[lbo-talk] Democracy

[Jon Johanning]

On Nov 1, 2004, at 1:27 AM, Bill Bartlett wrote:

> Why can't you do both? I mean, how else do you expect to change the 
> situation of socialism not being supported by wide sections of the 
> working class? If even socialists won't advocate socialism, then who 
> the bloody hell will?

I don't often do this, Bill, but I thoroughly agree with you on this. 
Yoshie's statement that socialism "is not yet supported by wide sectors 
of the working class" is certainly true -- an understatement, if 
anything -- but it does not explore the reasons for this situation. If 
those of us who consider ourselves socialists believe that socialism -- 
however we understand the meaning of the word -- is the best system for 
workers, then we should certainly get serious about figuring out those 
reasons. In my opinion, a lot of it has to do with the extremely 
inexpert way socialism has been presented, and the rest of it 
(especially in the U.S.) has to do with the way that "socialism" has 
been turned into a bugaboo of tremendous proportions over the years, to 
the point that it might be the most prudent course to drop the word 
altogether and start over with a different one.

In any case, I have always believed in the maxim: "Whosoever tooteth 
not her/his own horn, said horn shall not be tooted."


Jon Johanning // jjohanning at igc.org
__________________________________
A sympathetic Scot summed it all up very neatly in the remark, 'You 
should make a point of trying every experience once, excepting incest 
and folk-dancing.' -- Sir Arnold Bax