[lbo-talk] thoughts on the Tea Party (why the left is Dead)

[brad]

James wrote:
>No, indeed. 'Men make their own history', Marx said.
I say, it is not the state of the economy that shapes the left's response,
but the state of the left that shapes the response to the economy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, I would just add that the bourgeoisie also has a hand in shaping the
way a crisis works itself out and therefore the ability of the left to build
a response (maybe this is the..."but not under circumstances of their own
choosing" part).  Capital was in a weak position in the late 1960s early
1970s due to the compromises it made with the left coming out of the
depression .  Not for long though as a new strategy of isolating workers
based on neoliberalism gave them the upper hand.  This is how we enter this
period with a very weak and isolated left and a strong and well
organized bourgeoisie.  A big part of the problem, IMO, rests on the lefts
failure to properly understand the large role of the state during
neoliberalism acting to disorganize the left and depoliticize the economy
while organizing capital as a class.  Too many think neoliberalism is about
a reduction in the role of the state.  We need to attack the institutional
sites of this disorganization in the state while simultaneously
building solidarity through non-electoral movements.

Brad