Not to be a total bore, but I think it is high time that we have a frank, comprehensive discussion about whether "the left" is facilitating or obstructing revolutionary struggle toward a democratic, non-capitalists, non-authoritarian world. Frankly, abandoning my identity as a "leftist" about three years ago was one of the most idealogically liberating acts of my life. In getting some distance from the so-called left, I gained, I think, quite a bit of insight into my own political contradictions--contradictions that, in some very critical ways, compromised my long-term usefulness as a thinker and as an "organizer."
One major problem with the left is that it is a rather elusive concept: Everybody seems to know what it is but on close inspection, it turns out that a lot of different people mean a lot of different--and quite contradictory--things when making reference to "the left." That is to say "the left" is an imprecise and unstable concept which, in turn, generates a great deal of imprecise, unstable and, ultmately ineffective...uh, movement building...
Another problem is that "the left," generally speaking, is so busy being enraged and self righteous about abuse of power on "the right" (an equally problematic conceptualiztion) that it consistently fails to see or see clearly abuses of power among organizations and individuals who identify with "the left." Which, of course, undermines ones ability to see that the real problem is not "the right," but MUCH MORE SPECIFICALLY, capitalism, whiteism, patriarcy, etc. Fuzzines is always a comfy haven for demoagogues.
To coin a phrase, why be a leftists when you can be free? Tennis anyone??
While all you folks are arguing the best way to reach the masses, there are whole squads of cyberlibertarian drones out there dominating political discussions at sites where there OUGHT to be a real political contest going on.
Well, I think the web is a useful tool too but no real political contest is going to happen in cyberspace. That said, it's pretty much the case that none of the exisiting political institutions on this planet is likely to make any decisions that will result in poor folks getting some significant relief from their grief (never mind control over their economic and social lives). Politics does require, afterall, a basic equality among political actors in order for it to be meaninful, in the best sense, for everybody. Since we don't have that it continues to be a rich mans game. The punchline: Pay attention to the militias. They are increasingly composed of people who are not "white," not male, pissed off, and smart. How shold "the left" respond to them???
. I also remember wishing that woman and blacks and scary militants would just lay low while McGovern got elected. I guess that means I'm bad. Still bad, though.
Oh Dear. Where are you on these kind of questions now?
Chris Niles DC New Abolitionists