But what does the Left have to say?

[Softel]

Louis Proyect ---- "What the left needs to do is coalesce around a
class-based, militant program. The left has not yet written this
program, despite many assurances to the contrary we can hear on this
list every day. It will have to be in the language of the American
people, not in Marxist- Leninist jargon. Some people know how speak
effectively to working people. I include Michael Moore the film-maker. I
also include people like our own Doug Henwood, and Alex Cockburn and his
co-editor Ken Silverstein who put out a newsletter called
"Counterpunch"."
==============
This thread now resembles cable television in the evening when the talk
shows all turn to Monica Lewinsky. Here everyone discusses "identity
politics". Is it that our modern leftists have an identity problem? Just
joking.

Part of the problem with identity politics, which incidently is
practiced across the American political spectrum, is that it is a
retreat from having anything meaningful to say about the economic system
in which we all live, either where it is going or how it can be
understood so that non-intellectuals can have some comprehension of what
is determining their fate. I think most Americans will listen to a
reasonable argument so long as it is not part of some kind of "I've got
all the answers" thinking.

Part of the problem with people who identify themselves as "leftists",
"socialists", "Marxists" etc. is that they don't have anything really to
say to people, they can't answer even the most basic questions about
what is going on in society.

For example we have a large group of self-identified leftists who still
believe that socialism existed in the former Soviet Union. Most Russians
also understood that socialism existed in the former Soviet Union and
they rejected socialism as a result of their experience with it. Workers
here also rejected socialism as it was presented to them by the American
Communist Party as existing in the former Soviet Union. That leaves a
large number of American "leftists", "socialists", and "Marxists"
alienated from the very people they presume to have something to say to.

The retreat to identity politics in this atmosphere of alienation from
the masses is quite natural. Otherwise one would have to look clearly at
one's prejudices and assumptions and undergo a painful amount of basic
testing of ideas against reality.

Incidentally it was always my understanding that any claim to
"scientific analysis" had to be able to explain reality and had to be
proved empirically by events. So ask yourself which "leftist",
"socialist" or "Marxist" analysis explained the fall of the Soviet
Union?

-PF