1. A set of essays reviewing Paul Buhle's new book on the AFL and AFL-CIO, "Taking Care of Business" (Monthly Review, 1999) in the most recent issue of the journal, New Politics (Winter 2000). Plus Buhle's illuminating response. Reviewers include Kim Moody, Jane Slaughter, Peter Rachleff, Stanley Aronowitz, Staughton Lynd, William Gould (first black chair of the NLRB), adn Michael Goldfield. Buhle's book is an excellent and sharp criticism of the labor movement and actually tries to show the causal factors in labor's support of imperialism, racism, etc.
2. In the same issue of New Politics, David Roediger discusses labor support for Mumia, and in the process really calls into question recent essays by Marc Cooper and Michael Moore. He also uses this labor support as a way to critique AFL-CIO president Sweeney's revolution from above.
3. In the latest Counterpunch (Jan. 1-15, 2000), there is also a short criticism of Cooper's Mumia piece by David Marsh. Also, a very good article on George W. Bush's murder machine in Texas with special focus on the execution of the schizophrenic, Larry Robinson, whose parents' many attempts to secure treatment for their son is heartbreaking.
I was recently in Atlanta talking with leftwingers in the labor movement. We had a forum sponsored by Monthly Review, which was well-attended. The audeince was a great mix of black and white workers, workers and academics, and men and women. The idea of these forums of which there have been five so far, is to begin to build a labor left with a strong enough base in the rank-and-file to gain some power in the labor movement and in the larger radical movement for social justice. I was impressed with the importance attached to the events in Seattle. Not in the sense of the specifics of the WTO (no one was the least interested in the issue of China in the WTO, even when I raised the issue)but in the sense of a challenge to those with power and a victory at that. This has generated a sense of energy and a desire for more struggle. It was suggested that the huge rally against the confederate flag in South Carolina was a direct result of the energy unleashed in Seattle. People also showed no hesitancy to voice the view that capitalism sucks and no one balked when it was stated baldly that capitalism had to go (or when I said something quite positive about the Soviet Union). Another thing that was interesting was the number of people who came out of the sectarian movements of the 1970s with their radical vision intact but directed toward nonsectarian struggle in the workplaces and in the communities. And with very conscious efforts not to countenance sexism and racism.
It is always good for me to get out into the workaday world experienced by the vast majority of people in the U.S. I get the feeling that a left turn could be in the making. If it comes, it will definitely be led by black workers, women workers, and immigrant workers. I am glad that I will be retiring soon so that I can join the struggle full-time.
Michael Yates