Tom Lehman
Carrol Cox wrote:
> Various analyses of populism habe been offered on this list
> in the past, but as I was reading through this issue of *The
> Progressive Populist* (January 1-15, 2000) it came to me
> that we had perhaps overlooked yhr most characteristic attribute
> of its current manifestations: Profoundly Dull. Moreover, two
> of the dullest contributors were two writers who have been
> widely praised (including by themselves) for avoiding the
> dullness which is said to characterize leftist discourse --
> Jim Hightower and Michael Moore.
>
> >From Hightower:
>
> The Christmas season has gotten me thinking about Jesus,
> which surely must tick-off big merchandisers and advertisers,
> since they've spent billions . . .
>
> and he goes on to write the freshman theme that began to bore
> me to death my first semester as a teaching fellow at the University
> of Michigan over 40 years ago.
>
> And from the scintillating Michael Moore (re Seattle):
>
> This is by no means the end of Big Business. The richest
> 1 percent still own 90 percent of everything in this world. They
> will not go down without a fight.
>
> But they have been put on notice that people from all walks
> of life have had their fill and will not let up until we have a
> fair,
> just, and democratic economy.
>
> I believe that rhetoric was used up (at the latest) in the first days
> of the Paris Commune,
>
> I think we can define "Modern Populism in the U.S." as the mask
> liberal Democrats wear between elections to avoid being too
> embarassed in front of their radical friends.
>
> Carrol