Eubulides wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <uvj at vsnl.com>
>
> Are "anti-imperialism" and "anti-war movement" the only possible bases for
> a viable Left politics in the US? - Ulhas
>
> =================
>
> No, although the conversations on this list would make one think so
> sometimes........ - Ian
It depends on what one means by "base for left politics." And of course whether one equates, as I do, "left politics" with "mass [primarily non-electoral] movement."
One can (and must) incorporate much else than anti-imperialism and anti-war activity into any viable left movement. But if by "base" one means point of departure, or initial rallying point, then yes, left politics in the u.s. must have a base in the anti-war movement. (Anti-war movements _develop_ into anti-imperialist movements, but that is not their core to begin with.) The Patriot Act is inspiring its own separate resistance -- we attended the first meeting of a group on that. It was a large meeting, with very few faces that I recognized, and the people who called it seemed a bit amateurish, but also determined. I have great hopes for them, but Jan & I (and most other activists in the anti-war group)probably won't be attending their meetings, at least for now.
All the people in the local anti-war group are anxious, eventually, to work on other issues -- but the group wouldn't exist (and would not still be in existence) were it not for the issue of the war and the occupation.
Carrol