[lbo-talk] Re: boycotting the unorganized (miidle class)

amadeus amadeus amadeus482000 at yahoo.com
Tue Jan 25 19:20:58 PST 2005


Hi again, Ravi: These aren't hypotheticals; they are occurring on this list right now. I also laid out a (yes, rudimentary) materialist basis for why I think these phenomena occur. I also made clear that labor organizers and the like shouldn't take these things for granted. Reactionary sentiment among labor hurts the advancement of workers-- this isn't hypothetical; it's palpable in depressed wages, consolidation of capital, unbridled imperialism abroad, etc. Numerous folks on the list and in this particular thread have, I think, made a case for the fundamental importance of class in a capitalist society. I've added my little piece. All the best, adx --- ravi <gadfly at exitleft.org> wrote:


> amadeus amadeus wrote:
> > It's also important to mention that a section of
> the
> > interests of special oppressions, as Turbulo
> called
> > them, will run antithetical to the class struggle.
> > Some of the intelligentsia will be able to (or at
> > least think they're able to) secure a cozy
> position
> > within bourgeois society, and thus will shout down
> > those seeking to overturn capitalism as "racist,"
> > "homophobic," "sexist," etc.
> >
> > While clearly they should be making every attempt
> to
> > unite rather than divide the working class along
> > identity lines, communists and labor organizers
> should
> > be prepared to be subjected to the worst slights
> > associated with political incorrectness.
> >
>
> doug,
>
> after reading the above, whom do you think is
> dealing with
> hypotheticals? in the above, without having
> established (at least
> onlist) that class struggle is fundamental and
> thorough-going while
> other oppressions are special, the hypothetical
> train rolls on at full
> steam, suggesting that accusations of racism,
> homophobia, etc are from
> some cozy bourgeoisie or are slights associated with
> political correctness.
>
> so, on the one hand, we have brian's concrete (not
> hypothetical) example
> of sexual identity discrimination by the IBEW. otoh,
> you have the
> suggestion that labour organizers should be prepared
> (by which i assume
> they should be prepared to effective reject) for
> accusations of such
> discrimination, such accusations being ones of
> political correctness.
>
> you will agree, i hope, that this is clearly not a
> trivial argument
> about exceptions. at least to me, this is an issue
> of the framing of the
> thought (the fundamentals, the axioms as you said)
> of the left. perhaps
> this is not the first time this has been addressed.
> in which case, those
> seeking privilege for their framework should at
> least point the rest of
> us to the arguments for their side (and i am afraid
> just saying 'people
> have done this analysis before, for instance, marx'
> doesn't help much.
> some text, subsection would be more useful).
>
> without some such examination and understanding, any
> solidarity on the
> part of the left would be nothing more than the
> sticking of yellow
> ribbons to one's cars. after all, tiger woods [a
> wholly owned subsidiary
> of nike inc?] is reputed to have refused to cross a
> picket line, once.
>
> --ravi
> ___________________________________
>
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>

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