[lbo-talk] Re: Bolshevik-Bashing -- The Point

[Doug Henwood]

Jacob Conrad wrote:

>Given my pragmatic bent, only a social-democratic point of
>view makes much sense to me, although the more left-wing, though still
>democratic left tradition represented by New Politics exerts a
>considerable emotional appeal.  Any socialism worth having, however,
>will not only preserve but extend the liberal tradition, which, to the
>vastly imperfect extent that it is expressed in law and social practice
>in the US and elsewhere, remains a precious and fragile human
>achievement worth defending at nearly any cost.

I agree with you on both counts. Soc dem, which seemed like a boring 
compromise in the 1970s, looks pretty damned fine today, and if it'd 
done with an eye towards "decommodification," can be a transition to 
something even better. And the freedoms of the liberal tradition are 
worth not merely preserving, but actually taking seriously. But when 
you've got really nasty enemies, who are willing to lie and kill to 
preserve their privileges, you've got a big challenge on your hands. 
And I don't think the critics of authoritarianism have always thought 
about that enough.

Doug