Michael Yates wrote:
> However, I also believe that folks do not think much can be
> done about it. You know, they say and understand that the rich get
> richer and the poor get poorer but they don't know how to get beyond
> this. So the buy lottery ickets and dream. Perhaps this is a major
> failing of our labor movement, to develop any kind of class politics and
> to kick out the people who did.
I think this is true. It is difficult if not impossible to make even rough numerical estimates of the number of people whose politics are grounded in thinking nothing can be done so why bother, but if the number is large at all it makes for a fundamental difference in the way we answer various questions of the form, "how do leftists 'reach' people?" On this list the usual assumption is that "they" ("people") have to be somehow (by our rhetoric, psychology, whatever) persuaded to change their mind on issues. But if there is any sizeable number of people at all who in some sense agree with us but doubt the possibility of change, then it is worse than error, it is almost criminal, to focus on changing minds rather than boosting the morale of those who may already be with us.
Carrol