Purer Than Thou (Was Re: [lbo-talk] Obama 'was educated in madrassa')

Dennis Perrin dperrin at comcast.net
Sun Jan 21 05:14:54 PST 2007


Justin --


> Maybe if you can't stomach that you should be doing
> something else, we need people doing all sorts of
> things, but please let's avoid the more-pure, more
> principled, and more radical than thou debate this
> time around? Futile hope.

What is even more galling to me are the "realistic" libs who bemoan lefty "purists." Look, you wanna support/work for/vote Obama, Hillary, whoever, go right ahead. The system is built that way and there is no electoral escape on the horizon. But please spare us your high-minded reasons for doing so. I've worked for, canvassed for, answered phones for, driven elderly voters to the polls for, and even voted for many mainstream Dems in my political lifetime, most recently Kerry/Edwards, which was a real delight, dealing with the apolitical Dem operatives who treated their volunteers like shit and didn't know fact one about geopolitical matters. All they cared about was winning elections. I know I'm not the only one on the list who's worked this end of the corrupt, American street. And we already know the score about the Dems, from personal experience. All this has done is further sicken me about American politics, while further radicalizing me to the reality that serious change is necessary for long-term survival. How that is to be done, I don't think anyone has a real idea, apart from organizing against the war, and perhaps certain economic issues. But waving donkey banners and getting giddy because the Dems raise the minimum wage to where the working poor can buy an extra Happy Meal at McDonald's is even more cynical than being "pure." At least the "purists" stand for something.

Dennis



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