Much of the Left during the 70s (and maybe even before...I came of age in the 70s) saw the anti-imperialist struggles as KEY. Basically, the idea was that the national liberation struggles against US imperialism would provoke economic crises withinin the imperialist countries (by shutting out the imperialist countries) and the Left would be able to take advantage of it. It should be clear now just how wrong this thinking was. I would say many of the maoists groups held this position and I vaguely remember even Gus Hall of the CPUSA writing something to this effect.
Some of your vanguard groups explicitly stated that the American working class was in the main backward, bought off, or privleged by imperialism and so their main thrust were anti-imperialist struggles. The thought was linked to the above statements...that economic crises ensuing from national liberation successes would rouse the American proleteriat to consciousness and struggle.
Even those who did not explicitly state the above, somehow felt safer raising struggles in the context of American campuses rather than the workplace. Of course, on campuses one of the main struggles was anti-imperialist.
I also think that during that time, the American left looked to Third World marxism for a lot of its ideology. I think this, too, has a lot to do with the American left focusing on anti-imperialist struggles. Max Elbaums excellent survey of that era, "Revolution in the Air" explores this idea in detail.
So, I would say that the legacy of all of this is still felt today, and could have some part in why a lot of the discussion revolves around anti-imperialism rather than American labor issues.
-Thomas
===== <<You and me baby ain't nothin' but mammals So let's do it like they do it on the Discovery Channel>>
Bloodhound Gang, "The Bad Touch"
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