Populism as Masquerade (was Re: Henwood vs. Cockburn)

[Michael Yates]

I hope Doug and anyone else do not think I directed my comments toward
them personally.  With rare exceptions, I do not like to make remarks
critical about someone because they write for a paper or magazine I do
not like or have not done certain types of political work or live
somewhere or other, etc. I think I would feel good to have most of the
members of this list and these discussions in the trenches next to me.

Of course, I do love gossip!!  And it is curious but often some serious
things get said and debated along the way.

Michael Yates

Doug Henwood wrote:
> 
> Michael Yates wrote:
> 
> >On the other question raised in connection with the exchange among Doug,
> >Cockburn, et. al. concerning militias, populism, etc. let me say a few
> >words from experience.  My youngest brother is what some might call a
> >raving lunatic:  sees conspiracies everywhere, lives in the woods, owns
> >guns, thinks Y2K may lead to chaos in the streets, etc.  But he is most
> >definitely not a racist or an anti-semite (two of our nieces are black,
> >for which fact his own health and life have been threatened more than
> >once).
> 
> I really want to underscore the fact that I don't think that militia
> members and their fellow travelers are racists or crypto-Nazis or any
> of that, whatever AC inventively says about me borrowing my worldview
> from Morris Dees. Some are, some aren't, and it does no good to
> demonize the whole lot. I'm more worried about the racists and
> crypto-Nazis in Congress and the Yale Club.
> 
> Doug