Lefty despair

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

>Brian O. Sheppard x349393 (is that a telephone extension or part of 
>a name?) quoted:
>
>>"In order to provide those benefits, any successful movement will need to
>>provide its members considerably more pleasure than pain. One of the main
>>reasons that the left is so dull is its emphasis on self-sacrifice to the
>>exclusion of pleasure, and its use of guilt as a means of manipulation;
>>many leftist groups are outright puritanical, and even the most
>>enlightened usually treat pleasure as something frivolous, as something
>>unworthy of attention. As a result, participation in most political groups
>>is about as enjoyable as a visit to the dentist. The results of this are a
>>high dropout rate and the continued participation of only the most
>>self-sacrificing members - who, of course, feel justfiied in demanding (or
>>at least expecting) similar self-sacrifice from everyone else, which
>>contributes to the high dropout rate, and so on."
>>
>>- from A Future Worth Living: Thoughts on Getting There (See Sharp Press,
>>Tucson, AZ)
>
>Yup. I don't see how anyone can deny this, unless s/he's one of the 
>extremely self-sacrificing survivors, or under some political 
>inhibition about speaking the truth.
>
>Doug

Let's put it this way: constant jeremiads that "the left in general" 
is fixated on self-sacrifice, manipulative, given to guilt tripping, 
outright puritanical, etc., etc. are likely to give not only leftists 
who don't fancy jeremiads, but also those who may go left given a 
chance, indeed "more pain than pleasure."  If I were not a leftist 
already, reading the passage cited above (which makes it sound like 
being among leftists is bad for health) certainly would motivate me 
_not_ to become one.  Perhaps, jeremiads about "the left in general" 
do give pleasure to some self-sacrificing LBO-talkers who seem 
insatiable for them.  I can only say that such jeremiads are, well, 
dull.

De gustibus....
-- 
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/>