[lbo-talk] Re: A 'Progressive Conference'

[Brad Mayer]

You can be sure I've done plenty over the years, and without the benefit
of the Internet, which BTW, is suspect (and overrated) as a means of
mobilization .  As for MoveOn (to get back to the subject) it's no great
shakes to "mobilize millions" into the Democratic Party.  The left has
been trained like Pavlov's dog to salivate for the Democrats for
decades, after all, and MoveOn relies on this conservative reflex to do
most of the work for it.

The status quo mobilizes millions every day to buy consumer junk they
don't need.  It doesn't really take that much thought or effort. MoveOn
does no differently.

If they can get a billion bucks out of Soros pocket, then I'd be
impressed.

Otherwise, the American left sucks.  I'll pay them more attention and
respect when they change their act.

A test: If the upcoming June 5th demos don't bring out MONSTER crowds -
at least as big as the pre-invasion marches - then this pessimistic view
is both confirmed and deepened.  In that case I'd guess you'd call it
"Lying Low For Kerry", with belly to the ground, mouth shoved in the
dirt, and Kerry's Iraqi jackboot bearing down on the nape of your neck.

Let me guess the line:, "Don't want to give the Repubs images of
'radical', 'unpatriotic', crowds to use against Kerry"  (We know how
much American culture despises large groups of people utilizing public
space).  When events are moving in our direction, as they are now,
that's the time to mobilize and be visible.  But the American left has
thrown its lot in with a force that deliberately seeks to counter and
reverse this flow of events.  Really, it's political treason. 
Unconscionable.

A large, nasty antiwar demo in Boston would alter my view.

-Brad Mayer
Brad Mayer wrote:


>Another NoveOn farce

THeir politics kinda suck, but they've literally mobilized millions 
of people. What have you done?

Doug