>I'm new to the list, but let me say bravo to Kelley for the statement
>above. We leftists can get very hypocritical very quickly as we claim
to
>fight for the people, then denigrate them as "snivellers" who will never
>understand why issues leftists address are important.
Stuart and Kelley,
Can the pseudo-populist bullshit. Marx advocated a ruthless criticism of everything existing, and in my view, that includes the so-called "people." Don't give me that Jim Hightower/Michael Moore/Mike Albert crap about leftist snobbery towards the average joe. Both of my parents were shop stewards for the CWA. I myself work in a supermarket and belong to a union. But you know what? MOST WORKING PEOPLE ARE IGNORANT, DELUDED NITWITS. There, I've said it. Does that mean I hate the working classes and the petit-bourgeois? Hell no, I love 'em, LOVE 'EM, I TELL YOU. There's no better company when you're at a social event. But I wouldn't shrink away from criticizing them any more than I would shrink away from criticizing my sister for her totally idiotic belief in God or father for his naive patriotism or grandfather for his vile homophobia. A true populist knows that "joe sixpack" and "suzy winecooler" need a fucking kick in the head to get them going. Fighting for "the people" means recognizing their perceptual and cognitive limitations, and doing your best to educate and enlighten without being condescending or nasty. But here, on lbo-talk, a list comprised primarily of leftist intellectuals, I feel justified at being condescending and nasty and venting a little spleen against my "brothers and sisters" in the working class.
Anyone who cringes at the thought of criticizing the masses is a namby-pamby liberal pantywaist trying to overcompensate for their own position in life by fetishizing the working classes. So, there.
I suppose now I'll be subject to a harangue about how I need to get out to more sporting events and watch a lot more TV and listen to more commercial radio and see more shitty Hollywood movies so I can put my finger on the pulse of joe average. Spare me, please.
If there's going to be a revolution in this country, it has to start with recognizing that the working classes and petit-bourgeois are totally fucking backward and in need of some edoomuhkatin'. Putting them on a pedestal as "agents of history" gets us nowhere.
Doug writes:
>It's almost enough to make you believe Hitchens is a sexist. It's ok
>to make fun of Mother T and Lady D, but John-John, a pampered dimwit
>with a crappy magazine, well he's not a bad guy after all.
Well said. So Diana's own "noblesse oblige" is suspect, but that little silver-spoonfed twit was just a swell guy. Hitchens seems to be defining himself more and more these days as part of the staid, dignified jetset Beltway elite. Christ, he even fraternizes with Christian Amanpour and her mass murderer husband.
And then there's the other Nation gadfly Doug alludes to...
>Me, I much prefer chardonnay to the idea of armed teachers, but, as
>the rustic Alex told me once, I'm an "urban weenie."
Cockburn also defines himself in relation to the East Coast elite, but as its diametrical opposite. Anything us namby pamby East coasters are for, he's against. See his ode to Barry Goldwater a few months back? Sheesh.
Love Hitchy-poo and the transvestite Stalinist equally, but being controversial for its own sake can lead to some pretty inane positions.
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