No one cares about Cooper, Corn, and the like, except perhaps the loose cannon of LBO-talk. They are marginal to left-wing activism, not to mention broader American politics. It's revealing that they resort to the sort of quaint red-baiting -- Watch out for communist fronts! Don't be communist dupes! -- that even corporate media like the Washington Post and the New York Times disdain today; you still see it only in publications on the Right (e.g., <http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=1544>, <http://www.frontpagemag.com/articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=3676>), aside from Cooper/Corn's ilk.
>and who said the movement is going to be "led" by answer? i
>certainly hope not. but if not answer, then who? and how?
The prominence of WW/IAC/ANSWER basically proves Carrol's contention: there is no even loosely organized "Left" in the USA today -- only disconnected networks of local leftists and tiny organizations. Disconnected networks of local leftists and tiny orgs can organize local activities (vigils, rallies, petitions, lobbying, civil disobedience, etc.) and send activists on buses and caravans to major demos in DC, NY, SF, etc. that someone else organized. Since local activists and tiny orgs in one area are practically disconnected from the majority of their counterparts in other areas, they don't have resources to come together and out-organize the one organization focused on US imperialism that we have all heard about: WW/IAC/ANSWER. Those who write like Cooper and Corn, as well as the loose cannon of LBO-talk, in effect are ironically contributing to the name recognition of WW/IAC/ANSWER. Negative press beats no press, you know.
It is interesting that other liberal/left-wing organizations which are against the war on Iraq and do have name recognition -- the Green Party, etc. -- have not only not taken leadership in mobilizing for mass actions but have even failed to attempt to grab for it, leaving the vacuum to WW and RCP. The sort of messages sent by WW/IAC/ANSWER and RCP/NION is basically liberal, neither particularly Marxist nor specific to their party platforms, so, in theory, there is no reason why other liberal/left-wing organizations can't do the same or better. Are other orgs lacking in national organizers, mailing lists of local organizers, contact information of liberal/left-wing celebrity endorsers, etc.? If so, why? -- Yoshie
* Calendar of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> * Anti-War Activist Resources: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/activist.html> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osu.edu/students/CJP/>