>Why are so many LBO-talkers obsessed with finding fault with "the
>left"? If leftists themselves don't like "the left," why should
>anyone else? Self-flagellation and self-deprecation are
>unattractive. It makes sense to flog "the left" ritually once we
>cease to consider ourselves leftists, but, otherwise, it's
>self-defeating. Suppose we are interested in winning friends and
>influencing people, as everyone here says we should be; then it makes
>sense to stop saying that "the left sucks," which is like a salesman
>saying, "Never buy this product -- I won't use it myself."
I think there is (or ought to be) a difference between self-flagellation and self-criticism. The former is saying "the left sucks"; the latter is saying calmly and rationally, "Are we achieving the results we want? No? Then what can we do differently?"
It used to be that periodic self-criticism was regarded by radicals as a necessary exercise, like flushing the car's radiator once a year. Perhaps it would be a good habit to get back into.
Jon Johanning // jjohanning at igc.org _____________________________ Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx