OK, Herr Dr. Pr. W.S., enlighten us. Explain why giving up on (list unimportant causes) and working (explain appropriate manner) really important bread and butter economic issues (list which these are) is going to save the day and create a 21st century version of the New Deal coalition. Inquiring minds want to know. Suggested list of in and out causes:
OUT
Abortion rights Women's rights generally Gay rights, especially gay marriage Animal rights The environment Civil liberties Civil rights, including antiracist work (They're just violent criminal-element lumpen anyway) World hunger and poverty (furriners anyway) (Please add)
IN
Union organizing (though why, with unions in a free fall?) National health care Protecting social security Living wages Globalization (?) The Iraq war
Or some such, right? Now, Woj, what have you done for anything on the IN list today? And what is the reason to think that that dropping the OUT list and having everyone on "the left" work on the IN list will rally tens of millions of workers to the cause?
--- Wojtek Sokolowski <sokol at jhu.edu> wrote:
> Andie:
>
>
> Well, despite being on to something, this Taibbi
> screed is terminally confused.
>
> [WS:] Dismissing critics like Taibbi is certainly
> possible. With the right
> legal team, one can raise reasonable doubt that the
> sky is blue and the sun
> rises in the east, I suppose :). But the question
> is, to what end?
>
> A self-congratulatory attitude is bad even when
> things are going well, but
> it is delusional or even suicidal when they are
> really tough. In such
> situation, critics like Taibbi are like Cassandra -
> they bring an unpleasant
> reality check to the crowd inebriated with
> self-congratulatory delusions.
> Not taking their warning seriously can be deadly, as
> it was the case of the
> Trojans.
>
> The left is not even in the dog house today - it's
> been kicked out of it way
> to the left field. So why deluding ourselves that
> 'we' did great, while it
> is painfully obvious that 'we' did not. In fact,
> 'we' fucked up big time
> when 'we' had our chance to win lasting victories,
> first in the 1930s and
> then in the 1960s. So who gives a shit that 'we'
> fought valiantly a battle
> or two, when 'we' lost the war. It is time to wake
> up from the 'American
> dream,' smell the coffee and learn from those who
> have been more successful.
> Every schoolboy understands that - he copies his
> homework from honor
> students, not from failures and losers.
>
> Self-criticism used to be an important element of
> communist party
> discipline. I think it is worthwhile to revive that
> practice.
>
> Wojtek
>
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