sorry you missed it. again.
Tahir: It? But there were two different positions I was criticising, because I disagree with both: 1. Identification with the state, which clearly is signalled by some people (won't mention names) who talk about what 'we' should have done in Afghanistan - I don't know any way of interpreting this besides seeing an identification with Uncle Sam. 2. The 'build a peace movement at all costs' position - I think it is far less fultile to point out why war is inevitable and why it is that capitalism thrives on war and disaster. If I missed these it's because I don't agree with them.
how do we show them, the people who might be on our side if given half a chance--what a viable left position looks like in these circumstances?
Tahir: I think that one has to be realistic and not sow illusions. The idea that one could rally the American people against this war to stop it is an example of even self-delusion, for a range of reasons that I won't go into. The whole tone of your post shows that you yourself don't find your own version of left to be "viable" at all. Is it viable to subject people around one to a range of opinions that nothing in their life experiences has prepared them for and expect them to suddenly see things in your way?
how do we educate others about the history of US imperialism so that they don't dismiss us out of hand. what answers do "we" give so that people will listen to us instead of laugh, mock, snicker, scream, grimace in disgust. "we" want to continue the activism we pursued previously, and we want to be able to do so with a modicum of respect from those people.
Tahir: Is this your main concern? Self-validation? You're not going to get it in the places you're looking for it. That's clear enough.
maybe these things don't matter to you, but they matter to me--because those are the circumstances of my daily life--and they matter for they determine the richness and variety of people i share that life with. kelley
Tahir: But you want to oppose the very thing that blocks this richness of relationships (capitalism) by means of an already-existing set of rich relationships. I think some people you share some things with and others you share other things with. That's how we get by in the circumstances. But my point is that if you try to turn your "left" into something that fixes up your relationships (i.e. with non-leftists) and something that ALSO fights capitalism then you're on a losing streak. The note of pathos in your post tells me that that's the case.