The Spurious "We" Re: Anniversary

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

At 9:52 PM -0700 9/20/02, billbartlett at dodo.com.au wrote:
>At 5:21 AM -0400 20/9/02, Yoshie Furuhashi wrote:
>
>>You can't talk about socialism by identifying the responsibility of 
>>the working class with the guilt of the ruling class, thus 
>>constructing the spurious national "We" with a community of 
>>interests, playing into the hands of the very imperialists whom you 
>>oppose.
>
>Your premise is that the working class is not responsible for the 
>actions of the governments they elect. On the other hand I have 
>detailed why they are responsible.
>
>Since you offer no evidence or even the weakest of argument for your 
>premise, I suppose it must be an article of faith for you, for which 
>no reasons are necessary and no amount of evidence to the contrary 
>will make any difference. I can only say that I reject this tenet 
>and point out that it doesn't square with known facts.

There are minor matters that citizens can change through the ballot 
box, but ending imperialism isn't among them.  Not only that, the 
working class cannot put an end to imperialism by non-electoral means 
either, _except_ under the most favorable circumstances -- the 
circumstances that do _not_ obtain today (and may or may not come 
into existence in the future -- there is no guarantee).  The sooner 
American activists on the left realize that, the better, for, then, 
they will learn to wait patiently, without burning out or destroying 
themselves, while doing what they can in the meantime; and might 
possibly be able to seize the moment, if and when the right moment 
for change comes.  That's my premise.

I don't know why you think that the working class can end imperialism 
by election.  Perhaps what you mean by imperialism is different from 
what I understand it to be.
-- 
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/>