[lbo-talk] pictures of Che

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Wed Mar 25 11:05:49 PDT 2009


Mark Bennett wrote:
>
> Isn't this demonstrative of one the major problems in the U.S., that
> race in
> particular, and identity politics in general, greatly dilute
> discussions of
> class issues?

I suspect that what you mean by "class issues" is in fact discussion of status rather than class. To study _class_ is to study a set of abstract relationships which define capital. Practically all discussions/studies of class tend to treat class as an identity, thus blocking any discussion of class before the discussion ever begins. Moreover, such discussion is divisive o potential resistance. I discussed this (the error of treating "working class" as identity) extensively on this list sometime last year. I don't have time to look up the posts just now. Both Robert Albritton and Moishe Postone are useful here.

Class as identity or class culture were useful mobilizing strategies during the nearly 200 yfears during which the struggle was essentially for bourgeois equality within a capitalist world.

And whatever the state of current _discussion_ is, note that nearly all _practical_ struggle which actually led to social change has been one form or another of what you ssterm identity politics. The Women's Movement. The Black Liberation Struggle. "Class" as identity has too often led to contept for the struggles that are of primary importance _even_ from the perspective of class. There can be no general working-class struggle in this country until (at least within sizable sectors of working people) sexism and racism are more completely smashed. In fact, I doubt that revolutionary struggle, or even struggle for some new v ersion of social democracy will ever make much progress until Open Borders and Free Abortion on Demand become central to _all_ struggles.

Carrol



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