On 2010-11-10, at 11:05 AM, Doug Henwood wrote:
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> On Nov 10, 2010, at 9:53 AM, Marv Gandall wrote:
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>> If the Obama administration is true to form, it won't take a stand. If the liberal wing of the party is true to form, it will criticize the administration for missing another opportunity to pass good policy and to portray the Republicans as the party of the rich. If Carrol is true to form, he will say it's "silly" to concern ourselves with an irrelevant issue which has nothing to do with the more important task of building a revolutionary vanguard. If Woj and Charles are true to form, they will indicate they favour taking a stand, but will support the administration for not taking a stand, and join with it in vilifying the liberal Democratic critics of the administration as ultra-left.
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>> Have I got any of this wrong?
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> You're missing the point that the liberals will say that, and do nothing about it.
Many are trying. I think I've made the point before that I have left-wing American friends who are active in Progressive Democrats of America and in single payer and other organizations allied to the DP, and they necessarily work alongside many serious liberals who are trying to change the party's direction. I admire them. I recall my own experience with Canadian liberals (self-described "social democrats") when I was active in the NDP. You work with what you have, respectful of where people are at and in the hope you will be able to win them over. It can be frustrating at times, satisfying at others, mainly depending on whether there is motion in the ranks or not.