Carrol Cox wrote: In any case "civil" rights stretch no further than the
workings of bourgeois democracy: they represent an the abstract equality of
citizenship in the
> bourgeois republic. They are not substantive.
JC: I agree with that as far as it goes, but for a big chunk of the world's population, bourgeois rights would be big steps forward, and are goals worth pursuing. No society can move toward any sort of revolutionary change without the means of self-determination.
CbC: Yes. I took that for granted. Tamas "Telling the Truth About Class" explores this from several angles.
JC: I'm reminded (not by Carrol, but my own train of thought) of a small Trotskyist group which comes to Palestine solidarity events in New York to make speeches in favor of a "Socialist Federation of the Middle East." Another - the competition, I guess - prefers a "Socialist Federation of the Near East." . . .. .
CbC: I know some Trotskyists who are really good on most topics but cannot resist feeling the necessity on commenting on the internal affairs of other states.
Carrol