It is interesting how you are able to lump together such disparate and contradictory things as "by the book Leninism", the Green Party -Populist turn that you find "creepy," statist socialist politics and anti-Americanism.
Somehow I fail to see what creepy Green Party-Populism and statist socialism have in common. While I disagree with some aspects of Yoshie's view of the internal affairs of the Iranian state, it seems fairly clear that she is no "state socialist" as that term is generally used (Of course, you don't bother to define your terms in any way). Labels are very useful sometimes, especially if you want to avoid discussion or thinking. SR
-------------- Original message -------------- From: Eric Beck <rayrena at realtime.net>
>
> What happened to Yoshie? Politically, she's always irritated the hell
> out of me, but that was because of major philosophical differences.
> Back in the day, at least her by-the-book Leninism was by turns
> interesting, provacative, or harmless. But this Green Party-populist
> turn she's taken in the last couple years--which, probably not
> coincidentally, has been accompanied by a severe moralizing
> streak--is very creepy. Her embrace of the Iran regime, however
> "critical," gives me the shivers.... I want to spin some cautionary
> tale about how easily statist-socialist politics can warp into
> statist-reactionary politics, or about how for many on the left
> principled anti-racism, -sexism, and -imperialism is a disguise
> for/must take a backseat to anti-Americanism. But that would be
> churlish and not in my character.
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