> On Tue, 1 Feb 2000, Nathan Newman wrote:
>
> > What they need is leftists to stop spending their time and
> mental energy on
> > failed and useless strategies like third party politics and
> concentrate on
> > the real nitty-gritty organizing that builds left political power
> > independent of elected politicians, whatever party label is
> ultimately used
> > by candidates.
then >On Behalf Of Dennis R Redmond>
>
> This American provincialism is so depressing sometimes. Yes, the American
> Empire managed to smash, derail or coopt the major third party movements
> of the 20th century. This is a history worth analyzing, teaching and
> learning from. But the Empire is dead and Japan and the EU rule the
> global roost, which means we have much to learn from the rest of the
> world. To paraphrase Adorno, let's not throw out the ecosocialist baby
> out with the military-Keynesian bathwater.
Not that I disagree with much of what you write, but what does that have to do with party labels in the US? You can't map party names or even structure between European countries, since electoral rules that structure specific electoral formations are, of all things in the world, the most inherently provincial thing in the world by their nature. Running an electoral strategy based on proportional representation in a country that lacks it is not rejecting provincialism, it's just being suicidal.
I'm not sure what you are saying that contradicts what I said above. Do those Europeans not believe in non-electoral nitty-gritty organizing?
-- Nathan Newman