for a few years personally, (initially via the 'net) as we spent a long time in different cities taking on the same major corporation in a unionization effort. We both learned a hell of a lot through that experience, and hopefully will continue to do so in each of our new ventures. I, too, detest his views on Mumia and some other issues, but don’t consider out-right rejection of a very dedicated trade union activist because of these disagreements. Better to engage in a discussion of the issues and hope to present a valid case for the other side of the argument.
Otherwise, aren’t we merely pundits?
Jason Chappell "....The point is to change it." KM
>Louis and Carroll:
>I respect both of you, and I've learned alot from both of you. I read most
>of your stuff with great interest (except the Tobin tax--I'm skipping
>that).
>Your reactions (as well as those of others) towards James bother me. No,
>we might not agree with his stance on Mumia or Cuba. We might think that
>his comments about people living in ghettos put forth before they were
>fully thought out. But I don't think those comments make it appropriate to
>call him a racist and a reactionary. They are enough to ask him if he
>realizes the implications of his claims.
>The only way I could condone expelling someone from a list is if they were
>consistently rude, or if they deliberately and consistently made
>inflammatory remarks. If someone has not joined a list in good faith,
>i.e., if we had a republican or a member of the US Taxpayers Party, in our
>midst, I would endorse an explusion. I don't know that we could accuse
>James of any of these things.
>I'm not trying to offend you, but these posts reminded me of children
>ganging up on and beating up the kid who was weakest and least popular.
>Reading them made me cringe a bit. If I were at the recieving end of them,
>I'd be hurt. And, it makes me a bit nervous about posting anything at all,
>wondering when you are going to turn and attack me. Sorry if I sound
>sanctimonious, but I've seen some real viciousness here and on PEN-L, and
>I hope we can avoid more.
>Yours,
>Frances