cultural politics/"real" politics

[Jim heartfield]

In message <2.2.16.19980506181909.129f959a at pop.igc.org>, Michael
Eisenscher <meisenscher at igc.apc.org> writes
>I am not British and have not been to England, but I have been in touch with
>and part of the solidarity struggle on behalf of the Liverpool Dockers.
>Those whom I have met touring here in the States have certainly demonstrated
>more than a little class consciousness.  It seems improbable to me that they
>would have been able to maintain their struggle for over two years without
>many of them having a pretty keen sense of class, as well as being able to
>distinguish working class interests from the way some of their union's
>national leaders sought to relate to the employers.
Tragically, it is the Liverpool dockers' relative isolation from the
actually existing labour movement in England that helped them talk
themselves into a corner. After more than a year on strike, they never
succeeded in getting practical solidarity at home, such as would further
their cause. Their intransigence arose from their isolation. Dockworkers
demonstrations were overshadowed by such proletarian causes as Lady
Diana's Funeral, a 350 000 strong demonstration in favour of fox-
hunting, and militant attacks on police stations by anti-paedophile
protestors. These facts might not be pleasant reading for socialists,
but socialism was never advanced by refusing to face up to the facts.

In message <v03102804b176ba519276@[128.146.227.163]>, Yoshie Furuhashi
<furuhashi.1 at osu.edu> writes
>I am not sure if our resident 'pro-growth' marxist Jim Heartfield is aware
>of this, but in the US, auto-centered transportation policy may be causing
>a problem for industries as well. Has Jim read about the freight problems
>causing lots of 'lost,' mixed-up, or delayed cargo deliveries? Isn't there
>a need for investment in efficient non-auto transportation even in Jim's
>own framework of thinking?
Yes, of course. I'm all for development of alternate transport. And I
support Barkley Rosser's call for a more efficient car, too. But you
should listen to yourself. It's not the lorries that lose the freight.
As a frequent user of Britain's over-priced railway system, I have spent
too many hours waiting for the track to be cleared to think that
railways = efficiency. No kidding: a two and a half hour journey to
Manchester is regularly extended to four hours.
-- 
Jim heartfield