[lbo-talk] RE: Activism (socialism in the U.S.)

[joanna bujes]

Doug writes:
"Well we sorta had one once but it's gone. Short answer: immigration 
in waves led to self-definition by ethnicity rather than class; 
slavery led to a self-definition by race rather than class; 
immigration self-selects a bunch of strivers; vicious capitalist 
class with a retrograde ideology and strong taste for force; purges, 
raids, repression (including private repression - blacklisting etc); 
culture of individualism, self-improvement, self-reliance, and 
competition; role of highly masculinized imperialism in creating a 
culture and practice of violence; periodic waves of orchestrated 
panics (Germans, Russians, Muslims); etc."

I was going to add this to my "racism" answer, but then thought of how Latin America also saw these waves of immigration and Latin America did not have a "feudal" past, and yet, socialism (working class) is much, much stronger and better organized there than in the U.S. I almost want to add that the anti-intellectualism of American life contributes to the lack of working-class/socialist organization, but it seems an odd connection.

Joanna