>So, I put this as an honest question to Chucko, Shane,
>Melvin, Yoshie, and all the intransigents, and I guess
>I used to be one too -- if not practical reformism in
>the context of keeping longer range goals alive as
>aspirations, then what?
If you'll pardon my counter-question: given that "real" lefties aren't in power to begin with, how can those longer-range aspirations be met if all that happens is reformism (or if all that appears to happen is reformism)? When does (or even can) something "big" happen?
I'm fairly comfortable with making practical reforms, winning small battles here and there, but the "big" issues never seem to appear on the radar (except that in most lefties' heads) of the public at large. Small reforms give "us" the opportunity to get the word out about the "big stuff" ie educating and organizing, but it's all empty talk if there's no way for radicals to take power and wield it in a radical agenda.
Seems to me all that can be done for now at least is keep the worst of the badness off people's backs and wait (dare I say "hope") for that badness to accelerate beyond the capability of, say, the working-class to cope with it.
Then, hopefully, there'll be something besides (if not instead of) some right-wing revolutionary nonsense for people to work with.
Todd
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