[lbo-talk] Re: circles of activism

[John Adams]

On Tuesday, May 18, 2004, at 02:54 PM, Doug Henwood wrote:

> frank scott wrote:
>
>> "Take the proposal to change the basis of representation in the 
>> Senate.
>> If we were powerful enough to do that there would be no need to do 
>> that.
>>
>> I think this also applies to various proposals to control campaign
>> financing."
>>
>> but then it follows ( sagely scratching philosophic beard) that if we
>> were powerful enough to create a social revolution, we wouldn't need
>> one...huh?
>
> You're missing the complexities of Coxian thought. We organize, 
> through door-to-door lobbying, only people who agree with us, using a 
> list of demands that fit onto a single sheet of paper. When pressed on 
> details, we say that's someone else's problem. Somehow this 
> organization reaches critical mass, and we  (whoever we "we" are) take 
> power - exact mechanism of takeover and exercise of power TBA - with 
> no idea what to do next. Simple yet compelling, eh?

I think you're missing the point. There are certain reforms--instant 
runoff voting comes to mind here--which presuppose that one has enough 
power to do something more significant than simply install the reform. 
Fool's gold for the masses.

All the best,

	John a