[lbo-talk] Tracking the decline of the left's historic base

[Carrol Cox]

The C.I.O. made a cvonscious decisionnot to organize in the south. In
Memmphis Back workers had organized a ution in as tobacvco plant, and
white workers joined it, creatng a desegrgated local. The Ntional C.I.O
dissolved that local. In other words, it would have been possible for
the C.I.O. both to grow _and_ to fight racism. The national C.I.O chose
otherwise. The C.I.O. is a rally lousy 'model' for left organizing. And
Reuther became president of the U.A.W. with a red-baiting campaign.

In any case, that is past history. Poor and angry gives _no_ indication
of whether or not the specified group can be organized by the left. Some
can be. Some can't be. It can't be argued in the abstract.

Carrol