[lbo-talk] The Ideology Problem

[brad]

Carrol wrote:
>You can't begin to understand these movements until you get rid
of the notion that at ANY STAGE, early or late, they were "inspired by
Marxism." They weren't even 'inspired' by socialism until they had
almost run their course, and then it was more of a label indicating
solidarity than it was of the content of their thought.
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That's your experience, not to be confused with history.  There were
many, many Marxist and socialist groups that were involved in the
initial stages of the anti-war movement.  The same is true for the
movements of the 1930s - the CP had been organizing the unemployed for
over a decade and was involved at many other levels.

We need to differentiate between the reasons that masses of people got
involved -  or the movement -  from the motives of those that
organized.  Clearly those organizing were inspired by Marxism and
thought that through more enlightenment liberal movements they could
spread that understanding.  I just wonder if people think this tactic
is correct or not.

Brad