There is no real left in Russia at the present though, as in the
> U.S. in the '80s, there are doubtless many individual leftists. In such a
> context random acts of symbolic resistance keep up human courage. Mere
> spectators, like Joanna & Joseph, can apparently exercise a merely
> aesthetic
> judgment of politics.
>
If that's what you call distinguishing between attracting people to one's side, and disgusting and repelling them, then yes, absolutely. I'm as guilty as Wojtek's friend in his amusing story.
I'm curious about your "no real left" claim, though. What about all these parties (some of them - I've been led to believe - fairly big), more extraparliamentary groupings, etc?
-- "Hige sceal þe heardra, heorte þe cenre, mod sceal þe mare, þe ure mægen lytlað."