Lefty despair

[Gordon Fitch]

Brian O. Sheppard x349393:
> >"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)

Doug Henwood:
> 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.

Well, that's why I give people cookies along with my little
screeds.  Free food!  But, while I'm told I have a small
following of oatmeal-cookie addicts, the revolution hasn't
quite occurred yet.

I'm also trying to influence FNB to be less charitable and
more celebratory.  After all, they assist at functions like
the Carnival against Capitalism.

But I suspect many of you think I'm _not_serious_.  Sigh....

-- Gordon