Marvin Gandall wrote:
>
> Really well said, Julio.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Julio Huato" <juliohuato at gmail.com>
> >
> >> For years, Carrol Cox has warned us about the folly of centering our
> >> hopes (or any hope, really) on the Democratic party. Every four years
> >> we argue over which Dem candidate is marginally closer to our point of
> >> view and which candidate is more likely to pursue an agenda which
> >> somewhat resembles progressive politics - or at least, hold Republican
> >> excesses at bay.
> >
> > Carrol misses the point entirely. He does make it all about people's
> > "hopes" and about the adequacy of the Democratic Party (as is, viewed
> > statically) as an instrument of working-class liberation.
I have never said anything about the DP "as an instrument of working-class liberation." I have assumed that no one onthis list is stupid enough to think that, and have felt no need to argue against it. What I have said is that it has been a constant barrier to _any_ kind of left growth, primarily because it sucks in 90% of the people (like Julio) who might otherwise be the cadre that could build the left. We lack leaders -- LOCAL leaders. So many of our potential leaders are doing stupid things like day-dreaming about what the Obama campaign might mean or whether on 'progressive' DP Senator is worth a damn to anyone. And those potential local leaders like Julio protect their cute little daydreams by making sure they don't understand the criticism made of them.
> It's
> > trivially true that U.S. workers won't be able to liberate themselves
> > through the Democratic Party as is. ]
So fucking trivially true I take it as a personal insult that you think I would bother to try to make that point. The next thing you will be describing Cox as arguing vigorously that sewage water is bad for baby formula.
Disgusting.
Let me say it once again. The following is my WHOLE argument, made over and over again;
1. We need left cadre in non-electoral politics.
2. That left cadre must conintue to work year after year, decade after decade if necessary, so as to be on the job when a spark ignitges a prairie fire.
3. They can't do that if they keep thinking that the DP is a lesser evil or that _anything_, including trivial reforms, can be achieved by potential leftists giving themselves to the DP instead.
Carrol