Covering Dissent

[Cian O'Connor]

It does raise an interesting question though. I tend
to agree with what Nathan says, and I don't think that
just because one is on the left one has to replicate
what the "left" did in the past. They made a lot of
mistakes. When I was growing up I found the
Marxist/Communist/Socialists very alienating. They
seemed more interested in fighting with each other, or
raising issues in very old fashioned ideas. Or
discussing theory and dogma.

The reaction of the left in Britain to Kosovo was
spectacularly self-destructive, as it was motivated
more by a knee-jerk anti-americanism, than any serious
engagement with the very complicated reality. John
Pilger's coverage of Yugoslavia was as propoghandistic
as anything NATO came up with. The attempt to make it
black and white was morally wrong. If one has to be
that black and white I'd prefer not to be a "leftist",
but something else quite frankly. Any war that has to
be won with lies isn't worth winning.

The positive left wing movements in Britain have had
nothing much to do with them (Reclaim the Streets,
anti-Criminal Justice Bill, anti-globalisation, etc),
and I think that's a good thing. These movements have
problems, but at least they are concentrating on
results. Plus it's hard for right wingers to attack
them for their past failures/stupidities.

--- Chip Berlet <cberlet at igc.org> wrote: > Hi,
> 
> This is just an obnoxious personal atack on Nathan.
> It serves no useful
> purpose on this list.
> 
> -Chip
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> > [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com]On Behalf
> Of Charles Brown
> > Sent: Friday, January 04, 2002 4:43 PM
> > To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> > Subject: Covering Dissent
> >
> >
> > Nathan:
> >
> > The New Left wasn't destroyed by the Right-- it
> collapsed of its own
> > infighting. Sure COINTELPRO contributed, but the
> 70s and even
> > the 80s was
> > not McCarthyism. The Right were just smarter
> organizers.
> >
> > %%%%%
> >
> > CB: Since the Old and New Left were such
> "failures", why are
> > you on the Left ? What makes you think you can
> succeed where
> > they "failed" ? It seems that your current Left
> perspective
> > is that the Left should support "imperialism"
> where Saddam,
> > Milosovec and Bin Laden are its opponents. I take
> it that's
> > the lesson you learned from the failures of the
> Old and New
> > Left opposing imperialism: If you can't beat 'em;
> join 'em.
> >
>  

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