David Corn: troubling origins of the anti-war movement

Dddddd0814 at aol.com Dddddd0814 at aol.com
Mon Nov 11 11:06:44 PST 2002


Jenny writes: "Why, for example, do you hold the views you do, and your three closest neighbors (probably) don't? How did you (subjectively as hell, cause that's how humans are) come to the conclusions you have come to? How did you change?"

David, response: Is the fact that most wage workers in the U.S. are women and people of color data? Or is it a conclusion? How about the fact that the global economy is largely based on commodity production and wage labor?

Jenny: Or do you really mean that the subjective has nothing to offer?

David: Nope.

You write: "Anyone can say, and a lot of people do, things like "we need a real labor party." But very few will give the concrete reasons, lessons, experiences that lead them to believe that. How will you communicate the idea to others?"

Definitely not through condescension. I have written my thoughts in detail on the Labor Party on several occasions on the list. This question, and the others you ask, have all been answered-- though apparently not in a way you care for.

What can I say? I'm certainly not going to dramatize the dry data and historical trends I've studied for years by making it into an episode of Oprah, about how I as an individual differ from my "closest neighbors". We're obviously just at crosswires because apparently you have reached some of the same conclusions I have, "personally". What a shame it is that people on the Left who are in fundamental agreement can't work together because one refuses to express their conclusions-- which are abstractions and generalizations by definition-- in the same style and tone, much less with the same usage of pronouns. Oh well.

By the way, why are you so concerned with whether or not someone "wins an exchange"??

Best of luck, David



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list