Surely Max has it the wrong way round? Unless a core of mainstream
organised workers is convinced on the hard issues like standing up to
racism, they'll never possess even the minimal independent outlook which
will allow them to build and lead a broader movement which will win on bread
and butter issues of wages and conditions as well. You can't win workers to
an "internationalist" outlook on the basis of narrow economic issues. That
kind of approach will only reinforce "common sense" economistic sectionalism
and allow the hold of nationalism (implying racism, sexism, etc) to persist.
Russell
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Possibly yes, surely no.
Re: "narrow" and "economistic", see "Teamsters and the WTO; What You Need to Know" at www.teamster.org for a sample of the contrary.
I'll go further out on a limb, from your standpoint, to say I don't think "internationalism" is the foremost issue for organizing right now. Rather, there is the more fundamental task of stoking enthusiasm for the elementary notion that collective action in support of an expansive trade unionism is worthwhile.
mbs