>Read your Bakunin!
then, he said:
>I've . . . thought early on that those who
>specifically identified with a 19th century political thinker and >critic
>lacked a measure of original thought and identity, and were, to >a degree,
>no different than the religious folk they oftentimes >ridicule.
Doctor, heal thyself!
>Marxism simply isn't gonna take hold in this country -- not with its
>republican tradition -- and this mad belief in Marxism's ineivtable
> >triumph is, again, similar to the belief in the Second Coming.
All I asked was, "Why not?" Simply replying, "Because!" doesn't cut it for me. I want to see the political road kept open (or even broadened) as long as possible, rather than kept reduced to two lanes: center-right and right. As for the "inevitable triumph", there have been several chances in the States (and other places) for something of that sort to happen; I suspect the people at the top were quick to offer an alternative at that point to soften people's demands and avert disaster for the capitalists. Private property is still an open-ended question, that's hanging in the air, waiting . . . .
>As I've said before (and I'm happy to see Carrol concur), the left,
> >whatever it is, has had a tremendous influence on mainstream society;
> >and it's strength has derived from the ability of those who take >social
>change seriously to change themselves when necessary, to adapt >to and flow
>with historical currents. Unfortunately many lefties >remain stuck in
>positions that have little relevance to the world >around them, and they
>cling to these positions because that's all they >know, or worse,
>arrogantly believe are superior to the common person's >outlook on life.
>We've all seen this latter tendency all too often on >this list, and what's
>"progressive" about it I've no idea.
Could not that "tremendous influence" be the power status quo, using radical left ideas, changing them to suit themselves, then offering up the pap as manna from Heaven, given by the very hand that took away in the first place?
Desperate people will take any lifeline thrown to them, especially one that's painted in familiar colours. The Liberals here in Canada use that strategy; we call it, "campaigning from the Left and governing from the Right." As for those people who are "stuck", are you sure they're not just sticking to what's right, and not compromising because life's gotten too hot for them? I'd call it progressive because they keep the idea alive and well, ready to present it to people when called upon. As for their personality, well, I'd call that an occupational hazard. You see the same thing in clergy (there are the really stodgy ones, but also the ones who can be as fun and exciting as any layman); it's not some malaise endemic to "The Left".
>I tar as targets present themselves. I thought I specifically zeroed >in on
>Parenti. And yes, he's a hypocrite, but a Marxist, so . . .
So it's ok to target all Marxists as hypocrites? Is that how you were going to finish? I'm afraid I'm a little slow; things have to be spelt out for me.
Todd
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