Doug Henwood wrote:
> Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:
>
> >the alternative to leftish symbolpolitik is getting involved in
> >realpolitik, but i do not think that the idealistically oriented left is
> >ready for such a drastic move.
>
> Just who are you talking about here? Who are these symbolic
> politicians? Most of the left academics I've met are active,
> sometimes very active. Who are these detached demons you (& Lou
> Proyect) keep invoking? Or do you just have a need for them?
I suspect that private definitions of both "realpolitik" and "idealistically oriented" are at work. Max would consider *all* left politics as woolgathering. And for over 200 years "letter writing" or petition-carrying have been central to revolutionary conceptions of "realpolitik" (if that is translated as simply "realistic politics" -- it usually has the flavor, however, of buddying up to power).
Carrol