[lbo-talk] Thoughts on the Tea Party (and why the Left is

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Thu Apr 22 13:03:11 PDT 2010


One point about the effect of slump on left activity: the fact that so many leftists _believe_ (falsely I think) that slumps provide an opportunity for the left itself has a political impact. The CP itself grew rapidly in the early days of The Depression, though it was only in the middle or late thirties that its mass appeal grew! And the present slump is having, less sharply, a similar effect. So it does present an opportunity, not for building serious mass struggles but for increasing the number of cadre involved in various local left groups (anti-war; living wage; immigrant rights, etc). Ideas may sometimes have a material force even when they are mistaken.

Carrol



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