Chuck0 writes:
> If you want to co-opt the latent populism among Americans,
it makes sense to build solidarity with them with class war
rhetoric.
While this may be sound in theory, I think it fails in reality since Americans may be willing to unite behind the issue of class, but want to remain divided on the issue of race.
> Simply dismissing conservative and Reublican Americans
as "stupid" or "racist" is going to do nothing to undermine
their allegiance to the rich Republicans who work for the
ruling class.
I agree that calling someone "stupid" is a bad way to try to win her over to your side ("tragically misinformed" is so much nicer LOL). However, even if the left drops the epithet "racist," the fact remains Republicans and conservatives will steer clear because of the racial agenda promoted by the left. Part of their allegiance to rich Republicans comes from wanting to support and perpetuate white power.
Whites left the Democratic Party and joined the Republican Party over the issue of race (which Lyndon Johnson had predicted). Whatever commonalities they might recognize in the area of class struggle will not trump their racism. Only by deracinating itself and its message can the left hope to work with a significant number of these people on the basis of class struggle.
Brian Dauth Queer Buddhist Resister