----- Original Message ----- From: "Alec Ramsdell" <aramsdell at yahoo.com> To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 7:39 PM Subject: Re: fantasy and political organization
> Yoshie Furuhashi wrote:
>
> > >What are the hazards, what is the "mystical"
> > fantasy,
> > >and what is the "reformed" fantasy? As an example,
> > I
> > >think of the lingering protectionism, a species of
> > >Americanism, in the labor movement. Is this a
> > >mystical consciousness, with its racial and
> > >nationalistic overtones--a fantasy obscuring real
> > >common interests and thwarting organization?
> > >
> > >Alec
> >
> > You bet!
> >
> > Yoshie
>
> And it's a stubborn fantasy. At a small march
> commemorating Haymarket here in Chicago I heard two
> speakers within the space of ten minutes highlight the
> contradictions behind this fantasy. The first speaker
> called for an anti-free market, pro-labor and
> environment awareness--let alone active engagement--
> with an appeal to being American. As Americans we
> should be involved in the fight.
>
> The second speaker was Hungarian with no kind words
> for America. The gist of what he said left one, or at
> least left me, puzzled, let's say, as to what there is
> about America that one would want to stake a political
> project in American national identity.
>
> Alec
==========
What is an American identity, really?
Ian