http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Radio.html
. . . .
All of the most recently posted interviews are quite good but I was particularly taken with George Monbiot who made a strong case I think for why the sort of globalization the corporate elite are trying to build can, properly used, be the well paved road down which an energized and intelligent Left walk to greater power (we use the Internet, the airports, the whole infrastructure advanced capital requires for our own purposes, this is a good Marxist formulation yes?).
His subtle analysis of the WTO and the awesome weight of China – not as wealthy as the West (yet) but far beyond bullying and more influential everyday it seems – in addition to his very sane take on offshore outsourcing and the greater distribution of technical competence this indicates (the real story of international outsourcing in my opinion) were fascinating. I’m not so sure about his notion of offshoring as a form of ‘reparations’ but I do see his point.
. . . .
This brings to mind a point Chuck0 often makes: the left has more opportunities than it realizes and more potential allies than it imagines. One problem is our near-obsessive focus on the (admittedly quite real) obstacles and the tendency of many people to quietly adapt to even the most unjust situations dulling, in uncounted millions, the latent instinct towards resistance.
Even so, if as Monbiot says, we present our own program(s) for addressing problems such as fair employment, access to medical care, global warming and so on greater possibilities for political power will become obvious.
This comes from effective movement activity but also from how we interact with people one to one.
I’ve changed the narrative I use when speaking with folks who don’t share my political outlook but are willing to debate – whereas before, as a youngster, I would launch into a listing of American crimes, now I simply state the bare facts: the US is exceptional only in that it’s exceptionally powerful (to borrow Gary Younge’s words). Its actions are garden-variety great power politics on an unexampled scale. Whatever domestic liberties we enjoy are the fruit of often-bloody effort and not gifts from a deity or benevolent elites. The fact the company you work so hard to build may toss you out on your ass at the merest sign of trouble with profitability (or, just to satisfy the whims of Wall Street) should tell you all you need to know about Capitalism and who your true enemies are.
And so on.
I find this to be a much more effective debating (and, in an unexpected way, recruiting) tool than lazy reliance on lefty clichés.
There’s another way to describe this – by relating my political ideology directly to the concerns of the people I’m talking to and avoiding the abstract unless absolutely required more gets done.
The implications for mass political action built upon this simple idea are obvious.
.d.